8 days before Christmas! God chose Judah, the third son of Jacob, as the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham. And through the family of David, a descendant of Judah, was where the kingship of our Lord Jesus would come from. God told David through the Prophet Nathan these words, "For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13)." David's son, Solomon, was the one who built the temple of God in Jerusalem, but when God said that his royal throne was forever, it was referring to the coming Savior, Jesus. The kingdom of Israel ended in 586 B.C., and there was no king established in the Nation of Israel until this day. The current nation of Israel is not operating as a monarchy but as a parliament. Israel's current prime minister is Benjamin Netanyahu. We see him on the news all the time because Israel is battling the Hamas in Gaza today. When Jesus was born on this earth, He came as the servant King. He came not to conquer or become a political King, but He came to die on the cross and rose from the dead on the third to save us from our sins. However, when He returns a second time to this earth, Jesus will rule on this earth as a King for a thousand years (Revelation 20). And after the one thousand years, He will be our King forever.
When we celebrate Christmas, we need to remember that our Lord Jesus will someday return and be our King forever. He will rule on this earth for a thousand years and lead us to His eternal Kingdom. We are experiencing all kinds of suffering at this time, but there will be a day when all suffering will end. Satan is ruling the minds and hearts of those who reject Jesus as their Lord and Savior at this time, and this is why we see all kinds of violence and corruption all over the world. People are suffering because of corruption and violence; however, all these things will end when our Lord Jesus comes to us again. He will rule with righteousness and justice. During His reign on this earth, all the wars will end, and the earth will be restored. Luke 1:32-33 says, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
In this Christmas season, let us celebrate with the hope that Jesus will come back to us once more, reign as the King of Kings on this earth, and make everything right.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What would Jesus do on His second coming to this earth? How should I celebrate this Christmas season, knowing that Jesus will come back as the King of Kings? What lesson did I learn from this devotion?
Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, there will come a day when my Lord Jesus will come back to this earth as the King of Kings. Thank you for reminding me this morning that Christmas is not only celebrating the birth of my Lord Jesus, but it is also to be reminded of His return. Thank you for the eternal hope that I have in you. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
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