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Advent Devotional - December 18, 2014

"Joyful, all ye nations rise / Join the triumph of the skies / With the angelic host proclaim: / ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem’ / Hark! The herald angels sing / ‘Glory to the newborn King!’"

-Hark the Herald Angels Sing

For one who was in reality the newborn King, Jesus’ birth was anything but earth-shattering news at the time. No trumpets blared in palace gardens. No heralds ran to the street corners to proclaim the birth of God’s Son. No, instead the news started amongst a band of social outcasts in a small town in Palestine.

But Scripture is clear that news of this magnitude couldn’t be contained for long. Psalm 67:3-4 says, “Let the people praise you, oh God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth.” If Jesus is the one who was to rule and guide the nations, then this news had to spread! So it’s no wonder that what started with a few shepherds expanded to a group of twelve men, which spread to make news in Jerusalem, which exploded across Judea and Samaria, and ultimately echoed to the ends of the earth. From Palestinian shepherds to Roman governors and Ethiopian court officials, the gospel burst forth as good news for people of all nations. Now, people from across the globe could rise and join with the angelic chorus, ascribing glory to Christ our King.

Jesus is worthy of all praise, from every person on this planet. We look forward to that day in Revelation 7:9-10 when “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” gather before the throne of God and cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Until that day we go to the nations with joyful hope, proclaiming that Christ, the true King, has come and urging them to join in our song of triumphant praise!