Come, Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: free the prisoners of darkness!Jesus is the key of David, setting prisoners free. I am reminded of Luke 23:42-43, when the good thief said to Jesus, “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Since the good thief repented and believed in Jesus, He assured him that despite his crimes and nearness to death, the good thief would be with Jesus in eternal life. In a sense, we all feel like prisoners, convicted thieves, chained by our sins and weaknesses. We don’t always prioritize God in our lives. We easily fall into worry, anger, fear, or despair. We find it hard to forgive ourselves and others. Our hearts become burdened by rejection, disappointments, betrayals, failures, and losses. Yet, as shown by the example of the good thief, there is still hope for us. We are not defined by our sins and weaknesses. We can still choose Jesus over our temptations. But we cannot overcome the darkness alone. God calls us to repent and believe in Jesus like the good thief so that He can open the gates of the kingdom and free us from darkness. Jesus is the key that shines His light on our darkness. During this Advent season, let us welcome Him and the hope and freedom that His birth brings.