So, we win the lottery. The Publisher’s Clearing House team shows up at our door. We realize we’re really royalty, and we never knew…
Wake up! Come on, now, get your peepers open! You’re in dreamland. That stuff never happens in real life. Not to real-deal, ordinary Joes and Janes like us.
But wouldn’t it be so cool if it did?
Look at Zechariah 9:9:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Read the same verse using 21st century lingo:
“What’s up? Like, we’re happening, man! We just won the lottery, and catch this, we get $5,000 a week for life! Oh, man, can you believe it? Oh, and even better, our daddy is a king, and he’s on his way here right now!”
Zechariah foretold the coming of Christ, the First Advent, in which he would be proclaimed the King of the Jews. In Matthew, he’s our king; in Mark, a servant; Luke proclaims him as just; while John portrays him as bringing salvation.
Jesus is truly the Prince of Peace. He welcomes everyone into his arms, showering the glories of his kingdom on all. His coming unlocked the lottery for humankind.
Yet, Revelation 19:15-16 describes the Second Advent in a very different way:
“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
Which king do we want to rule over us? For the time being, we still have a choice. We can choose to follow Christ and enjoy his lottery winnings now; or we can bow at that coming day and have nothing to show for our time on this earth.
It’s our choice. The time to choose is now.
We’ve already won the lottery, but we have to accept Jesus to claim our prize.
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Code: FGO.C.18.16.vp.esv