It is part of the finite man’s frustration that he cannot say ALL the things all the time. We always select. Some good things must be left out and some other things are not emphasized that at other times deserve full focus. As listeners, maybe we need to charitably fill in what was lacking, maybe we need to ask for clarification, maybe we wait and see what comes up later.

Selections (summaries and TLDR;s and bullet points) have their place; Jesus summed up the entire Mosaic law in the Great Commandment. Most selections, though, shouldn’t become the replacement of the whole. A book of quotes is useful, reading some of the quotes in their original habitat usually does wonders for the quote.

Here’s another example. The Bible is often summarized as “The Story of Redemption.” I also appreciate the informal children’s catechism version of it. Q: What is the point of the Bible? A: Kill the dragon, get the girl. These are okay, and of course they don’t claim to be complete. There are any number of good starting points; all are yours.

Jesus Himself seems to baffle our attempts at back-of-the-brochure brevity. Jesus is true God, amen! Jesus is also true Man, amen! And Jesus is the Logos/eternal Word, the Lion of the tribe of Judah as well as the Lamb who was slain, the Good Shepherd, the only-begotten Son of the Father, the Head of the Church, the Savior of the world. Hallmark doesn’t make cards that fit the entire Definition of Chalcedon, and they don’t have to. But perhaps our nativities and narratives have accepted a less helpful selection for Christmas attention. What is the true meaning of Christmas?

We’ve come to address the third of four Advent Amens. We are not adding to your December to-do list, we are remembering/receiving the Incarnation Trues. In His person, Jesus is true God and true man. And in His purpose, Jesus was “born to reign in us forever.” Jesus is true King, amen!

Born to Reign - Jesus is true King

It’s not that you need a special lens to see the reality of Jesus as King in Scripture, it’s more that you need some way to avoid seeing it. The most frequent way to miss it is to read Scripture’s storyline for sake of individual salvations rather than to read and see the increase of His no-end government.

I’m going to put these observations into a bullet-point list for sake of heaping them up.

• Matthew’s gospel begins with the genealogy of the King (Matthew 1:1-17). “David the king” is the only name mentioned multiple times, and all of it sets up Jesus as part of the royal line through Solomon, so Jesus was the legal heir of David through his adoptive father Joseph. For that matter, the genealogy in Luke comes through David’s son Nathan, meaning Jesus was also a physical heir of David through the bloodline of His mother Mary (whose father was Heli, though Joseph is named as his heir). (More on the genealogy here.)
• The wise men see the star which was the sign that the “king of the Jews” was born (Matthew 2:2).
• “Herod the king” at the time (Matthew 2:1), was so fearful and so cruel that he had all the boys two-and-under killed so as to be “sure” to have killed this rival king.
• Years later, when Jesus entered Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion, He fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, “Behold, your king is coming to you…humble and mounted on a donkey.”
• The Jews wanted Jesus killed, and included in their accusations that Jesus was forbidding tribute to Caesar saying that He Himself was “Christ, a king” (Luke 23:2).
• When Pilate said to Jesus, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). What truth? The truth that Pilate knew: Jesus is King.
• When they made a sign to hang on His cross, it named “King of the Jews” in three languages. The Jews wanted to clarify that Jesus said He was king, but Pilate left it as it was (John 19:19-22).
• Jesus asserted that all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18). As what? The authority of the King. Why did He say, “make disciples of all nations”?
• He is known not just as King, but as the “King of the nations” (Revelation 15:3) not just one nation, the “King of kings” (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14).

Of course these all corroborate what God covenanted in the Old Testament, to give David a son who would sit on the throne and rule forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16). The psalms anticipate the Anointed one (Psalm 2, Psalm 89:3-4). The prophets anticipated the child born:

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.
(Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)

So the angel Gabriel told Mary:

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32–33 ESV)

Jesus is true King, amen!

Strongholds Destroyed

Of course the kings of the earth set themselves and the rules take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed (Psalm 2). Of course the nations rage. And though Christians may not rage, they do often refuse to acknowledge King Jesus.

One lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, is motivated, just as many of the early church heresies, by trying to protect God’s reputation. Pietists quote Jesus saying “my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and with that brush away all the earthly application. It’s as if Jesus came in the flesh to get everyone out of the flesh. He did come to save us from sin in the flesh, but so that we could live in sanctified bodies. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). It is a false argument that Jesus is not King of the world because His kingdom runs on principles and energy that overcome the world.

Amillennialism is also pulled down. While it is true that Jesus reigns right now in one way, it is also true that His reign is not on earth as it is in heaven…yet, but it will be. That’s what we pray for (Matthew 6:10)! We acknowledge that He is currently King, but we are waiting for the King to return from the far country. His second advent will be to judge the world in equity. At least Postmils think that Jesus will come back, Amils think Jesus’ reign is spiritual.

The “virtue” of a sentimentalist’s panic at any whiff of discomfort is also destroyed. When you hear someone joke-imply, “Don’t talk about politics over the holidays,” ask them, Why? Because you’ve selected the wrong part of Christmas if you can’t say “the King is born” and only those who’ve been transferred into His kingdom have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).

Trues Defended

The truth is, Jesus is King, amen! I have assembled more bullet points, lines from just advent/Christmas carols in the Cantus that we sing, and only lines that reference the King/kingdom. I have left out the references to the “Christ,” even though Christ/Messiah means Savior-King, and I have also left out references to “Lord,” though, again, that includes His reign.

• “Born a child and yet a king, Born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring” (Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus)
• “Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates! Behold, the King of Glory waits! The King of kings is drawing near” and “O happy hears and happy homes To whom this King of triumph comes” (Lift Up Your Heads)
• “Boundless shall Thy kingdom be, When shall we its glories see?” (Savior of the Nations, Come)
• “Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the newborn King” (Angels We Have Heard on High)
• “That in His kingdom, Bright and fair, You may with us His glory share” (From Heaven Above to Earth I Come)
• “Peace on earth, good will to men, From heav’n’s all glorious King!” (It Came upon the Midnight Clear)
• “King of kings, yet born of Mary” (Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence)
• “Come and behold Him, born the king of angels” (O Come, All Ye Faithful)
• “With the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King” (Silent Night, Holy Night)
• “Wise men came from country far; To seek for a King was their intent” (The First Noel)
• “This, this is Christ the King, Whom Shepherds guard and angels sing” (What Child Is This)
• “Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King’” (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)
• “Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King!” (Joy to the World!)

These are our songs! The Son is true King, amen!

Advent Implications

There needs be no embarrassment about the true meaning of Christmas. The King has been born. There’s no undoing it.

All our loyalty belongs to the King, and then order all your loyalties in light of His kingdom.

Make disciples of all nations; Kiss the Son. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. The incarnation is an international concern.

Conclusion

“Born that man no more may die”? Yes. And so that man will live unto what? Jesus came to redeem and rule. He died and rose to ransom captives to sin (including Israel) and to rule countries (from Israel). He saves us to serve Him as our King and we will reign with Him (see 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:6).

Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”:

The kingdom of this world
Is become
The kingdom of our Lord
And of His Christ
And of His Christ
And He shall reign for ever and ever

King of kings
For ever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah!

Or Paul:

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17 ESV)

Amen!

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Charge

Men, employ your songs, the Savior reigns. Let every heart prepare Him room. Let no sins grow, let your sorrows be set in light of the King’s blessings that flow far as the curse is found. Love His truth. Live in His grace. Let your joy be heard in the world.

Benediction:

[K]eep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:14–16 ESV)