People who follow a king in some way reflect his image. Do you find that true of Christians you know? The people I know who love and follow Jesus exhibit the fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Well, for most of us, it’s a work in progress.
You may ask, if Jesus is King of the Jews, then why don’t the Jews follow Him? Maybe they have the gift of the Spirit, but they do not believe Jesus is the Messiah or in His sacrifice for salvation. But the mystery is that they reflect the life of Jesus in ways we may not.
Jesus was an outcast, a man of suffering, falsely accused, mocked, persecuted and executed. The Jewish nation has also been an outcast, hated, persecuted and executed in the holocaust. But, you might say that Jesus was resurrected, and He was. So, too, was the Jewish nation. The Jews were gathered from all the countries where they had been scattered over the whole world, and they became a nation again in 1948. No other nation has done that.
THINK ABOUT IT
The Jews have unintentionally reflected the image of Jesus, the King of the Jews. How much greater should our intentions be as we know and follow Jesus? We are His light in a dark and dying world.
PRAY ABOUT IT
Heavenly Father, help us to conform to the image of Christ–to show love and compassion as He shows love and compassion. Humble us to live at peace with those around us. Raise up your people to bring love and justice into this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tell Me the Story 