By Shannon Caughey

The Christmas or Advent season is a celebration of the coming of Jesus. By way of review: the word “advent” means “coming” or “arrival.” What is it about the arrival of this particular baby that is so significant? We saw in the last devotion that Jesus comes as our Savior. Let’s now consider another dimension of who Jesus is and what he comes to do.

In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces that, though Mary is a virgin, God has a supernatural pregnancy in store for her. In vv. 31-33, Gabriel shares this with Mary:

“³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

The Old Testament repeatedly speaks of a future king from David’s line—but when this king comes, he will not be an ordinary king. For example, Isaiah 9:7 says about this coming king, “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” This coming king will be the Messiah, a word that means “anointed one.” He will be the one anointed by God to save and to reign forever. He will come to bring in God’s kingdom of true righteousness, justice, and peace. He will one day rule over not just Israel but over all, and his kingdom is eternal.

According to the angel Gabriel, this King has arrived! When Jesus begins his public ministry, his message is this (Mark 1:15): “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” The kingdom of God has come near because the King has arrived! Jesus has come as our King—and this is good news for us. Here’s why: he comes to rescue us from our sin and bring us into God’s kingdom, where we experience real and lasting peace.

When we understand that Jesus is both Savior and King, we realize that putting our faith in him involves more than just receiving the free gift he offers of forgiveness and eternal life. To trust and follow Jesus is to submit to his rule as King over every area of our life—including our coaching. It’s desiring that Jesus reign over every thought, word, action, and interaction. 

Surrendering control of our life to King Jesus, rather than being a hardship, really is good news for us. It’s far better than trying to be in charge of our own life. Jesus is the King who loves us perfectly, knows all things, has infinite wisdom, has the power and authority to do all that he desires, and always works for our ultimate good. He is infinitely more qualified to be in control than us!

Advent is about far more than the birth of a baby. It’s the celebration of the coming of our King. This Christmas, may we joyfully surrender to Jesus’ rule over us. And may we rejoice with hope in all that his eternal kingdom means for us and for our world.

For reflection: Take some time to praise Jesus because he is our King. Express your desire to joyfully submit to his reign in every area of your life. Ask God to help you stay focused on celebrating the coming of Jesus throughout this Christmas season.