“O Key of David”
Saturday’s Verses:
From Isaiah 22:22 ESV
“And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.”
In Advent we sing to Christ, O Key of David, come. We are invoking the One who alone has the power to unlock the shut and to shut the gate of death. Isaiah first spoke these words about a faithful steward, but the Church has always heard more in these verses. It is a promise made flesh in Jesus.
Keys signify access and trust. The one who possesses the key chooses who is let in and who is kept out. Christ does not bear the key in His hand but upon His shoulder. That is the language of yoke and bearing. He carries the weight of God’s rule on our behalf, not to keep us out, but to bring us in.
We have doors in our lives we cannot open. Sin keeps us locked inside. Fear seals us up. Death itself is the final door we cannot unlock. No amount of striving or good works can pry these doors open. But Christ does not demand that we find the key. He is the Key. In His cross and resurrection He unlocks forgiveness, life, and salvation. Whatever He opens, no one can shut.
There are also doors that must be shut. False dreams. Dead ends. Lies that lodge in our hearts and will not leave. When Christ shuts a door, He does so in love. He keeps us from what would finally destroy us, even when we do not yet know it.
As we pray the O Antiphons, we do not call upon a far-off Savior. We confess our trust in the One who already rules. The Key of David has come. He still opens. He still shuts. And He still bears the full weight of our salvation on His shoulders.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
O Key of David, open to us the door of Your mercy. Shut us away from sin and despair. Lead us through the doors You open, and grant us faith to trust Your keeping. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo above was licensed through Unsplash+