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.

Christ the King

Thought for the parish pew slip – 22/11/09 – Christ the King

Readings: Daniel 7: 9-10 & 13-14 Revelation 1: 4b-8 John 18: 33- 37


At the feast of Christ the King we celebrate our confidence that one day Christ will come to rule as king, with great power, glory and splendour.
Our Old Testament reading describes part of a vision of Daniel in which he sees God the father giving kingship to Jesus. Daniel experienced this vision in the 6th century BC during the Jewish exile in Babylon; a real low point in Jewish history.
The book of Revelation describes St John’s visions of the end times. These have many parallels with the visions that Daniel had had six centuries earlier. Like Daniel, John sees a king of kings, coming on the clouds with great glory and dominion.
Our gospel reading is part of the trial of Jesus in front of Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate is struggling to understand the kingship of Jesus. Later (John 18: 19-22) Pilate has an inscription displayed on Jesus’ cross. It says, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. The chief priests object to this, but Pilate refuses to change it.

Christ the King

Thought for parish pew slip – Sunday 23rd November 2008
Christ the King – Year A

Readings: Ezekiel 34: 11-16 & 20-24 Ephesians 1: 15-23 Matthew 25: 31-46

While God’s people Israel are suffering during their terrible exile in Babylon in the 6th Century BC, the prophet Ezekiel speaks to them with a message of hope. He tells of a time when God himself will come to shepherd his flock, the people of Israel, and to gather them together once again in their own land. God will judge between sheep and sheep, and David will rule over them. Christians see this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus who is the Good Shepherd, the Son of God and a descendent of David.
In our reading from Ephesians, Paul emphasises the great hope to which God calls us; the riches of a glorious inheritance and the immeasurable greatness of God’s power. This power was put to work in Christ who is now high above all power and dominion.
In our gospel reading Jesus tells us about the final judgement to take place at the end of time. We will be judged according to how well we have treated Jesus present in the people around us. Have we helped the people around us in practical ways, seeking their good, or have we ignored them, thinking only of ourselves?