Psalm 2:12
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Jesus does not revel in the destruction of enemies. He revels in rightful worship by his subjects. He wields wrath to defend and restore what is good, but He is the embodiment of the Father’s love. So he calls those who have rebelled against him to repent, to turn from their rebellious ways, and come under his perfect, merciful rule.
This is a summons to those who have stood in rebellion against God, so this is not the kiss of affection but of fealty–bowing before the king to kiss his ring. Jesus is patient. He is slow to anger. But the patience of Jesus does not eliminate his decisiveness and rightness in wrath. He is summoning the peoples to life, giving the nations a chance to submit to him. And any who won’t will face his holy judgment.
Friends, we may not like to talk of wrath and judgment. We may prefer a version of Jesus that is all warmth and softness. But in this fallen, chaotic world, we need a mighty and righteous king–and we have one. This is a comfort to all who follow Christ. He is not holding threats of condemnation over the heads of those who love and serve him. His wrath is not a threat to those in his kingdom, but rather our protection. We serve a king who is strong enough to laugh at his opposition, humble enough to come down to rescue us, patient enough to summon us from our rebellion, and just enough to punish those who refuse his summons.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
