The Gospel reading:
John 18:33-40
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
34 "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"
35 "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
36 Jesus said, "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."
37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.
39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ’the king of the Jews’?"
40 They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
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DC/NC 26-11-06
Advent begins next week and so today – the Feast of Christ the King - is the last Festival in the Church’s year.
It is particularly fitting that we begin the Church’s year - by reflecting on Jesus’ coming to earth 2000 years ago. Then he left the absolute power of his Eternal Kingship behind.
And at the end the Church’s year we remember that he has taken up again that absolute power of his everlasting Kingship.
“Christ the King” Sunday is a fairly recent festival. It was started by Pope Pius XI - when he published his encyclical on 11th December 1925.
The celebration of Christ the King grew out of Pope Pius’ concern at the the rise of atheistic Communism and Secularism.
He saw this as the direct result of man’s turning away from Christ’s sovereignty, and man’s
denying of the authority of Christ’s Church.
And so he wanted a festival where we
remembered that Jesus really is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In Jesus’ day, kings were absolute rulers.
They got into power – not by democratic means - but by physical conquest.
They would invade other countries by force and subjugate the population.
In contrast, Jesus did not wage war against nations but rather against sin, death, and the power of the Devil.
In our Gospel reading this morning Jesus, standing before Pilate at his trial said this:
"You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
When Pilate heard it – I think he was stunned.
It was prima facie an admission of sedition which was punishable by crucifixion.
Why – because Caesar was the only king that the
Roman Empire would countenance.
If anyone else had said this – I expect Pilate would have dismissed them as mad.
But there was something about Jesus that made Him seem plausible.
When Pilate replied “What is truth?” - I wonder if he recognised the truth in Jesus.
Perhaps he contrasted that in his mind with what the Jewish religious leaders represented - which was “anything else but the truth”
So what is this kingship of Jesus has:
One Pentecostal black preacher summed Jesus’ kingship up like this.
He said this:
"The Bible says my king is a 7-way king.
He is the king of the Jews - that’s a racial king. He is the king of Israel - that’s a national king.
He is the king of righteousness.
He is the king of the ages.
He is the king of heaven.
He is the king of glory.
He is the king of kings, and
He is lord of lords.
That’s my king.
"Well, I wonder. Do you know Him?
David said, `The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.’
My king is a sovereign king.
No means of measure can define His limitless love. No far reaching telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of his shoreless supplies.
"No barrier can hinder His blessings.
He is everlastingly strong.
He is entirely sincere.
He is eternally steadfast.
He is empirically powerful.
He is impartially merciful.
"Do you know him? I wonder if you know Him.
He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of the world.
He’s God’s Son.
He’s the sinner’s saviour.
He’s the centrepiece of civilization.
He stands in the solitude of Himself.
"He is august & unique.
He is unparalleled & unprecedented.
He is the loftiest ideal of literature.
He is the highest personality of philosophy.
He is the miracle of the ages.
Yes He is, yes He is.
"I wonder if you know Him today?
He sympathizes & He saves.
He strategies & sustains.
He guards & guides.
He heals the sick & cleanses the leper.
He forgives the sinner.
"He delivers the captive.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged, &
He rewards the diligent.
"I wonder if you know Him today?
Well, this is my King.
He is the King.
He is the king of knowledge.
He is the well-spring of wisdom.
He is the doorway to deliverance.
He is the pathway to peace.
He is the roadway to righteousness.
He is the highway to holiness.
He is the gateway to glory.
"Do you know Him?
Well, I want you to know Him today.
His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His life is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteousness.
His yoke is easy.
His burden is light.
"I wish I could describe Him to you but He is indescribable.
He is incomprehensible.
He is invincible.
He is irresistible.
W
ell, you can’t get Him out of your mind, & you can’t get Him off of your hands, & you can’t outlive Him, & you can’t live without Him.
"The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilate couldn’t find fault in Him,
And Herod couldn’t kill Him,
And death couldn’t handle Him,
And the grave couldn’t hold Him.
That’s my King.
"And thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever and ever and ever.
And how long is that?
Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever all the forever’s, amen and amen and amen. That’s my King!
The preacher continued
I wonder if you know Him today.
To the baker He is the bread of life.
To the jeweller He is riches untold.
To the florist He is the rose of Sharon.
To the Christian He is Lord & Saviour,
And to the sinner He is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.” (End of quote)
If this is true – and I believe it is – then there is a consequence. St Paul summed it up well when he wrote this the Roman Christians
Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom 12:12)
For the Christian – Jesus is not an abstract historical figure. He rose again from the dead
And He demands of us a response.
If we choose to follow Him all the days of our life, he offers us eternal life.
That is the truth of the matter.
We are called – not to assent to a set of intellectual propositions.
We are called to live the Christian life –as the modern idiom puts it - 24/7.
I find that hard – I find that a challenge.
But it is THE challenge that I find on the pages of Scripture – however unpalatable that might be to me at times.
“What is Truth?” Pilate asked.
Jesus said: “I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6).
