Christ, the King

John 18:33-37

Revelation 1:4-8

Rev. Stephen H. Wilkins

Georgetown Presbyterian Church

November 26, 2006

Today in the church year is designated as Christ the King Sunday. Whereas many observances during the church year, such as Pentecost or Advent, have their roots in centuries of biblical witness and tradition, Christ the King Sunday is a relatively new festival in the church year. Its roots go back only to the late 1800's, when the world's great empires--British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese--were all at war or about to go to war somewhere. The man who was the pope of the Roman Catholic Church at the time wrote a letter in which he dedicated the world to Christ the King. In the letter, he reminded the world empires that God is present with the whole human race, even with those who do not know God.

After World War I, another pope designated the last Sunday in October as Christ the King Sunday, a day to remember that Christ received power and honor from God and was thereby made ruler of the universe. Eventually, Catholics and Protestants alike moved Christ the King Sunday to the last Sunday of the church year.

The truth is, whether we acknowledge it or not, Christ is King. As Pilate questions Jesus, Jesus confirms his kingdom, though he does say that his kingdom is not of this world. Our reading from Revelation reminds us that Jesus is the king of all the rulers of the world; and that’s a theme that is repeated throughout the book of Revelation.

It’s not a celebration on the last Sunday of the liturgical year that makes Jesus Christ the King. Christ is King, regardless of whether or not we have a Christ the King Sunday. The only question really to be answered is, Do you accept Christ as King?

Certainly Pilate does not accept Jesus as King. Pilate cannot in any way imagine that this Jewish carpenter could possibly be a king. After the trial, Pilate will have a plaque hung on Jesus’ cross with the inscription, King of the Jews; it is hung not in recognition of Christ’s kingdom, but in mockery of any claim to royalty. Jesus is given a crown; it is not a crown made of gold and precious jewels, but a crown of thorns. Pilate, and millions others along with him throughout history, reject the notion of Christ the King.

Yet we say with conviction that Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. The language of the church is replete with the language of the royalty of Christ. Our hymns are filled with lines like, "Crown him with many crowns...", or "All hail the power of Jesus’ name...", or "Come, Christians join to sing, loud praise to Christ our King...", or "Rejoice! The Lord is King!"

It is so much a part of our vocabulary and liturgy, I wonder if we really think about what it means when we say that Christ is King? What images come to mind for you when you think of Christ as King? For me, there are two words that inform the way that Christ is known as King. For me, those two words are "power" and "authority". Those words, though similar, have polar opposite implications about the kind of kingdom over which Christ reigns.

The first word is "power." For many, it is impossible to separate the notion of kingdom from the notion of power. Throughout history, most kings have been kings because they wielded the power. Certainly, Pilate would have thought of kingship in terms of power, for the Roman emperor was the most powerful man in the world. The disciples, and even the Jews who were awaiting the Messiah, were guilty of thinking in terms of power, as well, for their dream of a Messiah included a warrior king who would come in power and might to deliver the people of Israel.

But time and again Jesus dispelled the notion that his kingdom was about power or might, at least in the way that we want to use power and might. The truth is, every time that the world has sought to impose the kingship of Christ by power and might, it has had disastrous consequences. Every time the kingdom of Christ has been equated with the political powers of the state, the Church has tended to go astray. You see, the state has power, and when the state stakes a claim on Christ, it equates the kingdom of Christ with power.

Power is about force. Power is about exercising might and strength over others. It is a dangerous thing to equate the kingdom of Christ with power. We must beware of those people on earth who have power and who claim to know the mind of God and are prepared to use force to make others conform. That’s not what the kingdom of Christ is about.

Christ is King, but "power" is the wrong word to describe his kingdom.

The better word is "authority." Where power is a matter of force, of might and strength, authority is a matter of the heart, a matter of the will. One can have power, but have no authority. Saddam Hussein had power. He ruled with an iron fist. It was fear that kept him in power. If people were loyal to him, it was because they were afraid of what would happen if they weren’t loyal. The Iraqi people did not have a choice as to who would rule them; their ruler was imposed upon them by power. In the pure sense of the word, Saddam Hussein did not have authority in the hearts of the people he ruled.

But you and I do have a choice as to whether or not Jesus will rule in our lives. And because we have a choice, then Christ becomes king, not on the basis of power, but because of the authority that we choose to ascribe to him.

Authority arises from within. Authority lies in our hearts. Authority is not something that is imposed upon us, though sometimes we use the word in that way. The truth is, authority is something that we recognize out of awe and respect. We give authority to those to whom we willfully submit, out of reverence and respect and even love.

In a recent issue of The Christian Century magazine, there were two articles that, when juxtaposed, show the difference between a realm where people would have Christ rule by power, and a people where Christ rules with authority.

The first article was about a movement that has been sweeping across the nation for years, and that is the movement of the religious right to make America a Christian nation. Certainly we would like for the people of America to embrace the gospel of Christ. Indeed, we long for the day when all the people of the world will bend their knees and confess with their lips that Jesus Christ is Lord. Yet the goal of the movement described in the article is to Christianize, if you will, our nation through legislation, and through the election to office of conservative Christian politicians. In other words, the goal is to impose through the power of the law the Christian faith on all the people of America.

Don’t you see what’s wrong with that agenda? In essence, the goal is to make Christ the king (though we would say President), and that is a noble goal. The means to that goal, however, is power. The people behind the "Christianization" movement assume that political power is an unmitigated good when used by the right people; only, you know and I know that the history of the human race testifies over and again to the dangers of power.

My friends, if Christ is to be King, it will not be from the halls of congress or any other political entity that he will rule; rather, he will--he must--rule in our hearts. And no piece of legislation drafted by the hand of mortals will ever be able to accomplish that.

The second article was about the recent shooting at the Amish school in Pennsylvania. The article told about how, after the Amish buried their own children, the grieving families attended the October 7 burial of the 32-year-old non-Amish killer. The Amish families even helped establish a fund for the killer’s family. Our nation was astonished at the forgiveness that the Amish community extended so quickly and completely.

The Amish take the life and teachings of Jesus seriously. They are more interested in living in the way of Jesus than they are about arguing over the complexities of religious doctrines. Christ is King in that community, because Christ has authority in their lives. It is with authority that is rooted and grounded in the love of Jesus that Christ rules in that community.

In just a few moments we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. As we gather around the table, I encourage you to remember that the One who invites us is the very One who relinquished his divine power for the higher end of redemption. It is a reminder that Christ would rule in our hearts, not by power, but by the authority that we willingly ascribe to him out of reverence and gratitude for his sacrificial love.

My friends, Jesus Christ is King. The question is, in what manner does he rule in your life? Does he rule by power, or by authority?