December 21 - Born to be King

"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21 NKJV)

Jesus was born to be King, but not the kind of king people expected. They wanted a political ruler who would overthrow the Romans. Instead, Jesus came to be a spiritual King Who would overthrow sin, death, and Satan.

The Jewish people wanted a Messiah to get the Romans off their back - a political savior, not a spiritual savior. Even on Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered on a donkey, the crowd shouted "Hosanna," which means "save us, we pray." They were saying, "Save us from the Romans."

But Jesus' kingdom is not of this world. It's a spiritual kingdom - the kingdom of the heart. When you seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33), you're seeking the rule of God in your own heart. For someone who's not a believer, it's allowing Jesus Christ to rule and reign, saying, "You're not just the Lord, you're my Lord."

He doesn't deserve just to have a place in your life. He deserves preeminence - first place. There can only be one person on the throne. If He is king, then I am not. He will either be Lord of all or not Lord at all.

Reflection Question: In what areas of your life do you need to better yield to King Jesus, allowing Him to be your Lord?

Dear Heavenly Father, I acknowledge Jesus as my King and Lord. Help me submit every area of my life to His rule. Show me where I am still resisting His authority and give me grace to surrender those areas to Him. Thank You for a King Who loved me enough to die for me. In Jesus' Name, amen.