The Victorious King Arrives

City Harbor Church – Hampden, Baltimore, MD

This Advent season, we are celebrating the arrival of Jesus Christ our King. We are learning more about and responding to five characteristics of King Jesus: Humble, Suffering, Victorious, Savior, Perfect. We will pray together, asking God to show more of each characteristic in our world today.

What do we learn about King Jesus?

1. King Jesus is victorious over all we see and don’t see.

Victorious – having overcome an enemy or antagonist, having achieved mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties

Colossians 1:13-20

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (CSB)

Ephesians 1:19-23 “That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put him at his right side in the heavenly world. 21 God has put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings, not only in this world but also in the next.22 God put everything under his power and made him the head over everything for the church, 23 which is Christ’s body. The church is filled with Christ, and Christ fills everything in every way.” (NCV)

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 “Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For God has put everything under his feet., Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. 28 When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.”

2. King Jesus is victorious over death and the devil.

Hebrews 2:14-15 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.” CSB

1 John 3:8 “The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.”

We see that Jesus raised the dead during his time on earth, in Luke 7:11-17, 8:40-56, John 11, Matthew 27:50-53

3. The ultimate victory of King Jesus will be complete and fulfilled when he returns.

Hebrews 12:1-3 We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. 2 Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the shame as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying.”

1 Corinthians 15:56-57 – The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (CSB)

Like a man who is making a sacrifice in the hope of victory, Paul is inspired to see the future as something which has already happened, and he tramples upon death as if it has fallen at his feet. Death is gone, it is finished, it has vanished away. Christ has not only overcome it, he has destroyed it and eliminated it completely.” – John Chrysostom

What do we learn about King Jesus?

1. King Jesus is victorious over all we see and don’t see.

2. King Jesus is victorious over death and the devil.

3. The ultimate victory of King Jesus will be complete and fulfilled when he returns.

So What should we do now?

1. Read some of today’s Scriptures looking for a clearer picture of King Jesus.

2. Write your description of our Victorious King Jesus.

3. Consider how King Jesus and his ultimate victory affects your life today.

4. Pray asking God to help you become more like King Jesus.

5. Write a prayer topic list of how our world can become more like the Kingdom of Jesus.

What do we pray for?

1. God, please help us see more clearly the victory of King Jesus.

2. God, please help us start each day from a realization that King Jesus has won the victory.

3. God, please help us see specific ways in which our thoughts, emotions, motives, values, decisions, and actions can become victorious over our enemies’ sinful temptations and devices.

4. God, please help us pursue the victory of peace where our enemy wants to sow division.

5. God, please help us see what changes you want to see in our neighborhoods in reflection of a victorious King Jesus over our enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy.

6. God, please show us how we can bring more people into this kind of relationship with you.

7. God, please bring about a change of heart, in the leaders of our businesses, organizations, neighborhoods, city, state, federal government, and the governments across the world.

8. God, please bring a value on the peace of Jesus to the leaders of nations at war or considering war.