He Reigns

And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:9-10

The day that Jesus came to earth was only the beginning. The beginning of eternity. Jesus came to earth, that we might be reconciled to our Father in heaven.

As the Lamb slain before the foundations of the earth, Jesus left His rightful seat in heaven to come to earth as a man. He stepped into the world as a man, as a human, just like you and me. Of course, He remained the Son of God, Deity, the God Man, but He came to earth in human flesh. Difficult for us to comprehend, but true according to the Word.

He lived a life unlike any other. Despite the sinful nature of human flesh, Jesus lived a sinless life. He overcame sin and temptation, living a perfect life, so that He might be the unblemished Lamb, sacrificed as the ultimate offering for me and for you.

He was born a lowly man, without great fanfare or recognition. He was born to die. And die He did, that we might have life.

Today, our Jesus is seated on the Throne, at the right hand of God. The Word tells us that He is there, making intercession for us. (Romans 8:34) He died for the sins of the world, rose from the grave, and now, He is preparing for our arrival in heaven and watching over us. He is praying for us to the Father.

He is seated in Heaven, and He is finally receiving His rightful due. The Book of Revelation reveals much to us about the reverence that is being paid to Him right now. The disciple John was able to supernaturally enter heaven for a time during his exile on the island Patmos, and he saw amazing things which today can give us a glimpse into the true holiness and perfection of the Lamb that we worship: “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’  And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’’’ (Revelation 5:11-13)

Our Jesus paid the ultimate price that we might be saved, but today, He sits on the throne, exalted, loved, adored, praised. And there will come a day when we too will stand before His throne and be able to praise Him for what He did for us.

But, let us never forget the price He paid in coming to earth. The Word also tells us that when we see Jesus, we will see His wounds, we will see the effects of our sins on Him. Revelation 5:6 describes Him:  “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain …” (Revelation 5:6)

We will see Him as the Lamb slain, who redeemed us by His blood, and this will help us to remember the true price that was paid for our salvation.

Until the day when we see the Lamb, may we continually remember His great victory over sin. May we recognize the price paid for our sin that we might be saved, although we will never truly understand the great sacrifice that was made. And, to think that it all begin with a Baby in a manger.

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Wishing you a very Merry Christmas,

filled with the grace and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.