The Promise: Part 2

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah... For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel." - Jeremiah 33:15, 17

A few weeks ago, I wrote about God's promise of a Messiah. I explained how Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. I talked about how the Jews missed their Messiah because He wasn't who they were expecting.

While it is unfortunate for them that they missed Him - and that's the understatement of a lifetime - I honestly can't say that I wouldn't have done the same in their shoes. I've definitely missed it before. There have been times in my life when God said something, and I interpreted it however I felt like interpreting it at the time. Not didn't-recognize-the-Savior-of-the-world significant, but considering that, at one point, it caused me to doubt for nearly a year that I could hear God's voice, I'd say it was pretty big.

Here's the thing. The Jews had every reason to expect their Messiah to be a king. Throughout the Old Testament, God's promise explicitly says that the Messiah will sit on David's throne and will rule as king. Even though Jesus is the King of Kings, He does not yet rule the Kingdom of Israel.

But He will.

Eventually, Jesus is coming back to earth. He will set foot on the Mount of Olives. His throne will be in Jerusalem - where David ruled as king of Israel. He will act as King and High Priest. Everyone will recognize Him, and everyone will worship Him. Isaiah describes His reign well:

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples - of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious." - Isaiah 11:6-10

When Jesus returns, there will be no question about who He is. For Christians, the promise of His return and reign is reason to hope. It's reason for joy. And it's reason to tell the world about Him now. That way they can receive the fulfillment of God's promise and share in our joy when He returns.

The promise of Christmas was a coming Messiah. The fulfillment of that promise came in the form of a humble baby in a manger. The promise of Christmas is a returning Messiah.  That fulfillment will come in the form of a glorious King riding on a white horse and taking His rightful place on a throne. And because He has already fulfilled His promise, we can be sure that He will do so again.

"'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star...' He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon'." - Revelation 22:16, 20