Sermon for November 21, 2021 - Reign of Christ / Christ the King

GOSPEL: John 18:33-37

The holy gospel according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

33Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Today is Reign of Christ Sunday, 

also known as Christ the King Sunday.

I learned recently that it used to be called “Judgment Sunday”

and I was not surprised to learn

that church attendance would go down significantly

on Judgment Sunday. 

You mean people don’t want to be judged?

Weird. Who knew?

Yet we will be judged. 

All of us.

One day, we all will have to stand before our God,

stand before Jesus our King,

and be accountable for our lives; for our sin.

We should take this seriously,

but we also know that when we face our judgment;

it is with Christ our King at our side.

The one who lived,

died,

and rose for you,

is the same God who is a merciful and just judge,

gracious and loving.

Even the act of being judged by God

is an act of God’s love for you.

There is no justification without God’s judgment.

The focus now is less on Christ as judge,

and more on Christ’s reign. 

So what does Christ’s reign look like?

what does it mean to call Jesus our King?

When we talk about Kings or Queens or Monarchy today, 

it doesn't simply translate to the titles 

that Jesus and Pilate were talking about. 

We Canadians may recognize Queen Elizabeth as royalty, 

she is our monarch,

her face is on our money.

but her authority is limited here today. 

It seems power in Canada is more political and corporate. 

Arguably the President of the United States of America 

has more power in Canada’s day to day 

than our own Prime Minister, 

but we would say that 

the Prime Minister and US President, generally  

have more authority than our recognized monarch.

Yet, we live in the wake of Britain’s colonial empire,

We still recognize the same throne 

that saw fit to colonize,

to wage war, 

to conquer lands and people,

through lies and coercion,

in this land, 

and in many others. 

Today we are the Canadian mouse 

living beside the Elephant that is the US American Empire,

with its own corporate Lords and rulers.

The lines are blurred. 

With today’s context,

we could simply change the language 

and instead of saying “Christ is King” 

We could say 

“Christ is President, or Christ is Prime Minister” 

but even those titles miss the significance 

of how radical the claim is - 

Christ is King, Christ is Lord. 

The Roman empire was the backdrop 

for the New Testament. 

Many of the titles that we use for Jesus, 

such as: Lord, King, and Son of God, 

were Caesar’s titles. 

Caesar was called as Son of God, 

King, and Lord. 

Also significant is that Caesar 

would bring messages of Euangellion: 

messages of good news, 

proclaiming a gospel to the citizens,

in gatherings called ecclesias - churches. 

Roman citizenship was the most sought after citizenship, 

and we know what the Roman Empire did to people 

who were rebellious or insurrectionists 

against the empire. 

Jesus was not killed just because of 

the Jews dealing with Jesus’ blasphemy, 

Jesus was killed for three reasons:

Jesus was considered a blasphemer, 

a terrorist,

and a traitor. 

Jesus claimed to be God. 

this was a problem for the Jews.

They brought Jesus to Pilate,

the Roman ruler,

because this deserves death, they say.

But a terrorist and a traitor, you say?

Jesus claimed he would tear down the temple 

and rebuild it in 3 days. 

Jesus was talking about his body,

but news of the terrorist threat got around.

Jesus, arguably, told people not to pay taxes. 

If you consider the story of Jesus in the temple

being asked about paying taxes, 

Jesus asked for a coin and asked who’s face is on it.

Caesar, they said. 

But they were in the Temple, 

in the house of worship 

where God’s people acknowledge that 

all we have and all we are 

belongs to God in the first place. 

Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar,

Give to God what belongs to God.

Ultimately,

Jesus claimed there is an authority greater than Caesar,

a citizenship higher than Roman.

And Jesus is that King.

That was a threat.

Roman citizenship was the most sought after citizenship, 

but the radical, backwards claim that Jesus makes 

is that citizenship in Heaven is higher. 

Jesus is higher, Jesus is greater than Caesar, 

or any earthly ruler. 

It is not Caesar who brings us the good news - 

it is Jesus, our Lord, our King, the Son of God 

who really brings us Good News. 

Caesar’s church gatherings - the ecclesias

that’s not really life giving, 

real, life giving ecclesiastical - real church 

happens with Jesus. 

Our allegiance is not to the empire, 

our allegiance is to our God,

Caesar isn’t Lord, Jesus is Lord.

I think we lose the shock of this claim today.

When we confess Christ is King, Christ is Lord - 

we ought to remember that 

our God is a God of reversal. 

Christ is the backwards King, who says:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

the meek, those who mourn, 

those who are merciful and pure in heart, 

blessed are the peacemakers, 

and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. 

Christ is the backwards King

who, in baptism, calls you child of God,

We are one family in the Kin-dom of God.

Side note - I have found this practice life-giving,

There’s a movement lately,

when we see the word “Kingdom” 

with regards to Jesus, 

you remove the “G” - and I think “Kin-dom”

Jesus reigns as head of the household of faith,

we are kin, we are family in the kin-dom of God.

It’s backwards to think of a Kingdom as a family,

but Jesus is the backwards King,

the backwards Lord,

as Mary sings in the Magnificat:

Who brings down low and raises up. 

The Lord has scattered the proud 

in the thoughts of their hearts. 

The Lord has brought down the powerful 

from their thrones, 

and lifted up the lowly; 

the Lord has filled the hungry with good things, 

and sent the rich away empty. 

Jesus, the backwards King,

is not like earthly kings.

Jesus isn’t the king who travels with military force

looking to occupy lands.

Jesus travels light,

looking to occupy hearts with love and light.

Jesus isn’t the king who forces you to bend the knee

or face the sword,

Jesus isn’t the king who requires able bodied people

to take up weapons in defence of nation,

rather when we surrender to our God

we find our freedom,

and even when we surrender ourselves to Jesus,

we find the same King Jesus calls us friends,

washes our feet,

feeds us with grace.

Jesus isn’t the king who violently punishes those who

rebel agains the empire,

rather Jesus forgives, 

and by God’s Spirit,

God refines us, 

burns away those impurities in us

that cause us to choose empire over God,

expectations over neighbour,

success over love.

Jesus, our King, ushers in the Kin-dom of God,

the Kin-dom of Heaven in our midst.

We pray this every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer:

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven. 

God’s will is done, God’s Kin-dom comes

not with coercion, violence or threat,

rather with invitation,

with inclusion,

with welcome,

with blessing.

Christ our King,

is seated at the right hand of God,

but that does not mean that

Jesus is hanging out in the clouds, 

like a Philadelphia Cream Cheese commercial

To say that Christ sits at the right hand of God 

doesn’t mean Jesus is sitting on a throne light years away,

looking at us in the fishbowl, 

doing nothing for the past 2000 years.  

The right hand of God is everywhere; 

in creation,

in the gentle brook and the lightning crash,

in bread and wine, 

in water and Word,

in my pea soup,

in God’s people,

in you.

Jesus is alive and at work, 

not demanding allegiance and submission, 

but actually interceding for the people, 

listening to the people, 

responding to the people:

to you. 

Christ’s Kingdom is not from this world - 

yet we see glimpses of it. 

At this table,

at your kitchen table, 

where all are invited to share in Holy Communion. 

We see glimpses of Christ’s kin-dom 

when the oppressed receive justice, 

when the prisoner is set free, 

when the last are first and the first are last,

when the church witnesses to the truth, 

and that truth sets us free. 

We see glimpses of the kin-dom of God 

when we hear stories that fill us with wonder 

at God’s work in the world, 

when connection happens with the isolated,

when hope comes amidst despair,

when love wins.

May you confess with your lips and with your life

that Jesus is King.

May you know the truth that is Jesus the Christ,

and may that truth set you free.

And may you, my siblings in Christ,

find your place with your family in the Kin-dom of God.

Thanks be to God! Amen.