JANUARY 17, 2024 – MORNING STAR

READ: Ps. 2:1-12

And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—’He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.- Rev. 2:26-29

The Lord concludes the letter with rich promises to those who keep His works. These works are the faith-based deeds that the Spirit of Christ works within us. He gives us His commandments and His Spirit. If we persist in this struggle to keep His works to the end, against all temptation and oppression, Christ will make us victorious. Then, as King-Judge, He grants a reward.

This reward primarily involves power over the nations. Christ will one day shepherd them as Judge and silence them forever, shattering them as pottery is when struck with an iron rod (Ps. 2). The faithful believers will share in this authority. Those acquitted in Christ will sit with Him on thrones, participating in condemning His adversaries. This points to the final judgment that ends all opposition against the LORD God and His anointed, Christ.

For the faithful, there is even more: “And I will give him the morning star.” The morning star heralds the beginning of a new day. Here, it signifies sharing in the dawn of eternal glory. Then, the Kingship of Christ reaches its completion, and God becomes all in all.

These are overwhelming promises on which we may also anchor our hope. The struggle will eventually end; a new heaven and a new earth, where peace and righteousness reign, will come. The brilliance of the morning star already shines above the grave of everyone who has persevered in the works of Christ until the end.

What an encouragement for those who seek to follow Christ in a world filled with lawlessness. Let the entire church also hear this!

Is faith a serious matter? Does it bring fear?     

Singing: Ps. 11:2