Christ The King
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
On this last Sunday of the church year, the church proclaims with the Gospel of the Day, that the crucified Christ is the King, not only of the Jews, but of the whole wide world. He died to save all people from their sin and from death; he was born a human being whose destiny was to be death and resurrection! The week of his passion and death began with a similar cry from all of those who greeted him as the Messiah/King (John's gospel says, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel,"), when he entered the Holy City, Jerusalem, fulfilling the ancient prophecy, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold your king is coming, sitting on an ass's colt!" That prophecy came up in the part of his trial before Pilate, when his enemies accused him of claiming to be the "king of the Jews." Interestingly, it was Pilate who really did not know what he was doing, or what it meant, when he ordered the sign put above his head, "This is the King of the Jews." He did not know the validity of what he said or that his sign was an understatement of God's truth; Jesus is the King of heaven and of earth and he will reign until "he has put all enemies under his feet." He is busy defeating evil as it exists in his world.
Christ the King Sunday is also a festival that marks the reality of Jesus' resurrection and his ascension, which completes the resurrection and is the beginning of his reign over heaven and earth. That reign is to continue until he comes again at the end time, according to God's decree. So, Christ the King Sunday is also an announcement of the parousia, his promised return to usher in the fullness of the kingdom of God. The church year ends on this note and prepares the faithful for the First Sunday of Advent, not simply as the beginning of the new church year, but with a call to anticipate and prepare for Jesus' return and reign over all of the earth and to pray, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!"
The Prayer Of The Day
Again, the collects in The Book Of Common Prayer and The Lutheran Book Of Worship are quite similar; both obviously originated from the same source. This is the Prayer of the Day in the LBW, which was written for the revised lectionary and church year: "Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things to your beloved Son, whom you anointed priest forever and king of all creation: Grant that all the people of the earth, now divided by the power of sin, may be united under the glorious and gentle rule of your Son, Jesus Christ our lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."
The collect from The Book Of Common Prayer differs at several points (restore "in" rather than "to" alters the meaning of the petition somewhat): "Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 46 (E) - The Lutheran Book Of Worship appoints this psalm for the festival of the Reformation, annually. Luther's love of this psalm prompted him to write his hymn, "A mighty fortress is our God," which has been widely acclaimed and employed in various worship services. Recently, I heard a Roman Catholic radio program introduced with the use of this hymn. In many respects, it does speak to the situation of the whole church in the world, which is under attack from the forces of secularism, materialism and indifference. When combined with "a mighty fortress," it is often used as a preaching text for Reformation Sunday.
Psalm 95:1-7a (L) - As the familiar Venite, this psalm finds use in the liturgies of the church.
Psalm 122:1-5 (RC) - As another of the Pilgrimate Psalms, this song was sung daily by the pilgrims as they made their way to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, and repeated when they entered the gates of the city. It is a psalm of expectation and excitement; the pilgrims anticipate the glorious festival of their release and exodus from Egypt to the land that God had prepared for them. Jerusalem is the city of unity for all people of God, and the psalm has an eschatological note built into it. As employed in the Christian church, the psalm looks to the day when all people will be gathered together in the heavenly Jerusalem in Jesus Christ. There will be a final assembly of all "tribes" and people in that "city" - and before the throne of the Lord.
Psalm prayer (122 - LBW) - "Lord Jesus, give us the peace of the new Jerusalem. Bring all nations into your kingdom to share your gifts, that they may render thanks to you without end and may come to your eternal city, where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever."
The Readings
2 Samuel 5:1-3 (RC); 5:1-5 (C) - David was divinely called and appointed to be king over Israel, replacing Saul as God's anointed ruler over his people. David has always been seen as the ideal king, despite his shortcomings and sin, a type of king reflected in the person of Jesus Christ; he belonged to the people - "we are your bone and flesh" - and he, as king, was a shepherd to the people. The church is able to declare, too, "we are your bone and flesh," because it is the body of Jesus Christ here on earth, and the risen Lord is the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep and took it up again in his glorious resurrection thereby becoming the Good Shepherd/King forever. King David reigned seven years at Hebron and 33 years at Jerusalem - 40 years altogether - but Jesus will reign as Lord and King and Good Shepherd for all time and eternity.
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (E); 23:2-6 (L) - This reading points to the contrast between the shepherd/kings of Judah, who "destroy and scatter the sheep" of God's "pasture," and the good shepherds, who will really care for the sheep. Jeremiah was speaking a word of prophecy, as well as condemnation, toward the end of the reign of Zedekiah preceding the exile, and anticipating the emergence and rise of "a righteous Branch" for David, the ideal king/shepherd of Judah and Israel. This shepherd, according to Jeremiah, would be called, "The Lord is righteous." The connection to the Gospel for the Day is located in the observation that Mark attributes to Jesus' concern for the people who followed him and the disciples into that "lonely place:" they were "like sheep without a shepherd." Then and there, he became that Good Shepherd of the sheep. It is the latter part of the reading that demands to be proclaimed on Christ the King Sunday - "Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." The Jews hoped for a Messiah/King, who would restore their political fortunes in the world, but the Christian church has interpreted this as an anticipation of the coming and reign of Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Shepherd of the sheep.
Colossians 1:11-20 (E, C); 1:12-20 (RC); 1:13-20 (L) - The setting of this reading has every appearance of being baptismal in nature; it speaks, at the beginning, of what happens in baptism: We are "delivered from the dominion of darkness" and also, "transferred ... to the kingdom of his (God's) beloved Son." Verses 15-20 are an early hymn of the church, possibly connected to the sacrament of baptism, but positively christological in nature; they speak of the work of Jesus in creation and, also, in redemption and reconciliation. His kingdom embraces the entire world and all people; it is cosmological, at once, and redemptive, as well. In the cross, he not only redeemed the world, but he also made peace between God and humanity, effecting reconciliation between the Father and his children and every one and every thing in the world. The very "fullness of God" dwelt in him.
Luke 23:35-42 (RC, E, L) - In this gospel, Jesus Christ is declared to be a king, the "King of the Jews," by Pontius Pilate's sign that was fastened to Jesus' cross. Pilate never really believed that Jesus had done anything worthy of crucifixion, and he only gave in to the demands of the religious leaders to keep the peace, so ordering that the placard with "King of the Jews" on it was a way of getting back at them for the pressure they put on him. As far as he was concerned, they wanted their own "king" executed and he simply obliged them, reluctantly. That the sign should bring immediate reaction from the crowd was inevitable; some would mock him, the religious would complain to Pilate, asking him to have the sign removed, and even the two criminals who were crucified with him reacted - one cursed him, but the other believed and asked for his blessing. In the plea of the second condemned man, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom," the real nature of Jesus' "kingship" is revealed; he is more than the King of the Jews; he is the King of all kings, whose domain extends over death as well as life. And Jesus' response supports the penitent thief's insight, for he grants him absolution and the promise of life in the place prepared for the righteous after they die. By his actions and the words he spoke on the cross, Jesus proved himself to be the king of heaven and earth, able and willing to begin his reign as the Lord's Anointed One. It is on the cross that he claims his kingdom and begins his reign that will never end. Christ 's coronation took place on Calvary's Cross!
John 12:9-19 (C) - The Common lectionary opts for the use of the Palm Sunday gospel as the public recognition that Jesus Christ is the King of Israel, the promised Messiah of the Jews, who "comes in the name of the Lord." John says that the disciples didn't understand the event until after his resurrection, and that the crowds reacted as they did because they had heard that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. He was more than a magician to them, a prophet, perhaps, and, maybe, the Messiah, so they greeted him as Messiah/King, who would restore the political fortunes of Israel. In this picture of a temporary triumph, it is obvious that the people really didn't know what they were saying or doing; Jesus was, and is, the Messiah and the king promised to the people by God. It is a preview of what was to come at the cross and the empty tomb. The man who entered Jerusalem was, indeed, Christ the King, who was crowned when he was crucified.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 23:35-43 (RC, E, L) - "Christ - King Of The Cross." - The late William Barclay, popular Scottish teacher and preacher, describes in his book, Crucified And Crowned, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. After he was condemned by Pilate, his execution followed a familiar pattern. He was scourged - whipped almost to death - and handed over to the soldiers, who mocked him, gave him a reed for a sceptre, put an old purple robe on him, and made a crown of thorns which they put on his head. Barclay wrote: "Then there began the procession to Calvary. It always followed the same pattern. The criminal was placed in the centre of a hollow square of four Roman soldiers; in front there walked a herald carrying a board whitened with gypsum with the charge painted in black letters upon it. In the case of Jesus it read: "This is Jesus, King of the Jews." ... According to John, it was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, so that all could read it [John 19:20]; and it was later to be affixed to Jesus' cross. The criminal was taken to the place of execution by the longest possible way, by the busiest streets, and through as many of them as possible, so that he might be a dreadful warning to any other who might be contemplating some crime; and, as he went, he was lashed and goaded on his way." He was also compelled to carry his cross or, at least, part of it. That's how it was when Jesus was condemned by Pilate, beaten, mocked, and driven out to be crucified.
1. From his perspective, Pilate knew exactly what he was doing when he ordered the sign that was put on the cross of Christ, "This is the King of the Jews." It was something that he had to do; it announced the crime of the victim to the community. Roman practice demanded that the person's crime should be displayed. And all of Jerusalem saw this sign, which was sacrilege to some, ridiculous to others but more than an announcement because it was a warning to all people not to challenge the authority of Caesar. So, reluctant though he was to crucify Jesus, Pilate made the most of the situation and was, in effect, making a move to stop any insurrection or rebellion against Rome and Caesar.
2. But there was no way that Pilate could know what he really was doing when he had the sign prepared, carried at the head of the procession, and nailed to the cross. He was not simply announcing a crime; he was crowning the King of kings, carrying out the strangest coronation that the world has ever witnessed, a coronation orchestrated and choreographed by God himself. Actually, the statement on the sign was an understatement; Jesus was not simply the King of the Jews, the Messiah they had longed and waited for; he was - is - the King of heaven and earth, the King of kings, but Pilate had no way of knowing that. We do!
3. Oddly enough, it was a condemned criminal who recognized the nature of Jesus' reign and the dimensions of his kingdom. The one criminal was like all the others; he cursed and called upon Christ - if he were the Christ - to save him from a slow death. He was positive that Jesus was helpless; nailed to a cross, he couldn 't do anything, could he? But the other criminal was a man, also in desperate pain, but a man of faith, and he really knew what the sign meant, calling out, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom !" For him, Jesus was the King of kings and the Lord of lords and the key to everlasting life.
4. That's the Christ whom we remember and celebrate today - the Christ who was really crowned King on the cross. And we can pray with even greater confidence than the penitent thief, "Jesus, remember me ...," because we know how the story of Jesus' crucifixion turned out. With the crown still on his head, the risen Lord is forever Christ the King.
When I was serving my first parish in Pennsylvania, a pastor friend built a church building and had a special crucifix designed for it; it was a Christus Victor cross, which saw Jesus superimposed upon a cross. He was vested in appropriate robes, and had a golden crown - not a crown of thorns - upon his head. The nail holes were in his hands and feet, but the spear wound, of course, could not be seen. He died as "the King of the Jews" on the cross, but became the King of the whole universe, wearing a crown of gold instead of thorns, in his resurrection. That cross proclaimed that Jesus is Christ the King.
John 12:9-19 (C) - "The Royal Welcome."
1. Jesus received a royal welcome from the Jews when he entered Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday. They welcomed him as the Messiah and "the King of Israel."
2. The disciples were dumb-founded, and did not understand what was going on even though Jesus had told them what would happen to him in Jerusalem.
3. But the people who greeted Jesus knew what they were up to; they wanted to see him do even greater feats than he had when he raised Lazarus. Couldn't their King use his power to bring down and drive out the hated Romans?
4. They were right, however, in calling him their king, although they couldn't give him a crown and a thorn that day. Pilate killed their king on Good Friday, but God raised him up and Jesus is indeed Christ the King of all!
2 Samuel 5:1-3 (RC); 5:1-5 (C) - "The Shepherd Who Became King."
1. God picked a humble shepherd in David to become King of Israel and a model for earthly kings. A shepherd/king rules and cares for his people (as the shepherd tends his flocks).
2. Jesus came to become a shepherd, the Good Shepherd, who would lay down his life for his sheep.
3. God sent him as Messiah, Savior of the world, and he received his crown when he was nailed to the cross of Calvary.
4. Jesus, not David, is Christ the King and that good news has been told to the world ever since his resurrection.
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (E); 23:2-6 (L) - "Prophecy And A Promise."
1. Times were difficult when Jeremiah engaged in his ministry, and the worst thing of all was the corruption of the "shepherds," the rulers and religious leaders of the Jews.
2. Through the prophet, God promised a new day and a "righteous" king, who would be both wise and just and who would love and care for the people.
3. The role of this king was to save God's people and establish peace and justice in the world. He would be known as "the Lord is our righteousness."
4. That prophecy and promise found fulfillment in Jesus the Christ. He is that king - Christ is King, the Promised One of God.
Colossians 1:11-20 (E, C); 1:12-20 (RC); 1:13-20 (L) - "The Kingdom Of Light."
1. In his little book, Baptism, Martin Marty's first words are, "It is dark." Then he describes what baptism might have been like in a cistern beneath the city, which is about to come to life at dawn. He suggests what the baptisms might have been like by drawing on "the apostolic tradition of Hippolytus." As the people are baptized, he writes: "Warily they step into the water and come out, dressing again in the now brightening glow of candles and torches."
2. Paul not only told the Colossians, but also the Ephesian Christians, that they, through baptism, had been "delivered from the dominion of darkness and transferred ... to the kingdom of his beloved Son ..." He gave Jesus the kingdom of light, and we belong to it through baptism.
3. So, today, we celebrate Christ's reign over the kingdom of light and thank God that we have been made citizens of that eternal kingdom over which Jesus rules forever.
On this last Sunday of the church year, the church proclaims with the Gospel of the Day, that the crucified Christ is the King, not only of the Jews, but of the whole wide world. He died to save all people from their sin and from death; he was born a human being whose destiny was to be death and resurrection! The week of his passion and death began with a similar cry from all of those who greeted him as the Messiah/King (John's gospel says, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel,"), when he entered the Holy City, Jerusalem, fulfilling the ancient prophecy, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold your king is coming, sitting on an ass's colt!" That prophecy came up in the part of his trial before Pilate, when his enemies accused him of claiming to be the "king of the Jews." Interestingly, it was Pilate who really did not know what he was doing, or what it meant, when he ordered the sign put above his head, "This is the King of the Jews." He did not know the validity of what he said or that his sign was an understatement of God's truth; Jesus is the King of heaven and of earth and he will reign until "he has put all enemies under his feet." He is busy defeating evil as it exists in his world.
Christ the King Sunday is also a festival that marks the reality of Jesus' resurrection and his ascension, which completes the resurrection and is the beginning of his reign over heaven and earth. That reign is to continue until he comes again at the end time, according to God's decree. So, Christ the King Sunday is also an announcement of the parousia, his promised return to usher in the fullness of the kingdom of God. The church year ends on this note and prepares the faithful for the First Sunday of Advent, not simply as the beginning of the new church year, but with a call to anticipate and prepare for Jesus' return and reign over all of the earth and to pray, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!"
The Prayer Of The Day
Again, the collects in The Book Of Common Prayer and The Lutheran Book Of Worship are quite similar; both obviously originated from the same source. This is the Prayer of the Day in the LBW, which was written for the revised lectionary and church year: "Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things to your beloved Son, whom you anointed priest forever and king of all creation: Grant that all the people of the earth, now divided by the power of sin, may be united under the glorious and gentle rule of your Son, Jesus Christ our lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."
The collect from The Book Of Common Prayer differs at several points (restore "in" rather than "to" alters the meaning of the petition somewhat): "Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 46 (E) - The Lutheran Book Of Worship appoints this psalm for the festival of the Reformation, annually. Luther's love of this psalm prompted him to write his hymn, "A mighty fortress is our God," which has been widely acclaimed and employed in various worship services. Recently, I heard a Roman Catholic radio program introduced with the use of this hymn. In many respects, it does speak to the situation of the whole church in the world, which is under attack from the forces of secularism, materialism and indifference. When combined with "a mighty fortress," it is often used as a preaching text for Reformation Sunday.
Psalm 95:1-7a (L) - As the familiar Venite, this psalm finds use in the liturgies of the church.
Psalm 122:1-5 (RC) - As another of the Pilgrimate Psalms, this song was sung daily by the pilgrims as they made their way to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, and repeated when they entered the gates of the city. It is a psalm of expectation and excitement; the pilgrims anticipate the glorious festival of their release and exodus from Egypt to the land that God had prepared for them. Jerusalem is the city of unity for all people of God, and the psalm has an eschatological note built into it. As employed in the Christian church, the psalm looks to the day when all people will be gathered together in the heavenly Jerusalem in Jesus Christ. There will be a final assembly of all "tribes" and people in that "city" - and before the throne of the Lord.
Psalm prayer (122 - LBW) - "Lord Jesus, give us the peace of the new Jerusalem. Bring all nations into your kingdom to share your gifts, that they may render thanks to you without end and may come to your eternal city, where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever."
The Readings
2 Samuel 5:1-3 (RC); 5:1-5 (C) - David was divinely called and appointed to be king over Israel, replacing Saul as God's anointed ruler over his people. David has always been seen as the ideal king, despite his shortcomings and sin, a type of king reflected in the person of Jesus Christ; he belonged to the people - "we are your bone and flesh" - and he, as king, was a shepherd to the people. The church is able to declare, too, "we are your bone and flesh," because it is the body of Jesus Christ here on earth, and the risen Lord is the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep and took it up again in his glorious resurrection thereby becoming the Good Shepherd/King forever. King David reigned seven years at Hebron and 33 years at Jerusalem - 40 years altogether - but Jesus will reign as Lord and King and Good Shepherd for all time and eternity.
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (E); 23:2-6 (L) - This reading points to the contrast between the shepherd/kings of Judah, who "destroy and scatter the sheep" of God's "pasture," and the good shepherds, who will really care for the sheep. Jeremiah was speaking a word of prophecy, as well as condemnation, toward the end of the reign of Zedekiah preceding the exile, and anticipating the emergence and rise of "a righteous Branch" for David, the ideal king/shepherd of Judah and Israel. This shepherd, according to Jeremiah, would be called, "The Lord is righteous." The connection to the Gospel for the Day is located in the observation that Mark attributes to Jesus' concern for the people who followed him and the disciples into that "lonely place:" they were "like sheep without a shepherd." Then and there, he became that Good Shepherd of the sheep. It is the latter part of the reading that demands to be proclaimed on Christ the King Sunday - "Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." The Jews hoped for a Messiah/King, who would restore their political fortunes in the world, but the Christian church has interpreted this as an anticipation of the coming and reign of Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Shepherd of the sheep.
Colossians 1:11-20 (E, C); 1:12-20 (RC); 1:13-20 (L) - The setting of this reading has every appearance of being baptismal in nature; it speaks, at the beginning, of what happens in baptism: We are "delivered from the dominion of darkness" and also, "transferred ... to the kingdom of his (God's) beloved Son." Verses 15-20 are an early hymn of the church, possibly connected to the sacrament of baptism, but positively christological in nature; they speak of the work of Jesus in creation and, also, in redemption and reconciliation. His kingdom embraces the entire world and all people; it is cosmological, at once, and redemptive, as well. In the cross, he not only redeemed the world, but he also made peace between God and humanity, effecting reconciliation between the Father and his children and every one and every thing in the world. The very "fullness of God" dwelt in him.
Luke 23:35-42 (RC, E, L) - In this gospel, Jesus Christ is declared to be a king, the "King of the Jews," by Pontius Pilate's sign that was fastened to Jesus' cross. Pilate never really believed that Jesus had done anything worthy of crucifixion, and he only gave in to the demands of the religious leaders to keep the peace, so ordering that the placard with "King of the Jews" on it was a way of getting back at them for the pressure they put on him. As far as he was concerned, they wanted their own "king" executed and he simply obliged them, reluctantly. That the sign should bring immediate reaction from the crowd was inevitable; some would mock him, the religious would complain to Pilate, asking him to have the sign removed, and even the two criminals who were crucified with him reacted - one cursed him, but the other believed and asked for his blessing. In the plea of the second condemned man, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom," the real nature of Jesus' "kingship" is revealed; he is more than the King of the Jews; he is the King of all kings, whose domain extends over death as well as life. And Jesus' response supports the penitent thief's insight, for he grants him absolution and the promise of life in the place prepared for the righteous after they die. By his actions and the words he spoke on the cross, Jesus proved himself to be the king of heaven and earth, able and willing to begin his reign as the Lord's Anointed One. It is on the cross that he claims his kingdom and begins his reign that will never end. Christ 's coronation took place on Calvary's Cross!
John 12:9-19 (C) - The Common lectionary opts for the use of the Palm Sunday gospel as the public recognition that Jesus Christ is the King of Israel, the promised Messiah of the Jews, who "comes in the name of the Lord." John says that the disciples didn't understand the event until after his resurrection, and that the crowds reacted as they did because they had heard that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. He was more than a magician to them, a prophet, perhaps, and, maybe, the Messiah, so they greeted him as Messiah/King, who would restore the political fortunes of Israel. In this picture of a temporary triumph, it is obvious that the people really didn't know what they were saying or doing; Jesus was, and is, the Messiah and the king promised to the people by God. It is a preview of what was to come at the cross and the empty tomb. The man who entered Jerusalem was, indeed, Christ the King, who was crowned when he was crucified.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 23:35-43 (RC, E, L) - "Christ - King Of The Cross." - The late William Barclay, popular Scottish teacher and preacher, describes in his book, Crucified And Crowned, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. After he was condemned by Pilate, his execution followed a familiar pattern. He was scourged - whipped almost to death - and handed over to the soldiers, who mocked him, gave him a reed for a sceptre, put an old purple robe on him, and made a crown of thorns which they put on his head. Barclay wrote: "Then there began the procession to Calvary. It always followed the same pattern. The criminal was placed in the centre of a hollow square of four Roman soldiers; in front there walked a herald carrying a board whitened with gypsum with the charge painted in black letters upon it. In the case of Jesus it read: "This is Jesus, King of the Jews." ... According to John, it was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, so that all could read it [John 19:20]; and it was later to be affixed to Jesus' cross. The criminal was taken to the place of execution by the longest possible way, by the busiest streets, and through as many of them as possible, so that he might be a dreadful warning to any other who might be contemplating some crime; and, as he went, he was lashed and goaded on his way." He was also compelled to carry his cross or, at least, part of it. That's how it was when Jesus was condemned by Pilate, beaten, mocked, and driven out to be crucified.
1. From his perspective, Pilate knew exactly what he was doing when he ordered the sign that was put on the cross of Christ, "This is the King of the Jews." It was something that he had to do; it announced the crime of the victim to the community. Roman practice demanded that the person's crime should be displayed. And all of Jerusalem saw this sign, which was sacrilege to some, ridiculous to others but more than an announcement because it was a warning to all people not to challenge the authority of Caesar. So, reluctant though he was to crucify Jesus, Pilate made the most of the situation and was, in effect, making a move to stop any insurrection or rebellion against Rome and Caesar.
2. But there was no way that Pilate could know what he really was doing when he had the sign prepared, carried at the head of the procession, and nailed to the cross. He was not simply announcing a crime; he was crowning the King of kings, carrying out the strangest coronation that the world has ever witnessed, a coronation orchestrated and choreographed by God himself. Actually, the statement on the sign was an understatement; Jesus was not simply the King of the Jews, the Messiah they had longed and waited for; he was - is - the King of heaven and earth, the King of kings, but Pilate had no way of knowing that. We do!
3. Oddly enough, it was a condemned criminal who recognized the nature of Jesus' reign and the dimensions of his kingdom. The one criminal was like all the others; he cursed and called upon Christ - if he were the Christ - to save him from a slow death. He was positive that Jesus was helpless; nailed to a cross, he couldn 't do anything, could he? But the other criminal was a man, also in desperate pain, but a man of faith, and he really knew what the sign meant, calling out, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom !" For him, Jesus was the King of kings and the Lord of lords and the key to everlasting life.
4. That's the Christ whom we remember and celebrate today - the Christ who was really crowned King on the cross. And we can pray with even greater confidence than the penitent thief, "Jesus, remember me ...," because we know how the story of Jesus' crucifixion turned out. With the crown still on his head, the risen Lord is forever Christ the King.
When I was serving my first parish in Pennsylvania, a pastor friend built a church building and had a special crucifix designed for it; it was a Christus Victor cross, which saw Jesus superimposed upon a cross. He was vested in appropriate robes, and had a golden crown - not a crown of thorns - upon his head. The nail holes were in his hands and feet, but the spear wound, of course, could not be seen. He died as "the King of the Jews" on the cross, but became the King of the whole universe, wearing a crown of gold instead of thorns, in his resurrection. That cross proclaimed that Jesus is Christ the King.
John 12:9-19 (C) - "The Royal Welcome."
1. Jesus received a royal welcome from the Jews when he entered Jerusalem on the day we call Palm Sunday. They welcomed him as the Messiah and "the King of Israel."
2. The disciples were dumb-founded, and did not understand what was going on even though Jesus had told them what would happen to him in Jerusalem.
3. But the people who greeted Jesus knew what they were up to; they wanted to see him do even greater feats than he had when he raised Lazarus. Couldn't their King use his power to bring down and drive out the hated Romans?
4. They were right, however, in calling him their king, although they couldn't give him a crown and a thorn that day. Pilate killed their king on Good Friday, but God raised him up and Jesus is indeed Christ the King of all!
2 Samuel 5:1-3 (RC); 5:1-5 (C) - "The Shepherd Who Became King."
1. God picked a humble shepherd in David to become King of Israel and a model for earthly kings. A shepherd/king rules and cares for his people (as the shepherd tends his flocks).
2. Jesus came to become a shepherd, the Good Shepherd, who would lay down his life for his sheep.
3. God sent him as Messiah, Savior of the world, and he received his crown when he was nailed to the cross of Calvary.
4. Jesus, not David, is Christ the King and that good news has been told to the world ever since his resurrection.
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (E); 23:2-6 (L) - "Prophecy And A Promise."
1. Times were difficult when Jeremiah engaged in his ministry, and the worst thing of all was the corruption of the "shepherds," the rulers and religious leaders of the Jews.
2. Through the prophet, God promised a new day and a "righteous" king, who would be both wise and just and who would love and care for the people.
3. The role of this king was to save God's people and establish peace and justice in the world. He would be known as "the Lord is our righteousness."
4. That prophecy and promise found fulfillment in Jesus the Christ. He is that king - Christ is King, the Promised One of God.
Colossians 1:11-20 (E, C); 1:12-20 (RC); 1:13-20 (L) - "The Kingdom Of Light."
1. In his little book, Baptism, Martin Marty's first words are, "It is dark." Then he describes what baptism might have been like in a cistern beneath the city, which is about to come to life at dawn. He suggests what the baptisms might have been like by drawing on "the apostolic tradition of Hippolytus." As the people are baptized, he writes: "Warily they step into the water and come out, dressing again in the now brightening glow of candles and torches."
2. Paul not only told the Colossians, but also the Ephesian Christians, that they, through baptism, had been "delivered from the dominion of darkness and transferred ... to the kingdom of his beloved Son ..." He gave Jesus the kingdom of light, and we belong to it through baptism.
3. So, today, we celebrate Christ's reign over the kingdom of light and thank God that we have been made citizens of that eternal kingdom over which Jesus rules forever.
