O Holy Night (8) – Behold Your King!

This is the eighth part in a twelve part devotional commentary on “O Holy Night.” See the introduction here.

He knows our need, To our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King, Behold your King.

Being God, Jesus obviously knows what we need. His omniscience is not limited by our self-perceived liberty or isolation. He sees all and knows all things simply by virtue of his deity.

What’s in view here, however, is not really the divine attribute of omniscience, but the experiential knowledge gained by Jesus as he lived, died and was resurrected. We are told that Jesus “increased in wisdom and in stature” (Luke 2:52). Jesus was tempted three times by Satan before He began His ministry, and we are later told the He is “one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

There’s a comfort that comes with the understanding that He’s experienced our needs and weaknesses. I think it adds some tenderness to many of the things we read, such as when Jesus told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9) He could say that knowing from experience the pain Paul went through.

Jesus experienced these things, “yet without sin.” He claimed victory over temptation, sin, and death. And so He was “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4) “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.” (Phil 2:9-11)

Because He is victorious, we know He is King of all things. We are called to lowly bend before Him; to come adore and behold Him.