I want to know him. Day 13 Advent.

Now I've caught up on the Jesse Tree series...huzzah...see also It's OK to Fail because He never does and Drawn Close to God for the other two.

Scripture:

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, ‘You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’

6 But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king'.- 1 Samuel 8

Name of Jesus: King
Symbol: Crown

Devotional: 

‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king'

This is prophetic. Hear what the people said to Pilate about Jesus

But they shouted, ‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’
‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked.
‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered. - John 19:5

These people didn't know Christ was King...if they had truly known Him they wouldn't have rejected Him.  The chief priests were threatened by Him, they wanted to be in control and so they bowed their heads to the one who allowed them control over their religious realm - Caesar.  I believe the people rejected Christ as King because He didn't look like what they expected a king to be and He certainly didn't overthrow the Romans like they hoped.  And so, those voices that sang Hosanna as He rode into Jerusalem were soon crying out, "Crucify him!"  They were disappointed because they expected the Messiah to be a warrior.

But Christ is a warrior.  But He is also a Lamb.  The Lion and the Lamb.  He is conqueror, but He is also the rejected King.

I wonder if any of those who shouted, "Crucify him!" were amongst those 500 who saw Him after the resurrection?  I wonder what they did?

But the issue here for me is knowing Him.  The more I know Him, the more I trust Him as King over my life and the less likely I am to reject His ways or bow down to the modern Caesars.  We only freely follow someone we trust.

Oh Lord, may the eyes of my heart be fully opened that I may know You.  To know You deep in my heart.  That I may trust You implicitly.

Until that day Lord, strengthen me each moment in You.  You are my strength and my Redeemer.

Come Lord Jesus!

Happy Advent!