The True King
Jesus fulfills God’s promises and dispenses His every blessing. He has ushered in the new covenant and assumed His long-anticipated role as the true King. From Jesus, every blessing flows. Through Him, every promise is kept. To Him, all the glory is given.
Christians acknowledge these truths at the Communion table when we take the cup and remember that Jesus poured out His blood, the blood of the new covenant, for the forgiveness of our sins. On the cross, Jesus died to take the penalty that we deserve so that sinners, who do not deserve His mercy and grace, may enjoy the blessings of forgiveness.
This means that when we place our faith in Jesus, we may be sure that He has taken our sin and its judgment and given all His righteousness to us in exchange. Jesus died the death we deserve. He lived the perfect life we could not live. God has wrapped us up in the blanket of His forgiveness through the provision of His Son. We should never fail to be amazed that these things are true, by faith, of us.
The Old Testament prophets were clear: there was going to come a King who would be a descendant of David, and He would fulfill God’s promises. He would establish God’s rule, introduce a new age, and deal with the effects of evil. Jesus may not have looked much like a king as He hung on the cross, but it was His moment of greatest victory. And when Jesus strode out from the tomb, His resurrection declared that He was not simply the son of David but also the Son of God, able to conquer even the grave.
All authority rests with Him, and through Him flows an unending stream of grace and mercy. Only the one who is the source of such power can transform a heart and prove worthy of our souls’ affections.
Jesus right now rules and reigns at the right hand of the Father, but He also reigns in the hearts of those who trust Him. There is no better day than today for the lost to give up their arms of rebellion, humbly bow before this worthy King, admit that He is the very Savior they so desperately need, and ask Him to reign on the throne of their lives. Is Christ your King? Then as His subject, worship and praise Him, and as His ambassador, go and let others know about this hope you have found.
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
The Resurrection of the Dead
12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in Christ we have hope2 in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For “God3 has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
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