Under the glow of the moon and stars, Mom and I marveled at the reality of the incarnation of Jesus during a late night chat in the backyard this past Christmas. "I don't think I've ever really thought much about the fact that even today Jesus is still in a human body
and will be in that body
forever...," Mom said with awe in her voice. I replied, "Doesn't it give you a whole new appreciation for Christmas? Jesus didn't just temporarily humble Himself when He came as a baby that first Christmas, but He took on human flesh forever... Who else has ever loved like that?" Our hearts swelled with more love for Jesus and wonder at the story He is continuing to unfold.
It's pretty amazing that the King of kings took on
human flesh forever, died, rose from the dead, then ascended into heaven and remains there today in a resurrected human body, isn't it!?!?? (
Mark 16:19;
Acts 7:55;
Romans 8:34;
Ephesians 1:20;
Colossians 3:1;
Hebrews 1:3;
1 Peter 3:22) What
thrills my heart even further is the rest of this story yet to unfold... Jesus has promised that
He will return one day in His resurrected body at the sound of the final (7th) trumpet (
Revelation 11:15;
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;
Matthew 24:29-31). When He returns (Jesus in the flesh;
a Jewish man), He will
remain here, restoring the earth and establishing His rule from His throne in Jerusalem (as God promised David that there would forever be one from his lineage reigning on his throne -
2 Samuel 7:12-16;
Psalm 89:2-4;
Psalm 132:11,12;
Psalm 2:6-8). During this time, every enemy to righteousness and justice will be put under the feet of King Jesus (
Acts 2:34-35;
1 Corinthians 15:24-26). How's that for drama?
I'll leave you with scriptures that tell this very real and yet unfolding story better than I can:
Isaiah 9:6,7 - For to us a
child is born [Jesus, Messiah], to us a son is given; and the
government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the
throne of David and over his kingdom, to
establish it and to
uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Luke 1:30-33 - And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the
Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the
throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and
of his kingdom there will be no end."
Revelation 10:7 - ...in the days of the
trumpet call to be sounded by the
seventh angel,
the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets [see
Amos 3:7].
Revelation 11:15 - Then the
seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."
1 Thessalonians 4:16 - For the
Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and
with the sound of the trumpet of God.
Matthew 24:27 - For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the
coming of the Son of Man.
Daniel 7:13,14 - "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a
son of man [Jesus, Messiah], and he came to the Ancient of Days [the Father] and was presented before him. And to him was given
dominion and
glory and a
kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and
his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
To sum it all up...Philippians 2:5-11 - ...Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the
form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being
born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
"The western church today is almost completely disconnected from the New Testament idea of “hope”, minimizing it to an emotion to help sustain us before we have power, dominion, influence, or lasting peace and joy in this age. But the New Testament idea of hope is completely anchored in the age to come, in which Jesus will come, establish His kingdom, and abolish death forever. Signs and wonders, healings, joy, and revival are not manifest evidences of Christ's kingdom breaking in to the earth today, but are something much more important - they are heightened, undeniable evidences to the coming day of the Lord where He will establish His messianic kingdom on the earth, give the saints a resurrected body free of imperfections, and deal with sin and death forever. 
