““I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain” (Psalms 2:6).
“Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37).
The naming of a child is one of the great joys of parenting. One couple named their baby, “Destiny Hope” little knowing her destiny then. Since she smiled all the time, they nicknamed her, “Smiley.” As she grew, the nickname became such a part of her identity that she officially changed her name to “Miley Cyrus,” who we all know as a famous singer and child TV star.
Miley’s parents had no idea when they nicknamed her “Smiley” that someday the world would know her as “Miley.” Likewise, those who wrote, “King of the Jews” on the sign above Jesus’ head had no idea of the prophecy such words fulfilled. They had no idea they were a part of fulfilling God’s plan.
Psalm 2:6 talks of Jesus being referred to as a king and also on “His holy mountain.” That’s exactly where Jesus was crucified. It was the same place where Abraham nearly sacrificed his only son, Isaac.
How often do you think of Baby Jesus as King of Kings? A king of a historical kingdom could have peoples’ heads chopped off just because he disliked them. People watched what they said and did in the presence of the king. They respected the king, out of reverence, fear, and a respect for the power of position. Our culture often has a “what can they do to me?” attitude when approaching authority. But Jesus was and still is the supreme King! He has the power of life and death. He can grant life to the dead. We have life because of Him.
Christmas reveals a lot of Jesus’ nicknames: Emmanuel, Noel, Messiah, King, the Great I AM. If someone gave you a nickname in this month, what would it be? Hurried? Overspent? Snappy, tired, joyful? What would you want your nickname to be? Every time you feel that there’s not enough of you, enough time, enough patience, enough grace, enough Christmas spirit to go around, just think on Jesus’ nickname as King. He’s still the King of the world. Let Him be the King of your world, of your day, of your moments.