He Shall ReignSample

Today, as we’re closing out our Advent study, we take a look back at a portion of the scripture we started out with two weeks ago. You’ll recall that we learned about the 400 years of desperate waiting the Israelites went through; they were expecting a King who could be a prominent political figure to deliver them from captivity. They instead received a King in the most humble of forms: a child.

There is nothing more dependent or helpless than a child. In retrospect, the Messiah could have made his entrance to the world as a full-grown man, but that would have taken away so much of the wonder and awe that comes with Advent. We acknowledge that He is fully God, but in order for Him to be fully man, He had to come down in complete humility. As Philippians 2:7 says, “rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Additionally, if Jesus hadn’t been fully man, He would not have been able to stand in the place of sinful man and take on the punishment that man deserves. When we see it from this perspective, we further understand how perfect and intentional God’s plan was. Even better, 2,000+ years later, we still get to be a part of that story!

Today, though His physical body isn’t on earth with us right now, our Prince of Peace is still working to accomplish what He started. In Ephesians 2:16-17, it says that Christ came to “reconcile [Jews and Gentiles] to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” We will get to experience that unity and peace in its absolute fullness when we meet Him face to face - what a day of celebration that will be! But in the meantime, we rejoice in the good news that God’s peace is simultaneously universal and personal to each and every one of us. We live our lives in a posture of worship and wonder. And we hold fast to this sweet truth: that He Shall Reign, forever and ever.

APPLICATION:

Listen to He Shall Reign by Hillsong Worship. As you listen to these words, think about the Lordship of Jesus, and rejoice in our Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. If you haven’t already, make plans to attend a Candlelight service near you to celebrate His reign in community with fellow believers!