O King of the nations, the ruler

They long for, the cornerstone

Uniting all people:

Come and save us all,

Whom You formed out of clay.

King Arthur is famous for a whole lot of things he probably never did. But one thing about his legend he probably did do is unite a number of warring English factions. It takes a special kind of person to unite groups who are at war, to unite different people with different traditions and cultures as one.

Jesus, the Son of David and King of Israel, the one who is the embodiment of all that Israel was or hoped to be and therefore so opposed to all that the gentiles are, He is the one they will long for. Isaiah and other prophets often foresaw this. That the coastlands would wait for him and in his teaching they would hope (Is. 42:40. The coastlands were those gentile nations to the east of Israel. And by that Isaiah is referring to all the nations. Christ is the Shepherd who will unite all in one flock. The cornerstone on whom the Holy Christian church will be built from every tribe and tongue and people and language. Whatever different cultures, traditions, and experiences they have. There is one thing they have in common, one thing that matters far more than anything else. One who came to save, to unite, to bring back to one all mankind. All those from Adam who with him are formed out of clay. There is after all, only one human race. Dispersed by sin. United in the savior from sin. O come, King of the nations!

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel  Shall come to you, O Israel!

O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting:

Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness

And in the shadow of death

Today is the winter solstice. The shortest day of the year. The year when light and day is cornered, shrunken, nearly swallowed up by night. Is it any wonder then that we in these northern climes delight to place lights anywhere we can? On the tree, on the house, in the fireplaces. It is a small rebellion against the darkness. And a small reflection of that far greater light which neither night nor winter can extinguish.

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it” John 1:5.

Jesus is the rising sun. He who comes to us just at our darkest, just in the deepest night of sin and death, when we who sit in darkness have no light and shines on us in splendor. I love this phrase, splendor of light everlasting. Light that has no end. Sun that never sets. Life, never extinguished. For His life could not be extinguished even by death. He who died, also rose. And His light is the life of men. In His light we see light. And through His death and resurrection, through the forgiveness of every sin, through the shining away of all darkness, we will be brought into His brilliant presence. There, in that place, there will be no winter, no shortest day of the year. He is the new day. The brilliant sun which goes not down. The splendor of heaven itself. Come, O Dayspring, and shine!

O come Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Key of David and scepter of the

House of Israel, You open and no one

Can close, You close and no one can open:

Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness

And the shadow of death

A key is a simple thing. It only has two functions. It can lock. And it can unlock. But depending on what is being opened or closed that key can have great power. A bouncer at a club is a sort of a key, he lets some in and keeps others out. At church the other night in Markesan the automatic door lock seemed to be randomly locking certain people out as they tried to open the door. We joked that it was judging some unworthy to enter. The act of locking or unlocking is an act of judging. Therefore it is the act of a king. Of a God. For only God can judge.

Jesus as King and God and Savior is the only one with the key. He is the doorkeeper to the gates of heaven, not St. Peter! He locks or unlocks heaven’s door. He comes to open wide heaven’s gate through the forgiveness of our sins. This is the essence of His Kingdom. That on the basis of who He is and what He has done we are forgiven and set free. The gates of hell are overcome and the gates of heaven are opened. He comes into death’s darkness to burst open the gates and set us prisoners free. “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)

This key He has also given to Peter (Matthew 16) and to all the Apostles (Matthew 18) and to all of His believers (John 20). Because He gives us His Word. The Word which creates faith in the forgiveness of sins. The Word which we can give to others to give them the same. The Word which casts out guilt and sin, opens the door of the prison and swings wide heaven’s gates. The Word of Jesus. The Son and Key of David.


O Come Thou Key of David come,
And open wide our heavenly home,
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee O Israel.

December 19

O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign
Before the peoples, before whom all
Kings are mute, to whom the nations will do homage: 
Come quickly to deliver us

December 18th
O Adonai and ruler of the house of Israel,
Who appeared to Moses in the burning bush
And gave him the Law on Sinai:
Come with an outstretched arm 
And redeem us.