Mark My Words – The Birthday of a King

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

When we consider the coming of Christ to earth roughly 2000 years ago, what comes to your mind? Perhaps you think of a frightened young girl wondering what she is going to do, since it appears that she has become pregnant and is going to have a baby outside of wedlock. Possibly you think of a young man who feels betrayed because he is certain that his betrothed wife has been unfaithful to him. Thankfully, neither of them was correct and God clarified His miraculous purposes to them. A baby lying in a crude animal feed trough may be the image that comes to your mind. The virgin birth, the angel Gabriel, shepherds in a field watching their flocks at night, wise men coming to worship with gifts, Mary’s song of praise, the list goes on….

May I suggest to you that possibly there is different image of Christ’s coming that we should have in mind since we live in these last days, the church age. That image is of a conquering King, coming in judgment, to reclaim the world that rightly belongs to Him. And we know from the book of Revelation that when Christ does return, He will rule and reign upon this earth for 1000 years, and after that comes the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem. At the time of His second coming, judgment will come to the wicked and salvation to those found righteous through Christ.

While Christ did indeed come the first time as a little baby, I would suggest to you that we are possibly living closer to the second coming of Christ than we are to His first coming. Do I know this for certain, No. However, there have been many changes that have occurred over the past century or so that seem to me to indicate that we are living in the season of the Lord’s return. They are: the worldwide missions movement, natural & man-made disasters, wars, the re-formation of Israel as a nation in 1948, the rise in technology, the widespread expansion and increase of knowledge, the rise of world governance, persecution of Christians, and many people falling away from the faith.

While we should look back at the first coming of Christ, I would suggest to you that even more so we should be looking up for the second coming of our Lord. Christ came the first time as a suffering Lamb to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Christ will come a second time as a King to conquer, subdue, and bring under His control the creation that was thrown into chaos and rebellion when Adam and Eve sinned.

Children of God, this Christmas look back, look up, and praise our God who has saved us and will save us completely from the sufferings of this fallen and broken world when He returns. At that time the children of God will enjoy perfect peace and joy in the presence of the One (Jesus) who died for us and rose again from the dead. This will issue in songs of joyous and peace filled praise as we worship before His throne for all of eternity!

Merry Christmas,

Mark