Christ the King

Sermon preached on Sunday 21st November 2010 at the 11am Parish Eucharist at St Mary the Virgin, Lapworth. Other versions of this sermon were preached at the 8.30am Said Eucharist and at the 9.45am Holy Communion (BCP) at St Michael’s, Baddesley Clinton.
Christ the King – Year C
Readings: Col 1: 11-20 Luke 23: 33-43


I was recently producing a new service booklet for a “Family Eucharist” with David and Mal Suggitt. One of the things that tried to do was to find small and appropriate illustrations to put against each section of the service. So by the Scripture Reading we put a picture of the bible, and by the Peace we put a picture of a Dove. When I looked at the first draft of the service book I was very interested in the picture that David and Mal had selected to put next to the Gloria. Now we are all very familiar with the Gloria, which is a hymn of praise to God in his glory: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth”. The Gloria is especially appropriate for the festival of Christ the King because it emphasises the glory of Jesus, seated at the right hand of God the Father; “You alone are the Holy One. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the most high, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the Glory of God the Father.”
Now the picture that the Suggitts had placed next to this was a picture of Christ on the Cross. It is a picture in which Christ’s body seems to radiate glory, but it is nevertheless a picture of him dying on the cross. Look out for it when we next have a Family Eucharist. The next one is coming up with Epiphany on 2nd January. Now it does seem to be a very strange way of celebrating the glory of Christ: to depict him dying on the cross. Strange it may be, but it is a choice that resonates deeply with the tradition of the church.
So, for example, we see something of that strange contrast in the choice of our scripture reading for today in this year C of the lectionary. Today is the last Sunday of the Church’s year. We think about Christ in his triumph at the end of time. We celebrate Christ the King, Christ in his Glory, Christ in whom all things hold together, who comes to have first place in everything (as our epistle put it). And yet the gospel reading is the story of the crucifixion! The crucifixion! Not so much a moment of glory and a moment of pain and insult, shame and disaster.
But if we look carefully at our gospel reading, beyond the crucifixion, there are clear pointers to Christ the King, to Christ in his glory….

[From this point, bullet points only]

Reference to Jesus as “King of the Jews”
- reminder of Pilate’s questions to Jesus during his trial (John 18: 33-38)
- “my kingdom is not of this world” (or not yet anyway!)

Penitent thief’s comment “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom”
- Jesus responds positively seeming to affirm his kingdom in heaven

In John’s gospel (12: 23-28) Jesus talks of the hour of his crucifixion and his glory as though they are almost the same thing. Certainly they are closely linked. The crucifixion leads to the glory.

I recently saw an old film from VE day – 1945. A triumph was achieved. There was great joy and women from London were dancing in the streets. It seemed a very purified joy, without the negative aspects of triumphalism, that seeks to dominate others.
Purified no doubt by the sufferings of the blitz and losing sons/husbands/sweethearts through the war.

Close link between suffering and glory gives us hope to us in our own trials and sufferings – be they small or large
- we try to live them with Christ, like Christ on the cross
- we shall also be with Christ in his glory
- New Testament frequently links suffering to glory
o Rom 8: 17-18, 2 Cor 4: 16-17, Col 3: 3-4, Heb 2: 9-10, 1 Pet 5:10
- We are called to share in the glory of Jesus – share his throne Rev 3:21

So we try to live our sufferings well, with love for Jesus in the moment of his sufferings.
We have a special opportunity in the Eucharist
- where we celebrate Jesus’ death and rising to glory
- bring to the Eucharist our sufferings small and large
- through the Eucharist share them with Jesus in his passion
- Jesus then shares with us his life, his body and blood

So commend to you sharing with Christ in his sufferings and in the glory of his kingship, especially through the Eucharist.