King for Us

by Richard E. Holmer

 

 

This final Sunday in the church year is designated as Christ the King Sunday.  The year draws to a close with the joyful acclamation that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.  This tradition is not nearly as longstanding as other festivals on the church calendar – Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, All Saints, etc.  The observance of Christ the King Sunday dates only back to 1925, when it was introduced by Pope Pius XI (and then embraced by Christians around the world).  Mussolini came to power in Italy in 1922, and across Europe there was a growing spirit of secularism matched by a waning recognition of Christ’s authority.  

 

The aim of the observance of this festival is to remind believers that Christ must reign in our hearts and minds and wills.  We proclaim Jesus as the reigning authority in our lives.  The world situation has not improved since Christ the King was first celebrated in 1925.  We are beset by the same troubles:  secularism, materialism, nihilism, oppression, injustice, indifference.  Today the only authority recognized and accepted by many is the autonomous self.  Many are deeply suspicious of any kind of leader:  king, president, prime minister or otherwise.  History has taught us how leaders and authority figures can be domineering, self-serving and oppressive.

 

But the Kingship of Jesus Christ is radically different in nature.  His authority is not domineering or abusive, but is characterized instead by sacrifice and humble service.  His throne is a cross.  Just as calling God “Father” does not limit God to our worldly experiences and notions, but instead redefines and enlivens the nature of fatherhood itself – so calling Christ “King” does not liken Jesus to any earthly monarchs (be they good, bad or indifferent) but rather redefines and reshapes the role of kingship in terms of justice, mercy and peace.

 

Our 2^nd reading from Colossians and the Gospel reading from Luke present sharply contrasting images that highlight the paradoxical nature of Christ’s Kingship.  It is a paradox at the very heart of Christ’s identity:

-  He is true God, son of the Almighty Father

-  And true man, son of Mary.

-  He has power to heal and to save, and to bring the dead to life

-  And he is human and vulnerable – subject to pain and suffering and death.

 

The first chapter of Colossians describes the cosmic Christ:  awesome, unlimited, eternal.  Listen to how Christ is described in majestic terms:

“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.  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.”

 

Christ is nothing less than the source of all that is, the reason for all that is, and the glue that holds it all together.

-  He is heart and soul,

-  The center of gravity,

-  The raison d’être,

-  The sine qua none,

-  The main thing on which all else depends.

 

Contrast this picture of the Cosmic Christ with the Crucified Christ in the 23^rd chapter of Luke.  There we encounter Jesus whipped and stripped and nailed to a cross.  He hangs in pain and degradation along with two other condemned criminals.  He appears helpless and powerless, without any outward signs of authority or dignity.  On the cross Jesus is the object of mockery and scorn:

-  The leaders in the crowd scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”

-  The soldiers join in the derision, jeering, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.”

-  One of the crucified thieves also derided Jesus:  “Are you not the Messiah?  Save yourself and us!”

-  Pontius Pilate, who ordered the execution, added his own sarcastic insult to the sordid proceedings by ordering an inscription to be placed on the cross where Jesus was hanging that said:  “This is the King of the Jews.”

 

Could there be two images that are any farther apart: 

the serene, majestic, awesome Lord of the Universe

and

the broken, abused and despised man hanging on the cross?

 

Where is the connection between the Cosmic Christ of Colossians and the crucified Christ of Good Friday?  Is Christ truly a king – or is this merely a fantasy, wishful thinking and nothing more?  How can two such different passages be describing one and the same person?  One is brimming with glory and power, the other filled with humiliation, degradation and weakness.  It’s not hard to recognize Christ the King in Colossians, but where is there any sign of a king on the cross?

 

Consider this:  On Good Friday, Jesus is, indeed, stripped of authority and dignity and even basic humanity.  Crucifixion was intended to have just this effect:  to debase and torture and humiliate a person in such a way as to have a powerful, deterring impact on all who witnessed it.  A crucified man is one to be despised, scorned – or at best, pitied.  The cross is the last place any sensible person would look for leadership or authority or power (certainly not for majesty or glory).

 

Yet there on the cross we see the true and lasting nature of our King.  Even in a moment of such utter degradation and pain, even as he is being cruelly killed, Christ the King continues to exercise his kingly prerogative.  Amid all the insults and mockery being hurled at him, Jesus prays this prayer on behalf of his taunting executioners:  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  And though one criminal has derided him, when the other thief asks for mercy, Jesus says to him:  “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise .”  

 

Here we see the essence of Christ’s enduring authority and his abiding glory.  He is the king of mercy and love and forgiveness, the lord of grace and compassion.  Nowhere more than on the cross do we witness the greatest power in all the universe, a power stronger than death itself, a power to do what nothing else can:

power to transform the human heart,

power to break the terrible grip of sin,

power to redeem every lost and despairing soul.

 

You can mock Christ, spit on him, strip him of all decency, nail him to a cross until he breathes his last – but you can’t stop him from being who he is:  the Lord of Life and the King of Love.  No king was ever more regal than Jesus on the cross when he extended pardon and forgiveness to those who had done nothing to deserve it.

 

You and I know that the Crucified One is also the Risen One, victorious over both sin and death.  And as Paul reminds us in our reading from Colossians, you and I have been transferred into his kingdom by our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection.  We pledge our allegiance to Christ our King whenever we pray:  “thy Kingdom come.” 

-  Whenever we pause to give thanks for our daily bread – not to any earthly power, but to the Lord from whom all good things come.

-  Whenever we share in the meal that celebrates Christ as King of Love and Mercy, whenever we partake of his body and blood.

-  Whenever we follow his compassionate example, forgiving others as we ourselves have been forgiven.

 

You and I know who really is King, even if the world does not.  And, knowing what we know and believe, we need to live our lives accordingly.  The Lord of the Universe is also our Lord – yours and mine.

 

When Christ reigns not only in heaven, but here and now, in our hearts, then he truly is King for us.

 

Amen.

 

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As of November 4, 2007 Pastor Hester is moving on from St. James to begin a new call.  e-vos are no longer posted in this space. Previous installments can be found in the e-vo archive.