Christmas, the story of God coming to earth in the form of a human baby, is a story we love to tell. It also reminds us of many other biblical stories and characters. Their lives look ahead to Jesus in really interesting ways.
We enjoy the biblical story of David because he was so human -- full of godly passions and heinous sins. He rose from the pasture to the throne, yet never lost his humanity and humility. We may have never done anything so great or as terrible as David, but we can still relate to the highs and lows of his life.
Our times are very different from the days of David, yet people are quite the same. The universal longings of human hearts remain pretty much unchanged. What kind of leader do we need in times like ours?
As we anticipate the celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, we remember the words of the prophet Isaiah, in speaking of the child of promise:
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
We understand this promise was fulfilled in King Jesus. But how does this King fulfill the aspirations which we today feel so strongly at Christmastime? Hope, peace, joy, and love -- these are well displayed in the lives of both David and Jesus, and also in our own lives. How does the kingship of Jesus follow David's example and speak to our basic human longings for hope, joy, peace and love? Join us in the four Sundays of Advent to find out.
