Diadem of
Beauty
Isaiah
28:5 (ESV)
In
that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to
the remnant of his people, …
Isaiah
62:3 (ESV)
You
shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the
hand of your God.
The Old Testament spoke
much of the coming Messiah. The New Testament is the revelation of the Messiah.
Isaiah gives us a look at the beauty contained in Christ, the Messiah, a Diadem of Beauty.
The countries that have,
or had, a monarchy refer to “the crown” as they pledge their loyalty to their
country. It doesn’t really matter who is wearing “the crown.” Kings and queens
come and go, but the throne remains preeminent and “the crown” remains the
sovereign. This is a great picture of the Kingdom of God. God Himself sits on
the throne. Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, the Diadem of Beauty, is the Crown.
Because of the sacrifice
of Jesus, as the redeemed of God we remain true to “The Crown.” We revere Him
and honor Him. We worship His Majesty. Crowns are obtained in three ways:
birth, bestowal, or conquest. Jesus is King by all three!
Luke
2:4 (ESV)
And
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and
lineage of David, …
Jesus was born of the
lineage of David. David was the first King over all of Israel. He united the
kingdom that was deeply divided. He was an heir to the crown by birth.
Matthew
28:18 (ESV)
And
Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me.
Jesus became King by
bestowal when God placed upon Him “all authority.” In a monarchy the king has
all authority. He is sovereign. His word is final. There is no recourse to
overrule his commands. Jesus reigns as King in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Colossians
2:15 (ESV)
He
disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing
over them in him.
Jesus became King by
conquest. Acting as the Son of Man, fully empowered by the Holy Spirit, He
overcame all rule and authority and dominion in this earth through His life,
death, burial, ascension, and seating at the right hand of the Father.
Now, as Believers, as
joint heirs of Christ, through the New Covenant, we also reign IN THIS LIFE!!
Romans
5:17 (ESV)
For
if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much
more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of
righteousness reign in life through the
one man Jesus Christ. (bold mine)
We will live beneath our
privilege if we do not understand our position in Christ.
Revelation
1:4-6 (NKJV)
John,
to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is
and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His
throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the
dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed
us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen.
This was written to all
seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation. This is intended for all
Believers. This is not given so we may boast, but instead for us to have complete
confidence in the King whom we serve. We can boldly proclaim the Truth,
revealing the Kingdom to those around us so they, too, can become a part of THE
Kingdom. This is our mission.
We are not trying to
conquer anything. I think this is where the term “Great Commission” is a bit
misleading. It gives the idea that we are on a crusade to “take back what the
devil stole.” It has already been redeemed, and has been given to us. We now
have the charge to help others see this reality.
Let us exercise our authority
by bringing others into the Kingdom. Let us be the priests of the Most High God
and be the go between, the intercessor, the witness of the grace of God, to
those who have not yet believed. This will transform the approach you take in sharing
your faith.
It’s time that we stop fighting
and start loving. It’s time to be kind to your neighbor instead of treating
them like a “heathen.” Let us view people with the presumption that they are
not rebellious, but simply lack understanding, or perhaps do not know the truth
about THE King and His Kingdom.
The conquering was
accomplished by Jesus. Now we are the emissaries to bring the Good News to
those who have not heard. Go light up your world!
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