Long Expected Devotional – Week 4
Sunday, December 24th
THE KING OF LOVE | HEBREWS 1
King David.
- A mighty warrior who slayed lions and bears (1 Sam 17:36), killed the giant Goliath with a single stone (1 Sam 17), and struck down his “ten thousand” (1 Sam 29:5).
- A musician (1 Sam 16:14-23) and poet who authored many Psalms (such as 23, 27, & 51).
- A caring man who showed undeserved mercy and kindness to others, such as Saul (1 Sam 24, 26, & 2 Sam 1:17-27), Abner (2 Sam 3), Mephibosheth (2 Sam 9), and those who rebelled against him during Absalom’s insurrection (2 Sam 19:16-23).
- A sinner guilty of adultery (2 Sam 11:1-5), enticing others to sin and plotting the murder or an innocent man (2 Sam 11:6-25), a weak father unwilling to discipline exemplified by his dysfunctional sons (2 Sam 13:16-17), and rejecting the word of God resulting in the death of others (Uzziah and the Ark: Num. 4:15, 2 Sam 6:1-7 / Census: Ex. 30:11-16, 2 Sam 24:1-9, & 11-16).
But to the Jewish people, David was the powerful and just king who reigned many years over a free and united Israel (1 Chron 18:14 & 29:26-30), feared by his enemies, and loved by his people (1 Chron 14:17 & 1 Sam 18:15-16).
But the characteristics about David that is most noteworthy is he was “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:14), which is evidenced by his repentant spirit (Ark: 2 Sam 6:9-23 / Adultery/Murder: Ps 51 & 12:1-23 / Census: 2 Sam 24:10 & 17-25).
When we find David in the New Testament, he is neither praised for his accomplishments nor condemned for his sins. Rather, Paul reiterates this very truth about David (Acts 13:22). And it was through David, this man after God’s own heart, that God would make a covenant. In 2 Samuel 7 God makes a promise that He will establish David’s throne forever by seating One—from the line of David but far greater that David—on this throne to reign forever and ever.
David himself, this mighty warrior and king, loved and revered by so many, would affirm this truth when he humbly called this messianic figure his Lord (Ps 110:1). This covenantal promise would be echoed by future prophets such as Isaiah (9:6-7). Over the course of history, the Jews longingly expected this Messiah who would redeem Israel (Lk 24:21), delivering them from the oppression of their enemies and restoring the fortune of His people. However, what they got was much different than what they expected.
Rather than a great and mighty king, they receive a newborn baby. Instead of this baby growing up to be a warrior greater than David, who would overthrow the Romans, they have a Man of Sorrows, despised and rejected by mankind, who had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him (Isa. 53:2-3), being led as a prisoner to His death by the very ones they hoped He would overthrow. And after they buried His dead body, His few remaining followers were left wondering how they had gotten it wrong. But as Jesus Himself, in His resurrected body, would say to them in just three days, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?’ (Lk 24:26).
The suffering and death, just like entering the world as a baby, were acts of humility and were necessary parts of God’s will. Isaiah prophesied that this child born unto us would grow into a man of sorrows, and it would be by his wounds we are healed.
God would even reveal the necessary sufferings of Christ through David himself in Psalm 22. For it was through Christ’s humility, being found in human form and becoming obedient to the point of death, that God ‘highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil 2:8-11).
As the author of Hebrews wrote: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs” (Heb 1:3-4).
Jesus reveals at the Last Supper to the disciples why He obeys the Father’s will. It is so the world may know He loves the Father (Jn 14:31). Jesus loved the Father, and therefore He humbled Himself to the point of death so that we might be saved. It is because He loved us first that we can love Him. Therefore, out of love and gratitude, submit yourself to the lordship and authority of Jesus Christ. Though His ruling over us may not look or feel like what we expect of want, He is the King we desperately need.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- How does viewing Jesus as the ultimate King impact the way you view and celebrate Christmas?
- What are specific ways in which Jesus rules your life that you don’t like or want?
- Look up Scriptures that talk about Jesus as King (look for keywords like king, authority, rule, dominion, Lord, etc.). How does Scripture tell us to view Jesus as King?
- How do the ways Scripture tells us to view and understand Jesus as King impact and change the list you made in #2?
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DAILY READINGS
Monday: Luke 1:46-56
Tuesday: Luke 1:57-66
Wednesday: Luke 1:67-80
Thursday: Luke 2:1-7
Friday: Luke 2:8-21
Saturday: Luke 2:22-40