Reign of Christ (Christ the King)

Luke 23:33-43
Colossians 1:11-20

Today is the festival of Christ the King or the Reign of Christ, a feast established by the Catholic Church in 1925 to witness against the increasing secularism of that age, and in defiance of the rising fascism of Italy’s Mussolini. And it is the eve of a new year in the Church. Next Sunday, Advent begins, but for the last six months we have been in the long green season of ordinary time, when we have watched as Jesus and the disciples traveled to Jerusalem, and now they are there and the predictions he has made about the Son of Man (Luke 9:21-22; Luke 9:43-45; Luke 18:31-34) are coming true.

And instead of a triumphant parade, noisemakers or fireworks, today we are watching as Jesus is stripped, beaten and executed. Luke tells us that, during his crucifixion, Jesus was mocked and above his head the soldiers hung a sign that said, “the King of the Jews.”

So this morning we celebrate that Jesus is our Lord and King, even as we find ourselves in a Good Friday world where nothing is what we expect it to be.

Thankfully we know what happens next. We know that evil does not win because Jesus defeats death in the resurrection. But we cannot forget this scene. We cannot follow Jesus in life unless we die at the cross with Him and are given a new life of the Spirit. (Romans 7:6)

So with this in mind, let’s return to Paul’s letter to the Colossians. These were believers in what is modern-day Turkey, and Paul wrote to them during a period of his imprisonment in Rome. Paul’s language praises of God declaring in verse 13 that we have been rescued and transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. For Paul, becoming a Christian meant moving to a new home where “nothing is as we have known it.” [i]

For all of us who have moved from one place to another, you probably remember the goodbyes that made it hard, cherish sweet memories and perhaps you even hold onto a wistfulness for the places you left. But then, in each new place, a new community invites you to learn what makes it special, who your neighbors are and where you fit in. And you begin to call the new place “home.”

I still remember the first time I ate at Red Bridges with the call committee and how I learned about Kings Road from the Lamberts when we moved into our house. Finding a place to call home is often about small things that make you less of an outsider.

As Christians, we are invited to make our home with God: to learn new rhythms and language, and discover who God is through Scripture and music, study and prayer.

You wouldn’t move into a new neighborhood and continue to live exactly as you did someplace else. Just going out your front door would force you to do things differently, let alone food shopping or visiting a new school, bank or pharmacy. In the same way, God invites us to explore and discover the kingdom of God, with a holy curiosity and an eager anticipation for where God will appear.

And there is room here for any of you who have never moved. Maybe you think you know all the insider language and shortcuts; there’s nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) You’ve known the traditions and words of the liturgy, the Bible stories and the hymns for as long as you can remember. But you are invited to participate in this kingdom life as if it were brand new to you.

Paul’s letter continues with the verses known as the Christ Hymn, verses that reverberate with praise for the Lord of all that exists, and declare the promise that “in him all things hold together…in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile himself to all things.” (Colossians 1:17,19-20) Whenever the world feels too small or too broken, Paul reminds us that there is a fullness in Christ that is ours to experience as we make our home with God.

As we go into the new Church year and the new season of Advent, may we all be curious and explore that fullness that is available to us. Maybe there are parts of Christian tradition we haven’t experienced before, whether that’s reading the Bible in a different translation from the one that is familiar to you, experiencing the Blue Christmas worship that will happen later in December at the Episcopal Church, or listening to the music at the community Thanksgiving worship here on Tuesday night. Maybe it’s a new prayer practice you haven’t tried before, like midweek morning prayer or contemplative silence. Let’s open our ears, our eyes and our hearts to the new thing that God is doing.

Let us pray…
Merciful God,
Thank you for coming to us in the fullness of Your Son Jesus, our Lord and King. You rescued us from sin and evil and redeemed us. You moved us into the kingdom of the Son of God where we are given a new life of the Spirit. By your Spirit encourage us in faith to make a new home in Your love. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[i] David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor. Feasting on the Word: Year C, Volume 4: Season after Pentecost 2 (Propers 17-Reign of Christ) (Kindle Location 11629). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.