A final word for the Christmas season

And Who Is Melchizedek?

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

The kingdom that God has given you will last forever and ever. You rule over your people with justice; you love what is right and hate what is evil. That is why God, your God, has chosen you and has poured out more happiness on you than on any other king. Psalm 45:6-7

Many psalms are messianic, that is they’re speaking of Jesus. Psalm 45 is one of those. How do we know? Look at verse 6. God isn’t speaking of just any king.

Men reign for a period of time as king, usually until their natural deaths or until overthrown. But the king referred to in this psalm was God-given to “last forever and ever.”

The kingdom of the infant whose birth we celebrated yesterday is an eternal one, and we get to be a part of that unusual kingdom. How good that we leave this Christmas celebration knowing we belong to such a king and kingdom. The news today could bring great discouragement to our hearts as we see wars, wars and rumors of more wars. But we can go into the future confident that our Priest King is one we can admire and serve with joy. No uncertainty of coming elections but sweet comfort in serving a just king – one who loves choosing right and hates evil. He was not elected by ill-informed people. He was God-chosen to bring more joy and happiness than any kingdom or kingdom servants have ever known!

Prayer: Father, your word tells us that the feet of them that bring good tidings are beautiful! This day, we thank you for good tidings, brought to us by your messenger who indeed has good but beautiful, scarred feet, tidings that assure us of the future and who holds the future. Regularly we come to your table to take communion and be reminded of the ultimate price you paid for our peace. During this Christmas season – a time when even those who do not know you look for the Christmas peace – we thank you that you have caused us to end the year in serious contemplation of the magnificence of your Holy Person: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We thank you that you are God and we are yours. Whatever the future holds for us, remind us of that fact over and over again. Amen.

Epilogue

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

So do we really believe that God exists? Enough to risk our lives? Enough to live and be willing to die for him? Can we afford to accept his challenge to earnestly seek him? Can we afford not to?

As we leave behind [2018] with all its joys, sorrows, blessings, and disappointments, can we look ahead to the new year with a great desire in our hearts to really please God? Will we be challenged by this verse from Hebrews to commit ourselves to living out the kind of faith it talks about? Will our lives show that we really believe? That we expect God’s eternal reward?

You decide.

And Who is Melchizedek?

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for Rehobeth United Methodist Church, Winter 2012,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

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