Messiah Comes in the Name of the Lord

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.” (Psalm 118;26. NIV. [See also 2 Samuel 7:12-16] “For I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ “ (Matthew 23:39. NIV).

The verse quoted from Psalm 118:26 was used in Jewish worship as a greeting, and was especially used at the Feast of the Tabernacles which celebrated the ingathering of crops and remembered God’s protection and provision when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Each of the gospel writers included this greeting as Christ went into Jerusalem on what we term His triumphal entry, riding on a donkey, with people shouting “Hallelujah!” and waving palm branches. No such fanfare came at or near the time of Jesus’ birth. I often imagine, however, that with each clop of the donkey’s feet on the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem as Joseph and Mary made their journey to enroll for the taxes, that they were thinking, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Did Mary wonder that she might go into labor in Bethlehem? As a mother of two and knowing the anticipation of birth, I can empathize with Mary as she went to Bethlehem. She harbored the promise of God in her heart and beneath her heart. And then when He was born, there came the quiet worship of lowly shepherds from the fields. Later, as the holy family was in a house, Magi from the East came, presented gifts and departed secretly so as not to allow Herod the knowledge of where the Christ child was. During His ministry, Jesus tried to prepare His disciples for a time when He will return “with glory in His wings.” Again, at that time, the greeting so long uttered by believers will be upon every tongue: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Messiah, in fulfillment of prophecy, but more importantly in response to God’s great love for humankind, came in the fullness of time as a Baby born in Bethlehem, “God’s only begotten Son” (John 3:16). As we celebrate Christmas in all facets of its meaning, let us not lose sight of this distinctive message: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Times could get much worse than now. God is seeking to prepare us for tribulation and sorrow. He calls us to faithfulness, regardless of the circumstances. And the blessed assurance we have was expressed confidently by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:26-27: “to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (NIV). My prayer is that we as faithful Christians might radiate “the hope of glory” daily in our lives, that we may be among those who proclaim, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, December 23, 2010