Many Canadians, among others, follow the lives and activities of the British royal family: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate, and, particularly recently, Harry and Meghan.

Here in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, we have hosted many visits of the royal family. I saw the Queen, only once, riding in an open, horse-drawn carriage. There were crowds lining either side of Wellington Street, eager to see her as she left Parliament Hill, and I could only peer over their heads, but of course, I waved to her! She appeared such a small person, in a large carriage, but her smile was bright as she waved to everyone gathered to see her. She was there in front of me only for a moment, but the sight left a lasting impression on me.

But what makes someone royal? How does someone inherit a royal destiny?

The writer to the Hebrews describes Jesus’ royal nature as the Son of God, “the Majesty on high”.

“And [God’s Son] is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” (Hebrews 1:3-4 NASB)

These wonderful verses tell of Jesus as the heir of everything, and creation’s firstborn. He was there when the world was made. He is the radiance of God’s glory, like the sun’s rays are the radiance of our nearest star itself. He maintains everything, actively demonstrating His power in healing, forgiveness, salvation, and calming the fury of nature, just by a few words.

The Lord Jesus did what we could never do for ourselves: purify us from our sins. As the exact representation of God’s nature, only He has the right of a Son to be at the right hand of God, which no angel could ever do. As God’s Son, He has the birthright and anointing to inherit the throne. And yet, as the Son of Man, He became human to share our lives and give His own life as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, to purify us to be with Him, to live forever with God.

We will never be part of a royal family on earth, most probably, but we can enjoy the privileges of being royal children of God, adopted with all honours. May we never take our royal status for granted, and continue to honour God’s firstborn and only Son, Who made it all possible.

Prayer: We praise Your name, O Lord, the heavenly Son and our Saviour. “All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem to crown Him Lord of all.” Amen. (Edward Perronet, 1726-1792)

Shirley Moulton
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with Author’s Permission