Casandra Martin

It was still and dark in the pasturelands surrounding Bethlehem. Shepherds were settled in for the night next to their flocks, their senses alert for predators seeking to harm the lambs. They never expected to be the recipients of heaven’s rejoicing. An angel’s bright light pushes back the edges of night, proclaiming news of great joy. A child is born in the city of David. Not just any child. The child. The promised one. The fulfillment of a thousand years of promises. The King.

Read the words of Isaiah as he describes the One who will wear the crown and reign over the world.

“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 9:7a

Jesus is the King. His reign is defined by His character. Justice and righteousness mark the way His rule reveals His power. Peace overflows into His kingdom as He establishes His place as ruler and sovereign. He fulfills the promises made to David, but in a way so much richer and deeper than we could imagine. Jesus isn’t just a man after God’s own heart. He is God’s own heart sent to walk on the earth.

We are His kingdom. He doesn’t rule over a plot of land, but in the hearts and minds of His people. Our souls are His throne. He inhabits our praises. His sovereignty unleashes His purpose in our lives. His power transforms us into His image with ever increasing glory. We walk in this world as testaments to His reign, reminding the world with each step that the King has come.

My Jesus Resolution today is to take my cue from the angels in the field. It is time to share with someone the good news of great joy – the King has come! Jesus invites everyone to open their heart and surrender themselves to His reign. Starting with me. I need to examine my little places of control, putting them under submission to the sovereignty of God. Living this kingdom life proclaims to the world that the King has come into my life, and the result is great joy.