Christ the King Sunday

November 26,2006

A true story - a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs store on the Kansas City Plaza for an ice-cream cone. After making her selection, she turned and found herself face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming the movie Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. Newman's blue eyes caused her knees to buckle. She managed to pay for her cone, then left the shop, heart pounding. When she gained her composure, she realized she didn't have her cone. She started back to the store to get it and met Newman at the door. "Are you looking for your ice-cream cone?" he asked. She nodded, unable to speak. "You put it in your purse with your change."
 Today we are celebrating Christ the King Sunday. I'm wondering when was the last time the presence of God quickened your pulse.

You might wonder why do we celebrate Christ the King Sunday and why do we celebrate it on this Sunday? The answer is that the church chooses to start the year in an unusual way. We start it in late November or early December. During the course of the year we go through the life of Christ focusing on different aspects of his earthly life. We begin with the season of Advent which will be coming up next week. Advent is a time of preparation. Preparation for the celebration of the first appearing of Christ at his birth (Incarnation) and also we look forward to his second coming at his return from heaven. Advent is also a time for celebrating his coming into our lives.

After Advent we celebrate Christmas. Christmas is the celebration of his birth in Bethlehem - of God becoming a human being. After the twelve days of Christmas we then move on to the celebration of the Epiphany of Christ. This marks the coming of Jesus to the Gentiles (the rest of the world) symbolically seen in the visit of the Magi (Wisemen). The Epiphany season gives way to Lent, a forty day period of prayer, fasting, and repentance, as we enter into the Passion of our Lord during Holy Week as he had to suffer and die on the Cross. The sadness of Holy Week gives rise to the joy of Easter as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. During that period of celebration we commemorate his ascension into heaven in preparation for the next great Feast of the church - the Day of Pentecost. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus marked the beginning of the Church and the spread of the Gospel. The rest of the season of Pentecost talks about the life of the Church and the life of the Christian.

It is only fitting that this season ends with the celebration of Christ the King. For Christ is the king and ruler of the Christian and the Church. As Isaiah says, “he shall reign for ever and ever.”

In order for us to fully appreciate Christ as king we must first look at the Old Testament predictions of the coming King. Jeremiah 23:5-6 says, “'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.' In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.”

The King that Israel would be looking for is a king in the line of David the king. This King, unlike David, will be a righteous King.

We don't see anyone arriving to fulfill this prophecy from this time on until we hear about the birth of Jesus. This is what Matthew records regarding the birth of Jesus: “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.'”

From this time on we get the sense that Jesus not only is that king for which Israel was looking, but that he knew he was that king. Jesus used the image of the king to represent himself when he told several parables. One, in Matthew 22, has Jesus as the king only allowing those into the wedding banquet who were clothed with the proper wedding garments. Those not so clothed were cast out. This is an image of Jesus as the king who judges those reject him by casting them out of his presence. He welcomes all who come to him in faith and accept the robes of righteousness that he himself offers to all who accept him and what he has done to take away their sins.

In Matthew 25 Jesus is the king who separates the sheep from the goats. Again, this is a sign that Jesus has the kingly power to rightly judge those who accept him (sheep) and those who reject him (goats).

We see Jesus' kingship in his triumphal entry into Jerusalem in Matthew 21. This entry is in fulfillment of a prophecy of Zechariah which says, “Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey….'” As he entered the people shouted, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Jesus was later arrested partly because he was charged with making himself king above Caesar. When Jesus was brought before Pilate in our Gospel lesson from John today, he was asked by Pilate, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus went on to answer, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not of this world.”

When Jesus was arrested he was mocked as a king. This mockery continued when he was nailed to the cross. A sign was placed over his head which read “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” They continued to mock him on the cross saying, “Let Christ, this King of Israel, come down from the cross.”

We further come to appreciate the kingship of Jesus when we look at what the prophet Daniel wrote in our first lesson today. “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me as one like a son of man (Jesus often referred to himself as the 'son of man.'), coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples and nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and one that will never be destroyed.”

When we hear descriptions of the king in this way, we can be tempted to think that this king wants not much to do with us. And yet, just the opposite is true. This king wants to have a relationship with us. He loves us.

Listen to how this king is described in Revelation 1:5-6: “…and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Although Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth, listen to how this king wants to relate to us.

“To him who loves us.” Did you realize that Jesus the King loves you? He loves you so much that he was willing to die to free you from the eternal consequences of your sins. The shedding of his blood has cleansed you of your sins and made you clean enough to have a relationship with the pure and perfect king. Not only that but he has allowed us to rule and reign in his kingdom. He has made us a part of his kingdom to serve God.

We get a foretaste of the Advent to come when in the next verse we read, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” This Almighty king who describes himself in the same way as God the Father (the Alpha and Omega) will come again.

Another glimpse into this coming King is seen in Revelation 19:11 ff.: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one but he himself knows. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
With a description like this one wonders how it is possible to have a relationship with such a king.

Prince Charles has many titles. He will one day be the King of England. His titles now are “the Heir Apparent to the Crown, His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Knight of the Garter, Colonel in Chief of the Royal Regiment of Wales, Duke of Rothesay, Knight of the Thistle, Commander of the Royal Navy, Great Master of the Order of Bath, Earl of Chester, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Great Steward of Scotland. We would address him as “Your Royal Highness,” but I suspect to William and Harry he is “Daddy.”

When we encounter our King, King Jesus, we are invited into the royal courts of his presence to have an intimate relationship with him, much as a brother and a friend. When we realize the awesome love and forgiveness that he offers to us, we can't help but, like that lady in front of Paul Newman, be deeply affected by our encounter with our King.

Have you invited King Jesus to sit on the throne of your heart and to be your ruler and guide? If not, why not invite him into the throne room of your heart and allow him to rule and reign from their from this time forth and forever more.