Verse
Psalm 45:6–7 (ESV)
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
Meditation
The tenth day of Christmas sets before us the kingship of Christ, tested and proven in a fallen world. Psalm 45 proclaims a royal Bridegroom whose throne is eternal and whose reign is marked by righteousness. This is not poetry alone; it is promise. The child born in Bethlehem is the King anointed by God, whose joy is rooted not in ease but in faithfulness.
Isaiah foretells this King as a shoot from Jesse’s stump—humble in origin, yet filled with the Spirit of the LORD. His rule is defined by wisdom, justice, and faithfulness. Matthew’s Gospel shows how quickly this righteous reign is opposed. Herod’s violence forces the Holy Family into exile. The King of glory becomes a refugee. Yet even this flight fulfills God’s Word. What appears as threat and chaos is gathered into God’s saving purpose.
Revelation lifts our eyes beyond the danger and sorrow of the present age. The city of God needs no temple and no lamp, for the Lord Himself is its light. The Lamb who once fled from a tyrant now reigns openly, and nothing unclean may enter His presence. Christmas faith lives between these realities: the hidden reign of Christ amid opposition, and the promised day when His glory will fill all things.
The child preserved from Herod’s sword is the Lamb who will one day wipe away every trace of fear. His kingdom cannot be destroyed. His throne stands forever.
New Testament Verse
Revelation 21:23–24 (ESV)
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.”
Old Testament Verse
Isaiah 11:2–3 (ESV)
“And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.”
Collect
Almighty God, whose Son reigns in righteousness and humility, preserve us in faith when His kingdom is hidden and opposed, and lead us by His Spirit until we dwell in the light of the Lamb, where fear and sorrow are no more; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn Verse
Beautiful Savior, King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee, truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
(“Beautiful Savior” — Münster Gesangbuch, 1677; public domain)
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