Printer Friendly Version
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.
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.
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).
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).
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).
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).
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.
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.
