Sermon Preached on 24th November 2019- Christ the King
Based on: Luke 23. 33-43; Psalm 46; Colossians 1. 11-20
Prayer
Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. It’s like New Year’s Eve. In the Christian calendar this is called Christ the King Sunday. It acknowledges the Lordship, sovereignty, and rule of Jesus Christ over this whole world.
The next worship gathering that any liturgical church will have, is the start of Advent. It encourages us to reflect on Christ’s kingship in the very beginning of the Advent season.
So, today we celebrate coming of Christ, our King. We give thanks to God for all God has done for us through Jesus and for the difference Jesus makes in our lives.
As such, it seems entirely appropriate to me to share just a bit about the history and meaning of this celebration; the celebration of Christ the King was originally instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. It was to mark the “sixteenth centenary of the Council of Nicaea” held in AD 325 which defended the full divinity of Christ and therefore His royal claims of sovereignty over humanity. It is also viewed in part, as a response to the political turmoil in Europe after the First World War and the rise of various -ism’s, nationalism, secularism, fascism and communism. Many had lost faith in the church and God. The celebration of Christ the King was instituted so that the leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ.
That the faithful would gain strength and courage from the celebration, as we are reminded that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies.
The goals of this celebration are still very much needed today, as these problems have not vanished, but instead have worsened or taken some other forms.
We celebrate the Kingship of Christ but what sort of Kingship is it that we are celebrating? Our Gospel reading gives us a vivid picture to reflect on.
The picture is certainly not what we would expect to see illustrating kingship, power and authority. Here are no fine robes but a naked and scarred body. His crown has no jewels, only vicious thorns. On his hands there are no rings of power, just the nails which fix him to a wooden cross – no golden throne. There are no servants around him – just two criminals sharing his fate and an assorted crowd of soldiers and unpleasant spectators who taunt and mock him.
The religious authorities who accused Jesus because he was a perceived threat to the security of their earthly kingdom. The Roman overlords who mocked Jesus, and his Jewish accusers with the sign : “This is the King of the Jews” – as he hung seemingly helpless and powerless, the very antithesis of a king. A victim of all their allegiances, prejudices and fears. And, all this leads us to this stark, desperate scene, three men hanging on three crosses.
And one in fear, pain and anger derides Jesus – “save us”, he cries, but doesn’t believe it is possible, not for a minute. He sees Jesus, a humiliated weak man who inconceivably forgives his enemies, not a strong saviour. Till the last, this criminal cannot move beyond blind hatred and mockery.
Then the other criminal. Surprisingly, in the most dire circumstances he is able to look beyond himself to another, to reality, the reality that Jesus is innocent. This criminal is the one who has caught a glimpse of the glory that is hidden by the awfulness of this torture. This criminal is able to discern goodness and truth, and defend it even while his world is imploding in pain and fear. He is able to recognise a cosmic reality “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”. If there was ever a Holy Spirit moment, this is it. A moment infused with such God given grace, clarity, faith, and probably hope, at the most desperate of times. This criminal recognises the most powerful person in this whole scenario is the one viewed as the weakest.
And Jesus responds to his revelation: “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. Today this man will move not simply from life to death, but to another kingdom. His discernment of Jesus’ true identity as King of an eternal realm, with the ability to forgive, save and bring eternal life moves this criminal into the Kingdom of God.
How do we see Jesus Christ? And, most importantly what place do we give to Jesus in our lives. If it is not the first place we really need to think about it.
Our epistle reading this morning from St. Paul epistle to the Colossians holds some of the most powerful, recognizable text about the ruling Christ: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers – all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
And what does this rule accomplish, according to vs. 20? Through Jesus, God was pleased to reconcile to Himself ALL THINGS, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the work done on the cross.
Reconciling and peace-making is the work of the ruling Christ.
In our Gospel passage Jesus asks God to forgive those who were inflicting this pain that would end in his death, because “they do not know what they do.”
The guards and onlookers DID know what they were doing: they were executing him.
But they didn’t know the larger picture: they were executing way more than a whimsical caricature of the King of the Jews, they were humiliating and killing the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; the one in whom all things in heaven and on earth were created… the one in whom all things hold together.
Instead of wrath or judgment there is mercy. A mercy that is hard to imagine.
Surprisingly, there are similarities between this death scene and the upcoming birth narrative? A cow shed or a stable and a crucifixion site, are unlikely places to find a king. They reveal a king who defies prevailing expectations of kingship. Living a simple ordinary life. Allowing himself to be vulnerable to others and for others, using his power to benefit others. Preaching justice and peace. Who will forgive, love and die for those who mock, deny and eventually kill him. And yet remains the one true king, ultimately and eternally having all power and authority. This is what Christ the King Sunday reminds us of. The one who is truly worthy of our loyalty and commitment.
The picture of Kingship in our Gospel lesson turns traditional kingship upside down. It reaches out to us calling us to offer ourselves to Christ the King and we can perhaps sense what a difference this would make to our lives.
I think it’s important to again remind us that Advent begins a week from today.
Next week we will begin again to tell the story of the coming of Jesus into the world as a baby and we will again start looking forward to Jesus returning as Christ the King. As we journey through the year, hearing again the stories of Jesus’ birth and life, his ministry and teaching, his death and resurrection we too will be travelling on our own journeys.
As we travel we will also have a companion alongside us and a vision to give meaning and purpose to our lives. Today as we celebrate the eternal presence of Christ the King in bread and wine. Let us pray that His spirit will make a difference in our lives bringing us refreshment, peace, the power of love and whatever else our hearts need for the journey that lies ahead.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen