Who Reigns?
5 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. 78 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
(Luke 1:76-79)
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
(Luke 23: 38-40)
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God proclaimed that a righteous king would come to redeem God's people. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptizer, proclaimed that his son would prepare the way for this deliverer. Then Jesus lived a life of service and compassion - bringing God's healing and forgiveness to the people, and he died on the cross - laying down his life between two thieves. What, then, does it mean for
Christ to reign in our lives?
Many voices vie for our attention - media, friends, family, our own wants, and, hopefully, our faith. We must decide which voice will direct our path. If we are followers of Jesus, then Jesus' words and actions should be our guide. Jesus went out of his way to seek those who were outcasts and restore them to God and community. Putting the priorities of Jesus before our own is not easy. It will change the way we interact with others, change what and where we purchase, affect how we vote, how we make and use money. Allowing Christ to reign in our lives will turn our values upside down. We won't always get it right, but as we strive to submit to Christ's reign, we might just glimpse God's kingdom on earth. May Christ indeed reign, to the glory of God!
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
(Colossians 1:15-20)
