Gazing Upon the King of Kings

Come and behold Him born the King of angels. 

Familiar words at this time of the year.  We hear them sung over the airwaves from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  We hear them at the malls, at every shopping center, in our workplaces.  We’re so accustomed to these words that most have not taken a second thought to think upon the ramifications of such a simple line in a favorite Christmas Carol.

Come and behold Him! 

Sadly the large majority of the world does not behold Him.  They behold everything else but Him.  Him, this King of angels, this Christ the Lord, He gets a passing glance, a nod at the table as we say “grace.”  He gets a manger scene on the mantle while a fat guy in a red suit with a fake beard gets plastered all over the map.

What is it to behold?  To behold is to gaze upon or look intently at.  To behold is to inspect or examine.  John the Baptist told us

Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ~ John 1:29

Pontius Pilate cried out to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” ~ John 19:14

So the question begs, have you beheld Him, Christ the Lord?  Or is He a mere trinket on the tree or perhaps a plastic version on the front lawn?  Is the real beholding focused on family, on presents, on holiday cheer, on that fat guy that lives in that cold place with those funny little employees and those amazing flying deer?

Will we let another Christmas, mind you it’s Christmas not Santa-mas, pass us by while we glance at the cute little Jesus baby and make a mad dash for the stuff, the goods, the food?  Just what will we behold as the celebration of His birth descends upon us?

For after all, He was born the King of angels and is worthy of our adoration. This Word of the Father now in flesh appearing....

and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we BEHELD His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14 

This King who demands we fall on our knees and behold Him!