Sunday Meditation: New Year's Eve

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day. It is also New Year’s Eve. The Church will be closing one year and welcoming another with prayer, thanksgiving, and praise. Every Lord’s Day has certain features in common, but some Lord’s Days awaken particular memories, emotions, and points for meditation. You celebrate the resurrection of Christ and pardon of your sins every Sunday, but I suspect there were additional thoughts of joy and gratitude that filled your heart on the Sunday your children (or grandchildren) were baptized. So as we approach the last Lord’s Day of 2023 and the beginning of a new year, how should we prepare our hearts?

We should look back with gratitude. The Lord has blessed and sustained us through the last year. There have been trials and sorrows, disappointments and losses, but we are still here and able to confess, “Thus far the Lord has helped me.” There have also been many joys, comforts, and gifts which all came from the Father’s loving hand. We owe him thanks for it all.

We should look back with repentance. We have not done all that we could or all that we should. We have squandered much of our time, and even what we have done that we ought, we did not always do well. The Lord is gracious and merciful. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. We do not keep a yearly day of repentance and atonement, as the Jews did. The Church’s atonement is commemorated every first day of the week. But at the turn of the year, it is appropriate to look back and confess our faults over the year as a whole in order to move ahead with confidence of our cleansing and all the more grateful for his favor.

We should look ahead with cheerfulness and excitement. We know there will be difficult times in the year ahead. Chances are not all of us will live to the end of it. But we know the Lord will be with us. He promises to turn every experience that lies before us for our good. We enter the year with confidence that the evil we will meet there cannot truly harm us and that there will be much good to receive, celebrate, and enjoy. Each of us will be one year older, but that only brings us one step closer to seeing the face of our Savior. The new year holds no terrors for a believer, only holy enthusiasm to see God’s kindness each day.

We should look ahead with pious resolve. Many people will be making New Year’s resolutions, most of which will not last the first quarter of the year. Whether it is by formal resolution or not, all of us should aspire to be more faithful, fruitful, holy, happy, and obedient to God in the days that lie ahead than we have been in the days that are now behind us. This may involve a commitment to more consistent Bible reading, a plan to memorize Scripture, a schedule for daily prayer, or goals for hospitality and visitation. All of these are good habits to cultivate and establish. But do not think of faithfulness only in terms of performance goals. How do you need to grow in gratitude, humility, cheerfulness, contentment, love, and courage? How do you aspire to grow in your sanctification in this new year? What prayer will you make to that end?

Whether 2023 was a good year for you or not, it has now come to an end. What is past cannot be changed, but it can be forgiven, learned from, remembered with fondness, and commemorated with thanksgiving. A new year is upon us, and the Lord will be with us there, as he has been with us in the last twelve months. We do not know what lies in the future, but we do know in whose control it lies. He will lead us safely. He promises not to lose any one of his sheep. --JME

Christmas Day: Family Liturgy

This is the liturgy our family used for worship together when we gathered to celebrate Christmas. It is designed to illustrate and encourage the kind of structure that can be used profitably in family worship. The divisions are based on the number of members in my family who would be participating, each person reading or leading a different section. You may wish to add or subtract sections or use different Scripture passages or prayers. The prayers here are drawn from the 1928 BCP and the URCNA's Book of Forms and Prayers. --JME

 Family Readings & Prayers

Christmas Day

Opening Sentence of Scripture

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Hymn

Scripture Reading: John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Collect

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

Scripture Reading: John 1:6-13

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Collect

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Scripture Reading: John 1:14-18

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Collect

GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thine only Son Jesus Christ; Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Hymn

Family Prayer

Merciful Father, You so loved the world that You gave Your only begotten Son. He who was rich became poor for us, the eternal Word made flesh, a great Light shining in the darkness. Only because of Your Word and Spirit have we seen that Light and been drawn into its brightness. Give us the grace humbly and joyfully to receive Your Son, even as the shepherds and princes who welcomed Him, and to look no further for our redemption than to this child lying in a manger. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Corporate Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Blessing

May the LORD bless us, and keep us. May the LORD make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. May the LORD lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace, both now and evermore. Amen.

Closing Praise: Doxology

Sunday Meditation: On the Eve of Christmas Eve

Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day. It is also Christmas Eve. It is not wrong if our hearts become excited as the Christmas holiday approaches. There is a way to embrace, celebrate, and promote Christmas as a day that honors God and exalts Christ. But it may be appropriate this evening for us to examine what it is within our hearts that yearns for Christmas. It may not only be the spiritual and devotional aspects, but also the family, food, gifts, and traditions we enjoy at this time of year. That is not wrong. It is God who gives us good things to enjoy, and we are not honoring him by pretending not to notice that the turkey is juicy, the stuffing is scrumptious, and the pies are sweet and bursting with flavor. It would be sinful ingratitude to receive the season’s good things and not thank God for them or refuse to enjoy them. We were made to glorify God and to enjoy him, and he is not most glorified by starched collars, straight back chairs, and sour expressions on baptized faces.

It is good and right that we look forward to and enjoy the trappings of the Christmas season, but we should also be delighted by the Giver and not only his good gifts of providence. God has given us himself in the Person of Jesus Christ, and though it may sound evangelically trite, he really is the greatest Christmas gift of all. We want our children to love the gifts we give them, but we want them to love us all the more. It is not a good sign if our sons and daughters cherish only their presents while remaining indifferent to their parents. We are not cultivating materialism and greed by buying gifts at Christmas, and if we find that is the consequence of what we are doing, perhaps we should reevaluate our tradition and make some adjustments to our customs.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, but it is also the Lord’s Day. The juxtaposition unites the traditional celebration of Christ’s birth with the weekly, biblical remembrance of his resurrection. We dare not divorce one from the other. He was born as a Man to die for our sins, to rise again in righteousness and power, and to ascend to his throne to rule and conquer all of his and our enemies. The story of Christmas is not of a baby but of a Savior, of a King. This was the message brought by angels to the shepherds. It is the reason eastern magi traveled for so long in order to lay their gifts at the Child’s feet. The Babe they heralded and worshiped is the Redeemer-Lord whom we extol and adore every Sunday. There would be no cross, no resurrection, and no redemption without Christmas, but there would be no point at all in Christmas unless the Child had become the Lamb and Lion by whom salvation comes.

However you choose to observe Christmas, let it be accompanied by songs of joyful praise and thanksgiving to God, Scripture reading, and prayer. Let God’s word be heard in your home, and let Christ’s Name be praised by your household. Bring your family to worship with the Church, to sing Zion’s songs and to pray with and as the Church of God redeemed by Christ and enlivened by the Holy Spirit. Then celebrate with merry toasts, delicious food, and lavish or silly gifts, and in all of these, remember to give thanks to God who has given these good things to us all but who first gave himself, in Mary’s womb, in Bethlehem, on the cross, and from the open tomb. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, come and worship Christ the King! --JME

Sunday Meditation: Ora et Labora

Ora et labora, pray and work, is the rhythm of the Christian life. Americans tend to put many other things on their daily and weekly to-do list, and prayer may not make the list at all, but for believers the two primary occupations are prayer and work. This is the opus Dei, the work of God, that which he assigns to us as his image-bearers, lords of creation, and kings and priests in the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Many of us probably have an unhealthy misunderstanding of work and an unbiblical and misguided idea of what an unsanctified culture refers to as “work–life balance.” There is no such thing. Work is life, at least a central part of it. Scripture knows nothing of a “work–life” dichotomy. It calls us to two patterns: work–rest and work–prayer.

Of course, prayer is part of the work God has given us to do. Epaphras labored in prayer for the welfare and spiritual growth of the Colossian saints (Col. 4:12). An important part of every day’s labor should be praising and thanking the God of heaven and praying his mercy and blessings for his people and this world. Prayer is not the kind of work by which we bend things and move God as if with a crowbar. Prayer is the work by which God bends and transforms us. Prayer does change things in this world, but it is first and foremost a means of grace by which God changes people who pray.

Prayer is work in the sense that exercise is work. It builds one’s faith, hope, love, endurance, and understanding. This is one reason that praying the Psalms is so important. If left to myself, my prayers will inevitably be self-centered, shallow, and erratic. The Psalter disciplines my life so that the hours of prayer are filled with divine grandeur, kingdom priorities, and the spiritual warfare that exists throughout the created universe.

Sabbath involves rest, but not primarily the rest that requires a couch or La-Z-Boy—though power nap to the glory of God if you have time on Sunday afternoons. Sabbath is the holy resting from one part of our vocation, labora, that we may give ourselves more fully to the first part of our vocation, ora, prayer. Prayer is a larger category than just what happens when we fold our hands and close our eyes and whatever we say before Amen. Singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is prayer. Reading Scripture can (should) be prayer. Greeting our brethren can also be prayer. Remember Boaz and his servants’ greetings in the field: “Yahweh be with you! Yahweh bless you!”

God’s saints have been praying all week. We have been praying in common, but most days we have been doing it alone. Tomorrow is the Lord’s Day, and we will gather to pray together, with one heart and voice. We will pray responsively, we will pray melodically, and we will pray biblically. We will say Amen with a great shout, because we have a holy boldness in the Spirit knowing our prayers are acceptable to the Father because of the righteousness of the Son. God will speak to us, and we will pray to him, back and forth, again and again, from beginning to the end. The Lord is summoning us to the house of prayer. Let us go up with joy and present our prayers as holy sacrifices and incense to the glory of God. --JME

Psalm 72: Jesus the King

Introduction

The word gospel means good news. Most of us learn that in Sunday School. It’s fairly common knowledge. Fewer know that the same word was used by the Romans to announce the ascension of an emperor or the celebration of his birthday. When the Gospel writers say Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel (Mark 1:14), they were using a political term, not a religious one. They did not mean Jesus went from town to town handing out tracts on the Four Spiritual Laws. Jesus’ preaching was a royal proclamation with political implications. The gospel announces the coming of the King who is to be King over all kings and Lord over all lords.

This year we are spending the four Sundays in Advent reflecting on aspects of Christ’s identity and authority that help clarify the gospel. Too often Christians think of the gospel merely as a program for how they can get saved. They may define the “plan of salvation” and man’s response to it as “the gospel.” But the gospel is not just good information. It is not pious advice. It is not about you or me. The gospel is an announcement about Christ, and the primary content of that announcement, though by no means its exclusive content, is that Christ is Lord and King. This is the central feature of the gospel both in OT prophecy and NT fulfillment. When the apostles preached the gospel, their message was not: Jesus can forgive your sins so that you will go to heaven when you die, as true as that may be. Their message was: Jesus is Lord.

There are many passages we could use to study the Kingship of the Messiah, but we will use Psalm 72 to organize and develop our reflection on this theme today. The text is attributed both to David (v.20) and Solomon (superscript) prompting discussion throughout the history of the Church on its origin and authorship. It is entirely possible that Solomon wrote the psalm and it was included in the collections of David’s prayers which became Book II of the Psalter, but Calvin suggests a possibility that, while unprovable, is compelling. He suggests Psalm 72 was David’s dying prayer for his son and that Solomon then arranged it as a psalm. Ultimately it is a prayer and prophecy of the Messiah’s later, greater reign.

The Gospel of Christ’s Kingship

Before we look at the psalm, let me prove the thesis I mentioned in the introduction. So many Christians think of the gospel only as a message of personal salvation that it may seem radical to describe it as primarily the message that Christ is Lord.

Acts 2:36: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Acts 5:29-31: But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 10:36: The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—

Acts 17:5-7: But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”

Rom. 10:9: if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus [that Jesus is Lord, ESV] and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Some preachers have promoted the idea of the “carnal Christian,” that a person can claim Jesus as their Savior but not have him as their Lord. It’s true there are carnal Christians; they are called disobedient Christians and may even prove to be hypocrites. True faith is trust leading to obedience, not merely intellectual assent to historical or theological facts. Some who begin as “carnal Christians” later repent and realize their obligation to obey Christ as Lord, but if they don’t, they will be lost Christians. You cannot have Jesus as your Savior but not as Lord. He is able to save because he is Lord.

The Righteousness Christ’s Reign

Righteousness is a key word in the first three verses of this psalm, and the idea signified by that word serves as an organizing principle for the entire prayer. The King’s reign is characterized by the objective standard of uprightness. It is Yahweh’s righteousness that is given to the Prince (v.1) that he might judge the people with it (v.2) and that the earth itself might bring it forth under his rule. Righteousness is the source, the norm, and the fruit of godly governance, and nowhere is that more evident than in Messiah’s reign, the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

No king can rule uprightly unless God blesses him with his own righteousness. The Lord imputes righteousness to us in our justification and imparts righteousness to us by our union with Christ in regeneration and sanctification. No man can stand before the Lord without this twofold grace of imputed and imparted righteousness. Measured on its own moral merit, without the cleansing and aid of divine grace, our “righteousness” is nothing but a defiled rag (Isa. 64:6). We can only be righteous by God’s grace, and the one who would rule among men must know it.

The gift of divine righteousness not only empowers the magistrate’s rule, it also serves as the standard by which he rules. The kingdoms of men are not to be governed by a natural law determined by human reason that is separate and different from biblical law known by special revelation. It is God’s righteousness that must be the standard of justice and judgment, which is why Israel’s kings were to write their own copy of the OT law and meditate on it all the days of their life (Deut. 17:18-20). After his resurrection Jesus said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). It is Christ who is the King, David’s Son, who rules the nations with a rod of iron (Psa. 2:8-9). What is the standard for Christ’s rule? His righteousness, Yahweh’s own righteousness. We cannot say, “Christ rules the kingdoms of this earth by one law, a standard known by reason alone, and his Church by another standard found in the Bible.” No, the king rules by God’s righteousness, and anything less than that would be unrighteous.

The Blessing of Christ’s Reign

What is the fruit of Christ’s righteous rule? The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness (v.3). Righteous rule brings blessings to the earth. There are many blessings to acknowledging Christ as our King: Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh (Psa. 33:12)—Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh! (Psa. 144:15). Psalm 72 develops this idea primarily in three ways. Christ’s reign brings peace through justice leading to prosperity.

First, Christ’s reign brings peace. The mountains will bring peace to the people, i.e. the mountains are bearing peace like the fresh, cold waters of melted snow running down from the high slopes. In his days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace (v.7). The word here is shalom, a fullness of joy, health, and satisfaction in God. The peace Christ gives is threefold: peace with God, peace in our hearts, and peace among men. The first is an objective peace. In Adam we are enemies of God, but in Christ we are adopted as his children and made his friends. Once our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled to God, we can enjoy peace in our souls. No more must guilt, fear, and shame burden our hearts. If we are at peace with God, how can we not be at peace with ourselves? Is our own judgment of ourselves and our condition greater than God’s judgment of us in his Son? The last level of peace is with our neighbor. How can we be at war with our neighbor if both we and him are at peace with God and with ourselves? Conflict comes from unholy desires (Jas. 4:1-3), but all desires are sanctified and satisfied in Jesus, bringing war and bitterness and estrangement with our fellow man to an end.

Second, Christ’s reign brings peace through justice. He will bring justice to the poor of the people; he will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor (v.4). He will deliver the need when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper…. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in his sight (vv.12, 14). In a fallen world, there can be no peace without justice. Would amnesty for all criminals and evil doers bring peace to our cities? No, it would bring anger, anarchy, and violence. Injustice cries out to be remedied, not to be ignored. Christ as Savior may soothe our woes, but Christ as King comes to solve them. “Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies” (WSC 26). He must defend us as well as restrain and conquer both his and our enemies. Why? Because there is no peace without justice. Social justice warriors speak more truth than they know, but their cries for violence and anarchy expose them as oppressors whom Christ will judge, not as the victims whom he will defend and vindicate.

Third, the result of peace through justice will be true prosperity and human flourishing. He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth. In his days the righteous shall flourish…. There will be an abundance of grain in the earth, on the top of the mountains; its fruit shall wave like Lebanon; and those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth (vv.6-7, 16). This is the language of Deuteronomic blessing, the blessings of the covenant, the abundance which flows from the Lord’s love toward his people. There are two errors to be avoided here. The first is to measure these blessings merely in physical terms. This was the theology of Job’s friends: “If you are suffering, you must have done something wrong. Believe more, pray harder, give more money to the televangelist who needs a new private jet.” This may be sincerely believed by some saints, but it is unbiblical nonsense. The second error is to interpret these blessings merely as spiritual and ethereal. “Christ has come that we might have life more abundantly, which is why we should expect to suffer unrelentingly in a world under the Devil’s complete domination until Jesus finally comes to annihilate the globe!” Evangelical gnosticism is just as wrong as the health and wealth heresy, even when it is recast as Reformed pessimillennialism. There are physical and material blessings to the rule and triumph of Christ, but to develop that we need to move to our third main point.

The Jurisdiction and Extent of Christ’s Reign

Some seem to believe that Christ has been given all authority in heaven but that his authority on earth is held only in theory, suspended until he exercises it in judgment on the Last Day. But you would never draw that conclusion from reading the psalms. It may be that Jesus’ own words to Pilate have been misunderstood when he said: My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). The Lord was indicating that his kingdom did not originate in this world, it does not have the same character as the kingdoms of this world, but he did not mean that his rule has nothing to do with this world.

Psalm 72 makes it clear that Christ’s reign is earthly. This is not necessarily in the sense some take it of Christ returning to earth and physically ruling from a throne in Jerusalem. No, he is enthroned in heaven right now at the right hand of the Father. But he exercises authority on the earth and over the earth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth…. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him (vv.8, 10-11). This language is to make it plain that we ought not to do what some commentators, nevertheless, do in taking these words merely as an indication of Solomon’s rule over the nation of Israel. The ends of the earth is not a reference to the boundaries of Israel’s territory. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles are not residents of Solomon’s domain. All kings, all nations, will bow down and serve him. As great as Solomon’s authority and influence were, they never reached this far, nor did any of his royal descendants. This is the extent of Messiah’s rule.

The language is universal. Men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed (v.17b). The doxology closing Book II prays: Let the whole earth be filled with his glory (v.19). This is not the glorious reign of David or Solomon. This is not a future earthly state of Israel over which Jesus personally rules. This is the kingdom of God established in this world. This is the reign of Christ over all men and nations. None are excepted. Not every person may be converted, but every knee will bow, and not merely in condemnation as they stand in the court on Judgment Day. Notice that Christ’s reign is described as earthly, universal, and also religious.

Unfortunately, it seems like Christians either think of Christ’s kingdom as earthly, in a premillennial way, or as spiritual and religious, in a Reformed, amillennial way. But Psalm 72 and many other passages indicate his kingdom is and will be both. They shall fear you as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations…. In his days the righteous shall flourish …. Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before him, and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all nations shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him…. Prayer also will be made for him continually, and daily he shall be praised…. And men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed (vv.5, 7, 9-11, 15, 17). These verses do not refer to merely a political state over which Christ rules; this is a global empire in which Christ is acknowledged by all nations. Neither is there a way to spiritualize this so that it is merely Christ ruling in the hearts of those who believe, “some from among” all nations, but not all nations. No, not every person will be converted—there are still enemies (v.9)—but all confess, honor, and worship him.

The Duration of Christ’s Reign

When will we see this? After Christ’s return? No, the kingdom of Christ has been established already. He already has all authority in heaven and on earth, believers are already citizens of his kingdom (Col. 1:13). Are we to think of this kingdom merely as the Church, the spiritual kingdom that will exist alongside the common kingdom, always in the minority but persisting until the return of Christ? That is how many of us have been taught to think about the kingdom of God, but is that what Psalm 72 describes? No. When does this prophecy, prayer, and promise begin to be fulfilled? I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Lk 2:10-11).

The King has arrived. That is the good tidings, gospel, of great joy, not terror, which will be to all people, not just the Church. Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).

Matt. 9:35: Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

In the Book of Acts we find the apostles preaching the gospel of the kingdom everywhere they went. That which had been promised in the Hebrew Bible, the Messiah’s coming for which God’s people had prayed so long had finally arrived in the birth and ministry of Jesus.

Isa. 9:6-7: For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isa. 37:16: “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

Jer. 10:6-7: Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and Your name is great in might), Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You.

When will these promises be fulfilled? They are being fulfilled right now, but we do not yet see their fulness. Should we then spiritualize the promises and assume by all the nations the Lord only means some from among all the nations? By all shall worship him it only means some in the Church shall worship him? By dominion to the ends of the earth God simply intends to have a little Reformed church of 35 people every three hours down the interstate? We can believe God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. Can we believe that he will bring the earth into submission, prior to the day of judgment and condemnation, or is that impossible to believe?

1Cor. 15:24-26: Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

The people of the earth shall fear Christ as long as the sun and moon endure (v.5). The saints will flourish on earth until the moon is no more (v.7). His name shall endure forever… as long as the sun (v.17). Many Christians are watching the heavens and expecting to see heaven’s helicopters at any moment. But the earth does not yet fear Christ, they do not yet worship him, but one day they will, and his reign will continue until all his enemies have been put down, every head bowed, and only then will he return in power and glory to conquer the last enemy, when he judges Death itself and unlocks Hades’s doors.

Practical Application: Celebrating the Prince of Peace and Mighty King

Augustine in preaching on this psalm noted that Solomon’s name means peacemaker and that Christ is the true Peacemaker, David’s greater Son. We are accustomed to thinking of peace at Christmastime. But our concept of peace is often limp-wristed and more closely aligned with Paw Patrol than the Lord of the Rings.

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the land of Narnia suffered under the tyranny of the White Witch who falsely styled herself the “Queen of Narnia.” Under her brutal regime, joy was banished, all who displeased the queen were turned into stone, and it was always winter but never Christmas. But you know what happened next—I trust you have read and love the story, and if you haven’t read it, you know what you’re supposed to do this afternoon—the true King of Narnia arrived. His coming was good news for all the people. Joy was restored. Father Christmas returned. And how was peace established? Aslan came to the Queen and negotiated peace for their two kingdoms. Aslan’s would be the spiritual kingdom, a private, religious kingdom which would have nothing to say about the politics and culture of Jadis’s hellscape, and the White Witch would govern the common kingdom, the larger world in which all Narnians lived Monday through Saturday, according to her demented perception of the law of reason.

Of course, that is not what happened. Aslan came and defeated his enemies, freed the slaves, resurrected those who had been turned into stone, killed the White Witch, and placed his image-bearers on the throne of Narnia to rule in his stead. The joy of Aslan’s coming was not the establishment of a private Church where the great lion’s promises could be remembered and the Narnians could look forward to the day when they would finally die and leave the world. The joy of Aslan’s coming is that he would be honored and wield authority as the true King of the world.

Conclusion

Aslan is only a fictional character, but his story is to help us recognize the true Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lamb slain for man’s sin, resurrected in power, who conquers the enemies that torment God’s people, and brings joy, peace, and prosperity to the inhabitants of the world.

American Christianity has grown soft and woke. We want Jesus only to be a spiritual Savior, a personal friend, not the mighty Lord and King Scripture declares him to be. The Bible is clear; Psalm 72 is not hard to understand. The question is whether we believe it. Do not celebrate an effeminate and ineffectual religious figure this Christmas season. Sing with joy as we celebrate the coming of the true King and mighty Savior of the world! Amen.