Grace to Anticipate the Kingdom

This is the final Sunday of the liturgical or ecclesiastical year. It celebrates the ultimate Triumph of Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We have anticipated His coming in Advent. We celebrated His birth at Christmas. We followed His life, teachings, and miracles during late winter and early spring. We welcomed Him on Palm Sunday, mourned His death on Good Friday, and whooped with joy on Easter. We observed His disengagement from His disciples and commissioning them until His Ascension and the pouring out of His Holy Spirit on Pentecost. We have looked at the transformation He makes in us, and the difference He makes in our lives as it is lived out in ordinary days.

All of this comes to a grand finale today. This is Christ the King Sunday. It is a time to experience all the exuberance of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, Worthy is the Lamb and the AMEN!

In the United States, this is also Thanksgiving Sunday. When we weave these two themes together, we understand we are responsible to recount the blessings of the New Covenant and walk in the ways of God with a grateful heart. We are to look forward to the Promised Land that awaits us where Christ himself will be our King.

Part One: Acknowledging Our King

The Claims of Jesus

The message of Jesus is that the kingdom of God--the kingdom of heaven--is at hand. He refers to the kingdom over 100 times. He tells parables about the kingdom. He frequently uses kingdom imagery. And He places himself (with His Father) at the head of this kingdom. He is the King.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-32, NIV).

I assure you when I, the Son of Man, sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28, NLT).

When challenged at his trial by the High Priest about whether He is indeed the Messiah, Jesus replies: I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:62, NIV).

When Pilate asked if He was the King of the Jews, Jesus replied: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36, NIV).

It is the inescapable truth of Scripture that Jesus claims the throne, He would return in glory, and we would judge all the peoples of the earth. And if we accept Jesus, we must accept that Kingship.

The Testimony of Stephen

At his death, Stephen had a vision of heaven that confirmed what Jesus had claimed and predicted had come true.

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56, NIV).

The Celebration of Paul

Paul confirmed after His humiliation and death, Jesus was exalted by the Father to the place of highest honor. He is the one before whom every knee must bow--the sign of subservience to the King.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

The Vision of John

In John’s revelation, we repeatedly find this imagery of Kings and Kingdom. And the Lamb is on the throne.

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15).

“They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14, NIV).

The Implications for Us

It is clear Christ is King. He is King in the kingdom to come--the kingdom of the “not yet.” But He is also King of the kingdom that is--the kingdom of the “already.” There are a number of consequences of the truth that must be acknowledged in our lives.

1) If He is King, then I am not. Contrary to popular attitudes, I am not the “king of the universe!” How arrogant it would be for us to usurp His throne and make ourselves King. That is the ultimate idolatry.

2) If He is King, then I must worship Him. That does not mean just singing in praise of Him. It means that I bow before Him in subservience--that I yield obediently to His will. If He is King of the “not yet,” I must also let Him be King of the “already.”

3) If He is King, and I owe my allegiance to Him, then I am not a citizen of this world, but am a “resident alien.” “This world is not my home!” I owe allegiance to another King. Just as those living in a foreign nation feel they don’t quite “fit” and sense impermanence, so must we have those feelings about our earthly journey. Our language, our value system, our world-view must reflect the country of our citizenship. I have a passport that identifies me as a citizen of another kingdom. And while traveling here, when I find myself in difficulty, I can always flee to the embassy to find shelter and assistance. My Passport will gain my entrance into my own country and I will be welcomed home.

4) If He is King and I am only a traveler here, then I must hold the things of this world loosely. I can’t take them with me when I go home.

5) If He is King, and His kingdom is not of this world, then I should live life here in anticipation of the day when His kingdom comes in its fullness. Christ has triumphed over sin and hell, over pain and death. He sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father and makes intercession for us. He will come again and bring all of history to its fulfillment and He will reign forever.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21).

Part Two--Expressing our Thanks

We must never take or citizenship in God’s kingdom for granted. Listen to God’s words to Israel through Moses:

When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant--then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (Deuteronomy 6:10-12).

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today (Deuteronomy 8:17,18).

This season is not about congratulating ourselves on our accomplishments. We don’t just thank God for pumpkins, pilgrims, and parades; for turkeys and football. It is about thanking God for His blessings. Everything we have talked about in the last 3 months should generate gratitude to God. The things we treasure most come from the fact that we are citizens in the Kingdom of Christ.

That is where we have found forgiveness and cleansing--identity and hope. That is where we have found the power of God that enables:

Grace at school and faith at work and love at home

Peace at city hall and faith at church and grace at the table.

That is where we find the grace that enables us to

loosen our grip and

find true greatness and

avoid the pitfalls and potholes

celebrate the past

live in unity

anticipate the kingdom with gratitude.

The Conclusion

So let us pause before the Advent Season starts us on the cycle again and review the blessings that are ours in Christ. In this process, it is important to give thanks to those around us who have enriched our lives--to family and friends who love and support us, those who risk their lives for our safety, those who provide leadership or instruction to us, those who comfort us and heal us, who counsel and guide us. But we must most of all express our gratitude to God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Let us thank Christ the King for His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, His ascension to glory and that we can anticipate His Return to establish His Eternal Kingdom.

Let us thank Him for all the blessings that flow to us through His Kingdom, His church, and His people--through family and friends--through worship and word and table--through prayer and fellowship.

Let us thank Him that our sins are forgiven, our hearts are cleansed, and our lives are made new through His sacrifice on our behalf.

Let us thank Him that He is the King of the Universe--not the powers of this world.
Let us demonstrate our gratitude not only through our words, or an annual holiday, but especially by our obedient submission to Him as King of our lives, King in our homes, and King of creation. Let everything in us and about us bow to His Lordship. Let us, with joy and gratitude anticipate His coming when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

Before you turn your attention next week to the Advent Season, do a couple of specific things to mark this day. You might make a list of your personal blessings because you belong to God’s Kingdom. Write a letter or make a phone call to someone who has been a model or mentor to your spiritual life. Think back over these weeks and make a list of items God has brought to your mind that need your attention. Write a prayer of praise to the King of the Universe.