I came into the gym searching, as Gena had already texted me the exciting news. There had been a celebrity sighting at my daughter’s high school volleyball playoff game being played in Malibu. You probably wouldn’t know his name, but it’s very likely that you’ve watched him and would recognize him from one or another of his roles in a movie or series. He was there to watch his daughter play. I ended up sitting not too far away from him, which meant I was getting a lot of looks from CLHS fans turning toward me throughout the game… so they could not so subtly catch glimpses of him right beyond me. He cheered loudly, may not have been all that thrilled that the coach didn’t play his daughter more, and we ended up winning the game and moving on to the next round of the playoffs.
After the game, when pictures of our girls were being taken, someone made a comment about how we should ask Mr. Celebrity to take one with the team. As exciting as the win was, how amazing would it be to get a team picture with Mr. Celebrity??? You’ll never guess what happened next. We asked him if he’d take a picture with the girls and get this: he did! Can you believe it? He actually appeared to be a normal human being and willingly came over for a few pictures with the girls.
Why do we get so excited about such things? Typically we don’t expect celebrities, athletes, or dignitaries to interact with the rest of us. After all, they’re in a league of their own. They’re a big deal. They live in big houses, drive really nice cars, make lots of money, and rub elbows with others in the same social circles. We generally try to respect their privacy by not hovering or smothering and giving them their space. That’s why we tend to get such a big kick out of the times they do interact with us, even coming over to a very small crowd of parents and high school volleyball players for a picture.
Even more amazing? The almighty Creator of the universe willfully, knowingly, intentionally, coming to us, to mankind.
The description of Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday might appear to be out of place for this time of the church year, but it actually fits beautifully as Matthew connects the dots of the prophet Zechariah for us, describing what kind of a King we have: “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (v.4-5). A week ago we highlighted that Jesus was unlike earthly kings and authorities in that he did not establish his kingdom for himself, but rather that he came for others. As we begin our new Advent series, we rejoice in another way that Christ is unlike earthly kings: he comes to us.
That just doesn’t happen. Remember the remarkable story of Esther? She had a unique opportunity to intervene on behalf of the Jewish people and do whatever she could to save them from being wiped out by an edict authorized by the king. The only problem? She hadn’t been summoned by the king for several weeks, which could have implied that she wasn’t in all that great of standing with him. To approach the king, then, without having been summoned, was to risk death. Here is the exchange between Esther and her cousin, Mordecai, the one who had informed her of the plot to destroy the Jews:
“‘All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.’ When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish’” (Esther 4:11-16).
I won’t spoil the ending if you aren’t familiar with it – you definitely need to read the rest of the account of Esther to see how everything played out if you don’t know. The only detail I’ll share is this: Esther wasn’t put to death by the king. He allowed her to come into his presence for an audience with the king.
But even that is a different thing than what we see in Matthew 21. We don’t see Jesus situated authoritatively on his throne, determining who will and who will not be granted the request to have an audience with him. No – we see the King coming to his people. We see the dignitary, not full of himself, but full of grace, grace that compelled him not only to ride humbly into Jerusalem, not only to humbly be betrayed and taken captive, not only to be beaten and berated in humility but in the ultimate act of humility, to be killed by crucifixion.
Why would a king – this King – subject himself to all of that? What did he have to gain? What benefit was it to him? He did not need to do it to expand his kingdom – it was already all his! He did not need to do it to prove himself – God does not need man’s approval to be validated. No, this King who comes for others comes to you.
During this season of Advent, that is what we celebrate – the Lord Jesus comes to us. And your King still comes to you. He continues to. Isn’t that also what makes interactions with celebrities or dignitaries stand out – they are so rare? I don’t anticipate ever interacting with Mr. Celebrity again. That was most likely a one-and-done occurrence, as are the majority of such memorable occasions. Many of us have similar stories of that one time we met so-and-so, and that is just it, it’s a part of the allure – it was that one time.
But not so with our King. Yes, he came into our world in a human body one time to dwell among mankind for three decades, but even in that way, he will come again on the last day when he returns visibly for all to see. In the meantime he still comes to us in body and blood, giving himself to us in such a way as to both remind us of the price our King paid to win the battle over Satan while also continuing to extend the ongoing blessing of forgiveness won through that battle for us. In continuing to offer himself to us in this way, it is as if the King was opening up his treasure room to us whenever we need it to provide us with the riches of his grace and forgiveness.
Are you spiritually depleted? Sit at the King’s table, where he comes to you to fill you up again with the food of forgiveness. Are you frustrated by a lack of progress or growth in your Christian living? Sit at the King’s table, where he comes to you to give you the grace needed to grow. Are you discouraged by all successes Satan seems to be having in your life lately? Sit at the King’s table, where he comes to you to remind you of who already won the war. Are guilt and shame doing their best to push you away from the King by convincing you you’re not good enough to be in his presence? Sit at the King’s table, where he comes to you and sets the table with his body and blood for just such guests as you!
Do you happen to have any other needs that have not been addressed? If so, your King also comes to you through his Word to remind you of the blessings that come from his convincing victory over Satan and his current ruling over all things for your benefit. He rules to oversee not only your present problems but also your future uncertainties. With him on the throne, what business do worry or anxiety have in his kingdom? With him on the throne, what can legitimately rob us of peace? With him on the throne, where else are we going to turn for the level of joy that he is able to provide? With him on the throne, having called us into his kingdom, what greater meaning and purpose can we serve than to extend all of these same blessings to other souls as we do the work he’s given us to bring other souls into his kingdom? He has the answer for every need you can imagine, and your King comes to you as frequently as you will summon him through his Word!
My experience with Mr. Celebrity was fun, but honestly, a few years from now I will not be surprised to find myself trying to recall which celebrity it was that we got to meet that one time. And other than being a novel experience, we didn’t really gain any benefit from meeting him other than a few pictures.
How different it is with Christ our King, our Savior-King who still comes to us! Not only during Advent, but always, until he comes to us that one last time to gather the people of his kingdom to be with him forever.