As I have pondered the meaning of Christmas these last few weeks, the light bulb turned on in my head. You know—the one that means you had an idea? It has that big balloon around it when you see it on paper—er—screen.
Jesus came to earth as a baby. He could have come with fanfare, as the carol “How Does A King Come?” declares, but He didn’t. No trumpets, golden robes or jewels for this King. He came to a stable. Or to be more correct, He came to a cave. Then the sky lit up with angel announcements and choruses to tell the shepherds to go see Him. Shepherds were the guys on the hills minding the animals. Hardly King’s attendants. It was much later on that the Wise Men from the East came with their own golden robes, attendants and gifts.
As the song ran through my mind, I thought of all the ways a King may come. And I began to understand that the first coming of Jesus cannot be separated from the second coming of Jesus. It is one continuing strand in the history He has given to us earthlings.
All along Biblical history, the King WAS seen coming with His golden robes crowns, jewels, swords and shields; the Old Testament Israelites were waiting for this King to deliver them. Yet, somehow the first coming was missed. Without the first coming, the second coming could not happen. And without the second coming, we would not have a lot of hope because the first coming was to usher in the second coming.
Without the sacrifice of God leaving His home in heaven to die on the cross for us to take away our sin, the second coming (which would be the only coming) would be something to dread because it could only mean judgment and hell forever.
As we have just celebrated Epiphany, the time when the Wise Men sought Jesus, the newborn King, I, too, see to worship King Jesus and bow before His glory.
How does a King come? In glory and majesty with gifts of salvation and promises of eternity in His tiny fists. That’s how a King comes.
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