And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” — 2 Samuel 7:16

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to drive around at night and look at Christmas lights. This often includes cookies being passed around the van as I awkwardly sing Christmas carols at the top of my lungs. There are some verses where I can’t help but belt out the lyrics. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is one of those carols. There is something about singing “Glory to the newborn King!” that causes me to sing more vigorously. The Christmas story is full of kings and the promise that God would send his people a special king. God made a promise to King David that one day, he would raise up a new kind of king. A better king. An eternal king.

The Christmas story is full of kings and the promise that God would send his people a special king.

King David experienced God’s faithfulness all throughout his life. From God’s deliverance from danger when he was a shepherd to God’s deliverance when enemies surrounded him, God always showed himself to be faithful and true. But what about God’s kingdom after David draws his last breath? What would become of his family and his people? As a newer father, I’ve thought, “How will my family be when my time comes? Will they be cared for? Will they be protected? Will they be provided for?” I would imagine this burden may be even greater for David as he considers all of God’s people.

The good news of Christmas is that God has kept his promise to David.

The good news of Christmas is that God has kept his promise to David. God promised he would raise up an heir to the throne from David’s own family. It was not simply that God would raise up another king. God would establish a king like no other. He promised a kingdom that would last forever and a King who would reign forever. Through this Everlasting King, God would conquer sin, ensuring God’s people were never enslaved to it again. God’s King would be victorious over death. No longer would the grave have the last word, but God’s King, the living Word, would speak the words of eternal life.

The good news of Christmas is that this promised King has come, and his name is Jesus.

The good news of Christmas is that this promised King has come, and his name is Jesus. He is God’s King who conquered the enemies of sin and death for his people. He now sits on the eternal throne that God prepared for him. He rules over his enemies, and his people are blessed.

To the one true King! Cheers!
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Liturgy

O Ruler of all,
In the midst of uncertainty, you remain stable.
Through overwhelming changes, you remain constant.
You cannot be simplified into a God who only loves
or only judges.
Your mercy and longsuffering flow through
the Old Testament.
Your holiness and justice are not diminished in the New.
You truly are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
How we long for an anchor in the midst of our storm!
But our King is not far off.
The Almighty entered history as a helpless baby.
The Holy One reached out
to the unclean and contagious outcasts.
The Righteous One sat down
`with sinners and tax-collectors.
Our Savior gave himself up to be beaten,
mocked and executed
This King was rejected, not because he had changed,
but because the world did not know who he had always been.
O Lord, give us eyes to see your unchanging character.
May our hearts pour forth thankfulness
at the honor of knowing you.
Help us walk with our King daily
and to be wise in each season.

Amen.