Key of David, Come

BY Patti Sauls

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

What makes Christmas hit deep for you? For me, it’s a lump in my throat as I carefully unpack my grown daughters’ handmade childhood ornaments. Or it’s a heart pang when I hear the first slow, somber notes of “What Child Is This?” If I pause and pay attention, I feel deep longings for home, belonging, peace, and hope. How does a baby in a Bethlehem manger unlock the mystery of these powerful feelings? 

A look at ancient Israel gives us some answers. Second Samuel 7 records God’s covenant with His nation and His chosen leader, King David. God promised to sustain David’s legacy and lineage, to give His people a protected homeland, and to enable David’s son, Solomon, to build a house for His presence to dwell in instead of a tent (2Samuel 7:10–13). What a promise! God would give His people a safe place to call home, a chosen line of kings to lead them, and permanent access to Himself.

But wait, there’s more. Watch this promise deepen and expand. His genealogy in Matthew 1 tells us that He was born into the family tree of King David, which qualified Him to have a significant leadership role in Israel. Yes, God promised that Jesus was to be included in the line of David. But that pales in comparison to His deeper, divine birthright. The angel told Mary, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David (Luke 1:31–32).

Jesus is the Son of God, “…the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David…” (Revelation 3:7). Jesus, the key of David, unlocked the shackles of sin and death. He faced and fought death—and won.

“I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.” 
—Revelation 1:18  

As His people, Jesus frees us from the prison of sin and sorrow and delivers us from brokenness and death itself. He leads us, protects us, and prepares an eternal home where we will dwell with Him in peace. Do you see how God’s ancient covenant with King David expands and culminates in Jesus ruling and reigning forever? Jesus is the ultimate Son, ultimate King, and ultimate deliverer. He brings us home.Notice that when God is speaking to David, we see the word forever three times (2Samuel 7:13,16). In King Jesus, our deepest longings for home, belonging, community, and hope are fulfilled forever, forever, forever! This is why Christmas hits deep. Part of that community touches us right now as we read together and know that we’re not alone in pausing and paying attention to what this week before Christmas unlocks for us. O key of David, come!