The Child Born to Be King Forever
Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
The third verse of our Christmas hymn speaks of the child who was born to be King, and King forever, and King forever of a new Kingdom he brings in. Isaiah foretells the same story, of a King who would come as a child to sit on David's throne but in a way no mere child of David could possibly fulfill:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7
The Kingdom Already and Not Yet
This is the long expected Jesus, who came 2000 years ago. But it is not just the Jesus who came. As we sing this song, we are still awaiting Him. Isaiah promises us there will be even more than what we see Jesus has already accomplished. In chapter 11, Isaiah tells us that nature itself will be remade in the coming Kingdom:
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:6-9
Where is this Kingdom? It began with Christ's birth, life, and resurrection, but it is not yet fulfilled. This advent, we should—as every year—look backwards to Jesus' birth in remembrance, remembering Christ's gracious saving work for our sins, his love for us revealed in his sacrifice on the cross, and the depth of our debt to Him for paying a price we could not pay. But we can also look backwards to his birth expectantly, knowing that Isaiah who promised us Jesus' birth promised even more than we have yet received. Jesus came and set us free from our sin, but beautiful as that is, it is just a hint of the promised world to come, an unending world perfected, where pain and poverty, sin and suffering are not just redeemed, but will disappear altogether.
Daily Advent Questions for Reflection
Day 1: Reflect today on the life and work of Jesus 2000 years ago, and especially on the birth of a child who was King, but who had given up heaven to be born as a helpless human being for rebellious sinners like us. Can you see yourself as a beloved child redeemed by a loving father who wanted to call you his child forever?
Day 2: Reflect today on the work of Christ right now, as the King of this still broken world, who is working all things together for good for all of his children. Can you set aside the fears and frustrations that often overtake us when thinking of the world, and rest in the reality that Christ is really at work, right now, making all things new?
Day 3: Reflect today on the promise of a never-ending Kingdom in a world fully remade by Christ. Can you find joy in your circumstances, no matter how hard, knowing that this is but temporary suffering that will be no more than a tiny blip in comparison to the unimaginable riches of forever with Christ?
Day 4: Reflect today on the first two names of Christ given by Isaiah: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. How can you seek and see Jesus as Wonderful Counselor today? How can you seek and see Jesus as Mighty God?
Day 5: Reflect today on the second two names of Christ given by Isaiah: Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. How can you seek and see Jesus as Everlasting Father today? How can you seek and see Jesus as Prince of Peace?
