He Shall Reignনমুনা

It’s easy for us to think of Jesus’ reign in light of the full arc of His story and time here on earth, the Prince of Peace and King of Kings. But for the shepherds who had just heard of His coming through the angels, a royal figure wouldn’t have been someone they could typically relate to or ever associate with. Rulers had been cruel, unjust, and proud. Yet Jesus came humbly, unknown to the greater world. Although He remained fully God, He chose to become fully human, and came as a helpless child and grew to establish justice and righteousness through giving His own life. 

God could have chosen to bring Jesus into a wealthy, political family, but he didn’t. He could have chosen to reveal the Messiah’s birth to the religious leaders of the day, but instead, He sent angels to the shepherds who were “keeping watch over their flocks by night.” The common thread among everyone that God used in the story of Jesus’ birth is that they were actively waiting and watching: Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, the shepherds and wise men, and Simeon and Anna in the temple, who we’ll learn about soon. They were all available to the Good News. 

When we are caught up in our own ideas of how the Good News should sound or look, we miss the Kingdom of Heaven. Had the shepherds relied on their own understanding of things, they would have never seen Jesus. But they believed the message of the angels and set out to find a new kind of king. Many of the religious leaders of that day ended up missing Jesus because they couldn’t submit their pride or fears to Him. In order for Jesus to reign in our lives, we need to daily lay our understanding down as we let the Word wash away what is false and fill us with truth. Stay watchful for God to teach you new things and show you more of Jesus’ presence around you. 

APPLICATION: 

Read this prayer aloud: God, forgive me where I’ve missed you because I’ve been caught in my own perspective instead of pursuing Truth. You are the Way, Truth, and Life. I submit my will to your kingdom. Teach me more of Your Word and Your Ways!