At the beginning of the first century, Ceasar Augustus, the ruler of the mightiest empire in the world, issued a decree ordering everyone to return to the city of their ancestors for a census.  However, despite the global fame and power of Augustus, for the Jews arriving in Bethlehem, no King was greater than the one who had been born in that city so many centuries prior—David.  For hundreds of years, Jews had prayed and fasted for God to send the one who, in their mind, was going to sit on the throne of David and conquer the enemies of Israel just as he had done.  Therefore, with the scourge of Roman rule worse than it had ever been, the Jews returning to Bethlehem longed for the descendant of David, the Messiah, more than ever.  At the turn of the century, Messianic anticipation was at an all-time high.

As travelers came to Bethlehem, they would have checked their animals into the stable and then headed over to the Inn to get a room and hot meal.  However, little did they know that the place the travelers had just left their animals on that first Christmas day was getting ready to become the throne room of God!   When Mary gave birth to Jesus, she gave birth to the King of Kings and Lord and Lords; therefore, when she laid Him in what was once nothing more than something to place hay in for animals to eat, it was instantly transformed into a throne of eternal glory!

The glory of a throne is not in the throne but in the one who sits on it.  Think about it: the moment The Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace was laid in the manger, that manger was glorified above any throne on the planet.  Wherever Jesus sits, lays, or stands, it becomes the most glorious throne there is because it is now occupied by The Glorious One!

In the same way that worthless and expendable food trough had become the resting place of the power and glory of God, all who are in Him are made the same.  When we are with Christ, we are the seat of His GLORY!  The glory is not in the throne but in the one who sits on it, and thus, we who have bowed down before Christ and surrendered our lives to Him have the King of Glory shining His life into our existence because He is WITH US!

You would think this is what every person in the world longs for, what every person hungers to be in the presence of, and Who all would want to know and serve.  But shockingly, it’s not.  As a matter of fact, He would be despised and rejected.  The very people who had spent their lives crying out for the promised descendent of David to be with them ended up shouting for Him to be crucified.

You see, it turns out they didn’t actually want a King but rather one who would make the world treat them as Kings. They missed the chance to be with the King because they didn’t actually want a King to be with them at all, but one who would serve them as a King and do their bidding in ridding them of the Roman filth who were oppressing their dreams of receiving glory from man.  They didn’t want the glory of the King of Kings to cause them to bow; they wanted the Romans to bow and give them glory!

But not everybody was waiting for a Messiah to serve them.  In Luke 2, we meet two who were very much longing for the King to come, and a month after Jesus was born, their desire came true.  Here’s what happened,

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29 "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;  30 for my eyes have seen your salvation  31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,  32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:22-38)

Just like the manger in the stable, when Simeon held Jesus in his arms, Simeon became a throne of God’s glory!  Simeon could think of no greater honor.  He had spent his entire life longing to see the promised King come and even seemingly knew what that King would do.  He was coming as the sovereign King of the Universe to give His life as a ransom to save his people not from the Romans but something much worse: sin and eternal death!

The prophetess Anna, likely hearing Simeon’s shouts of praise, joined him in proclaiming this incredible news.  GOD WAS WITH THEM.  The KING HAD COME!

But as I already said, these two were in an extreme minority in Israel.  The Jews didn’t want a King they had to bow down to; they wanted a King that would cause the Romans to bow down to them, and two millenniums later, we struggled with the same thing.  We long for a King who will serve us instead of an actual King whose very presence causes everything around Him to fall to its knees in worship!   We long to be the kings to whom God submits His will, but this is not who He is nor who He will ever be.

Now, here’s where things get crucial for us to understand.  Wherever Jesus is, that place becomes His throne; wherever Christ stands, sits, or lays, it becomes a throne that shines forth His majesty and glory.

The Cross was not a victory for the religious leaders of Israel and the Romans they conspired with to kill him.  The moment Christ was raised up on the cross was the moment that the cross became a throne of His glory!  The cross was the throne where He paid the highest price possible for His bride!  Every drop of blood that ran out of His body shouted just how glorious He was in that while we were sinners, Christ took upon himself the wrath of God on our sins!

The grave where they laid Him, the place the Jews thought they could rule by placing a large stone over its entrance and Roman soldiers to guard it once again became a throne of His glory as Jesus conquered death and rose from the grave!  Jesus had suffered the eternal wrath of God on our sin that leaves us without Him—death!

Every day he spent on earth after that was a day he turned every place he stood into the throne room of God, shining for His glory on all He was with!

Jesus even turned the sky into a throne of glory on the day He ascended into heaven.  The disciples were so awed by what they saw they sat there gazing!  The Bible says,

10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (Acts 1:10-11)

What were these two angels saying?  Well, they were echoing what Jesus had already told them.  Jesus said,

26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (Mark 13:26)

The clouds will one day be His throne again!  On that day that when He returns, it will not be like Christmas; it will not be like the day he turned a manger into His throne!  No one will sleep through his arrival in the Inn next door.  He’s not coming back to glorify a manger, a cross, or a tomb with His presence but rather to glorify HIS CHURCH … his bride!

The first time He came, He came to die, but this time He’s coming back to reign!

So, the question then is, who and what are you looking for to return, and what are you doing as you wait?   The Bible says,

 6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.  7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;  8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"--for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." (Revelation 19:6-8)

I’ll never forget what happened on June 30, 1999.  Keri and I were engaged, but we lived 600 miles away from each other.  I was busy starting a ministry for the Florida Baptist Convention and getting things prepared for us to live in Jacksonville, Florida.  Meanwhile, Keri had been working hard with her mom and dad to get things ready for our wedding, which would take place three days later at her parents' house.  I preached in the panhandle of Florida Tuesday night, then led a meeting with some youth pastors Wed morning.  As soon as I was done, I put the hammer down to Busy Corner, Mississippi.  I’ll never forget pulling into Mt. Pleasant Baptist church and walking into the foyer that led into the auditorium.  I could hear her angelic voice singing a song for the people at the Wednesday night prayer meeting.  I stood there listening and peeking through the window until I couldn’t stand it.  I opened the door and stepped into the auditorium, and when I did, Keri saw me.  She sang a few more notes as she looked around, trying to decide what to do, and then she dropped the mic, jumped off the stage, and ran down the aisle straight to me.  It was like something straight out of a movie.  The bride ran to her groom, who had driven halfway across the country to get his bride!  I will never forget that day, but it pales in comparison to the who and what is coming for us!

So, how are you waiting for the one worthy of praise?  Are you even longing for Him to return?  Are you living in a way that you can jump up with excitement and run to Him and His glory, or will you coward away at His glory?  Make no mistake. When He comes this time, His glory will not be shrouded so he can pay the penalty for our sin, but rather on full display!  His people who have lived in submission to Him will run to Him, but all who have longed to be their own King for their own glory will fall to their knees in horror!  I pray for each of us to live in a way that allows us to sing this next song with joy!  I pray that we can sing this next song, as I would imagine Simeon and Anna would have if they knew it!

If you can’t stand and raise your hands to the Lord in praise as you sing this, then fall to your knees and repent, knowing His glory restores all who bow before HIM in surrender!   But if you are His people, if your life is being lived bowing before Him in praise, then stand and cry out this song of Christmas with us!  HE is coming for HIS BRIDE!!!!

The KING IS COMING BACK FOR HIS CHURCH!  HE IS COMING TO POOR OUT HIS GLORY ON HIS CHURCH!  The King is coming for His bride!