During spring break, two college friends and I drove to Florida to stay with my parents, who were vacationing there. My buddies and I drove my dad’s car to a beach two hours away to meet up with friends. I went swimming in the ocean with the car keys in my pocket. Yep, I lost them. I called my dad to tell him his keys were somewhere at the bottom of the ocean. He was none too pleased about driving two hours each way to deliver the extra set of car keys so we could return home.
Today, we come to the fourth title for Jesus, “O Key of David,” from the ancient O antiphons the church has been utilizing since the ninth century to prepare for Christ’s coming. “O Key of David” may be the most obscure title among the seven antiphons sung during the Advent season. We read in Isaiah’s prophecy, “I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (Is. 22.22). Locks and keys were much more substantial in biblical times. Large iron or wooden keys attached to leather straps were slung over the shoulder to symbolize power and authority. The Apostle John is told to write the words of Jesus in his vision in Revelation, “These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David; what he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open” (Rev. 3.7), words taken verbatim from Isaiah’s prophecy. Elsewhere in Revelation, Jesus is said to possess keys to unlock death and the grave (Rev. 1.18).
Jesus opens blind eyes. He sets captives free. He casts out fear. He unlocks God’s promises. He is the great Liberator. “Who the Son sets free is free indeed” (John 8.36). Come, O Key of David. We join in praying: