I love Irises. They are so regal. So stately. The thick green stem that extends skyward is so smooth and straight. Waving these big, funny, beautiful, bubbly, bearded blooms back and forth. Irises come in a variety of colors but the ones in my yard are purple, deep purple. The color of royalty. I look at the iris blooms as they wave back and forth in the breeze and they remind me of the billowy robe of royalty worn by my Jesus. Jesus the Royal. His Majesty. Jesus the King.
Do we recognize His Royalty? Do we think about Jesus being a King? The King? Do we treat Jesus as The King? Do we honor Jesus as The King? Do we honor Jesus as Our King? Jesus the High Priest?
How we recognize Jesus tells us a lot about ourselves. Do we need to look at Him differently? Do we need to look at ourselves differently?
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that he should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 3:9
One of the best words in the Bible — “chosen.” We are a chosen generation, a chosen people! Chosen by God before time began. Chosen by Him to come out of the darkness and into the light. Chosen by Him to shrug off the cloak of darkness we have been wearing and wrap up in the royal robe of His light. You see Jesus is the royal high priest.
It’s a stark contrast to visualize ourselves standing before Jesus in his beautiful royal robe, and us standing before Him with our torn and tattered garb. Satan would like us to archive that picture and save it forever. Living life in the darkness, feeling afraid, unworthy, unskilled, uncommitted, undone, unloved, un, un, un would be Satan’s desire.
Our acceptance of Jesus as our Savior and King, and our acknowledgement of our sin and His sacrifice that pardoned us, land us right smackdab in the middle of the kingdom of priests, right in the middle of God’s holy nation. Out of the darkness and into the bright light. Is there any better place to be?