One King to Rule Them All…

Zechariah 14; Psalm 148; Proverbs 31:8-9

I know some people who think they ought to be in charge of the whole world. And I’m not just talking about the Brain from “Pinky and the Brain”. People who think they should be kings or queens over the universe, even. But most images of such a dominant ruler are like the Dark Lord Sauron in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy – destructive and evil.

Only one ruler can rule all and do so righteously.

The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. – Zechariah 14:9

It’s good to know His reign is on its way!

What do you most look forward to about Jesus’ coming reign?

What Have We Done?

Zechariah 12-13; Psalm 147; Proverbs 31:1-7

How long has it been since you thought about the effects your actions have on others? And I’m not just talking about all the little consequences that play into the lives of our families and neighbors—though those matter, too.

But how long has it been since you’ve thought about the fact that your sins against God pierced the Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you care about Jesus? Do you love Him? Do you believe He loves you? Created you? Gave you life? Gave you food? Gave you breath? Do you believe He has only ever done good to you?

If Jesus is worth knowing at all, then it ought to matter to us how our decisions impact Him. And the painful truth is that we’ve pierced Him by our sins. If we love Him at all, at least, this truth should be painful. As people realize who Jesus is and what they have done, they will mourn:

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. – Zechariah 12:10, NIV

Does your heart mourn over what you’ve done against Jesus?

Worthless Shepherd

Zechariah 11; Psalm 146; Proverbs 30:33

Talk about job accountability!

Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded! – Zechariah 11:17

Lord, make me faithful!

What reminds you to be a good worker?

His Arrow Will Flash Like Lightning

Zechariah 9-10; Psalm 145; Proverbs 30:32

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth. – Zechariah 9:9-10

What a picture of peace! That’s what we’re looking for, you know? A righteous, saving, peaceful king whose rule extends everywhere. We know that king to be Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (Matt. 21:1-11).

But Jesus Himself didn’t always seem to be so peaceful, even immediately after fulfilling the words of Zechariah’s prophecy (Matt. 21:12-13). Why not? Because Jesus’ peace is only for His people, to His kingdom. Yes, anyone may become a part of His kingdom and find peace with Jesus, so in that sense His peace is for everyone. But there are those who reject the Christ’s offer of peace, instead preparing for battle. The problem’s simple: you can’t defeat Jesus, no matter who you are.

I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and make you like a warrior's sword.
Then the LORD will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south,
and the LORD Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with slingstones.
They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. – Zechariah 9:13-15

This same Christ who brings peace to His people is the LORD who sounds the trumpet and marches into battle against those who reject His offer of peace. No picture of Jesus is complete that denies that He is the LORD whose “arrow will flash like lightning.”

Have you accepted His offer of peace?

Christmas = God Has Determined to Do Good to Us

Zechariah 7-8; Psalm 144; Proverbs 30:29-31

Merry Christmas, friends! Seriously, Merry Christmas!

Here’s the good news. Well, first of all, the bad news…but it will turn good.

We sinned against God. Arrogantly. Flamboyantly. And God had determined to bring disaster on us. When God says disaster, He means it. Think Sodom and Gomorrah—gone. Think the Flood—worldwide death. God knows disaster, and His plans for us were just that… disaster. Not because God loves to create disasters, but because we sinned against God and deserved every ounce of His anger.

Ok, now the good news of Christmas, as expressed in the Old Testament:

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me," says the LORD Almighty, "so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. – Zechariah 8:14-15

Did you hear that? The good news?

God is DETERMINED to do good to His people. Determined! It’s not that we are less sinful than before, but God has set His mind to give us the kind of life He calls good. And He has done this—as we remember every year on December 25th (and more frequently, I hope)—through Jesus.

Through Jesus, God bridged the gap between deity and humanity. Through Jesus, God established a righteous humanity. Through Jesus, God was able to pour out His anger and justice completely, all without destroying every single person on the planet. How? By Jesus’ willingness to obey His Father and walk to Golgotha with a cross on His back, even though He didn’t deserve it. And although Jesus died that day on the cross, God gave us life—good life—through Jesus’ resurrection from on the third day. Jesus lives, and He always lives to offer us life.

If you know the good news, I hope you feel refreshed, encouraged, alive! If you’ve never thought of this as good news before, pause for a moment and take the time to give this news your full attention. Why? Because it’s only good news for you, ultimately, if you believe it. Not that it’s any less true, regardless of whether you believe it or not. The truth is certain. But the news will turn out to be bad news for you if you don’t believe it. If you go through life convinced that you don’t need Jesus, rejecting His offer of His kind of good life, the offer one day won’t be there for you. Remember, the bad news? But the bad news is merely a warning today. And until we die or Jesus comes again, the good news is available and can be experienced starting now.

What a good God we serve! Join those of us who serve Him! He’ll be good to you, too.

Anyone else? Your thoughts on God’s goodness?

Catching Up

I’ve been having so much fun writing that I forgot my promise was to post a devotional reading for you, whether I could write about it or not. With that in mind, here are the devotional readings you’ve missed because I was waiting to post until I had time to write. Enjoy and savor the word of the Lord!

1) Zechariah 1-2; Psalm 141; Proverbs 30:18-20
2) Zechariah 3-4; Psalm 142; Proverbs 30:21-23
3) Zechariah 5-6; Psalm 143; Proverbs 30:24-28

Grace and peace to you all! Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of our King!