Grace United Methodist Church
Corpus Christi, TX
pastorwillrice@gmail.com
Luke 23:33-43
The Christian calendar is a little different than the secular calendar. As the world begins seriously winding down the year we, as Christians are starting a new one. This week marks the final week on the Christian calendar. We start a new “liturgical” year next Sunday as the first Sunday of Advent. As Christians, there are certain ways we set ourselves apart from the world and our understanding of time is one of those. As the world is still counting down to the end of the year, we will already be beginning a new one. But like the rest of the world, as we come to the end of the year, it is good to reflect on the year that has passed. That is sort of what Christ the King Sunday is all about.
Over the years, I have learned to love Christ the King Sunday. Here is why: It has become, for me, a Sunday of reflection about the Christian year that is ending. Next week is the first Sunday of Advent. In Advent, we prepare ourselves for the coming of God into our world in Jesus Christ.
While television and retail outlets are telling us it is time to sing “Joy to the World.” While we will still be singing “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” and “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Advent is the time when we prepare our heart and minds, our churches and our homes for the arrival of the new born King.
Before we enter into a time of looking forward, as we end this one year and prepare to enter another one, have we yet figured out who this king is? During another Christian year we will celebrate the birth and sing,
Hark the herald angels sing, “glory to the new born King”
But what does that mean? We will see Jesus praised by the wise men and treated like royalty,
Born a King on
But why?
We will stop thinking in kingly terms when we hear of him calling his disciples and teaching and healing. He will look more like the leader of a rag-tag revolution as we are led up to his confrontation with authority and his arrest and crucifixion. Then the kingly image will seem more appropriate as he is raised from the dead. Royal yes, but king implies a kingdom to rule over. His resurrection will cause us to look back at what he said and did. His ascension will remind us of that he reigns with the Father and Holy Spirit now and always. And then we will end up right back here, at the end of the year, ready again to prepare our hearts for the promised coming and will we yet know what kind of king we are expecting?
So today, we look at a piece of scripture that may seem to belong closer to Easter than Christmas and reflect on Christ the King. This scripture may seem out of place and time, but it is right on because as we question the passage questions and, in doing so, reveals a lot of what we may seek.
The passage begins:
33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
What a way to start, but what a clue! We will call this clue number 1: the crucifixion. Today as we reflect on what it means to worship Christ as King we see that we that our King is a crucified King. What kind of king is crucified?
34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
It is beyond the scope of today’s message to really go into what Jesus is saying here, but let’s consider this clue number two: Jesus is asking forgiveness for those who are hanging him on a cross. What kind of king does that?
And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
Clue number three. This is one we might miss. It is clearly a reference to the Old Testament and shows us an understanding of the author of Luke’s gospel that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Old Testament, foretelling the coming of a deliverer for God’s people. Psalm
35And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”
Clue four. No one comes forth to save this King and the leaders scoff at him. What kind of king is ridiculed and questioned? Kings are powerful.
35And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
Clue five: Listen to these words being thrown around, “King of the Jews,” “Messiah,” “Chosen One.”
Let’s look at those in order of appearance.
Messiah - o` cristo.j – one who has been anointed
Chosen One - o` evklekto,j
King of the Jews - basileu.j tw/n VIoudai,wn – basileus means one having royal authority over something. Jesus was one with authority over way more than just the Jews. But it is interesting that kings were anointed. They were anointed as a symbol of their taking office.
Here is the clue: Even the ones who are making fun of Jesus are getting it right. He is King. He is anointed. He is chosen.
40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Clue six: Even the criminal next to him sees he has done nothing wrong. This King has ended up in the gallows for doing things like healing, forgiving, loving and teaching.
42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in
Clue seven: The criminal knows the reach of Jesus’ rule as King. Jesus reign will not be endedon the cross!
So, let’s add up the clues and see where we are. When we say Christ is King, we are talking about a crucified king. If we think of a king as one who is empowered over us, this doesn’t work for most of us. Think about it: next year is an election year. One of the things candidates need to prove is that they are powerful, that we can trust them to keep us safe from our enemies. Jesus is different. Jesus is a crucified king. Can we accept that kind of king?
When we say Christ is King we are talking about a king who is crucified for what? For doing what is good and pure and true. Jesus ended up in this place by creating a movement that made the religious and state rulers of the day nervous. The religious rulers were nervous because he was messing with the status quo. The rulers of the state were nervous because he was starting a movement. There was some confusion at the time over what kind of movement. When we are talking about a king who is a messiah some were thinking a military deliverer. That would have been bad for
When we say Christ is King we are talking about a king who forgives his enemies even as they are still doing things that make them enemies. Wouldn’t most of us be “happier with a powerful King who got even with his enemies, rather than forgive them?”[1]
When we say Christ is King we are talking about a king who is part of God’s plan of redemption of God’s people. Most of us can go along with that. Though it might cause us to consider the rest of what God has in mind. Especially when we reflect and consider what I just said, that this King was crucified, for doing what was good and pure and true and that his response was to forgive. If that is part of God’s plan to save God’s people what are we going to have to do? And what is being saved and redeemed going to look like?
When we say Christ is King we are talking about a king who rules this world and beyond and a king whose reign did not end on the cross.
When we say Christ is King we say a lot. When we say Christ is our King, we say even more. We are saying that the Lord of our life, the ruler of our existence is a crucified, forgiving, redeeming, appointed one of God who came to change the world, accepted the punishment for such action and whose reign never ends.
When we say Christ is our King, we need to reflect on what that means for us. Does that mean we are ready to follow him to the cross? That we are willing to accept punishment for doing what is good and pure and true? That we are willing to forgive even those who harm us? Are we willing to react to those who are against us with compassion and love rather than violence and retribution? I mean are we really ready to accept all that? We really need to think about that because we are about to start a new year that will get us ready for the birth of a savior. We will be decorating and singing and sharing presents and all that stuff leading up to the birth of a little baby King who will call us to follow him in a revolution of grace and compassion.
I have tried to say it in a many different ways, but Jesus is coming to save us, but not just as individuals, not just to ensure our safe trip into paradise upon death, but to bring a revolutionary change to the world. This whole scene that we read on this Christ the King Sunday just doesn’t even make sense if we think of Jesus as simply our own personal ticket to salvation. The scene could have been shorter. He could have simply said from the cross. “Don’t forget to believe in me so that you get to heaven.” But that is not what we have, we have this complex interaction that shows us the depth of this Christ we call King.
So, what are we supposed to do? I have two homework assignments this week. They are different because it depends who you are.
Perhaps, you are someone, who needs to know that this is the King of kings who is coming at Christmas. The holiday season is not a joy for everyone. There are always those among us who are struggling, struggling with loss, depression, loneliness, financial burden, anything that hurts and makes it hard to live in a season that is seemingly so much about family, prosperity and joy. For you, your homework is to spend some time this week just realizing that King Jesus is coming and is already here for you. King Jesus is leading a revolution of love and grace and compassion. We are in the midst of a season that seems to be solely about joy and family and presents and shopping and money, but it is really about King Jesus who is here to walk with you through your loss, bind up the wounds of your depression, give you comfort in your loneliness and even, in the word Jesus reads earlier in Luke’s Gospel, “Bring good news to the poor,”
Maybe that is not you. Maybe you love this season. Here is your homework. I want you to, this week, consider one thing you can do as we end this Christian year and begin another year with our time of preparation for the coming of the baby King one thing you can do that will start this new Christian year off on the right foot following the King that leads us in a revolution of love and grace. What might that look like? I don’t know. I do know that Americans spend a lot of money this time of year. What if we diverted some of it away from material objects that give us a quick fix of joy and then just fill our homes? What if some of our money went somewhere else? Let me give you a couple of examples. One, today is Harvest Sunday. You can give in the envelopes in the bulletin or at the rail and that money will go to feed hungry people in the valley, in
Some of you are still praying over your estimate of giving cards for 2008. What a way to enter into a new Christian year, knowing that you have already committed to be a part of the revolution of love and grace here at this church. You will be committing to support ministries that reach out into our community to say that Christianity is not about judgment and wrath but about the abundant, unmerited gift of love in God’s grace.
How about something completely different? Alisha and I have really struggled over the years about how to handle Christmas gifts. We want people to know we love them and care about them but we also want to remember what this is all about. A number of our friends over the last couple of years have starting receiving gifts from Heifer International. All my friend Tina got last year was a card but the card said that the money I would have spent on her bought a flock of baby chicks that was shipped to a poor village in South America, Africa, Russia or even here in America along with the training to teach someone how to raise and care for those chicks to create a sustainable food supply that will allow a family to bring themselves out of abject poverty. One good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year. We have been mostly sending chicks and ducks but we are working our way up to sheep and cows.
These are just some ideas, but how you complete the assignment is up to you. Just think of one thing you can do that will start this new Christian year off on the right foot following the King that leads us in a revolution of love and grace.
And have a happy new year.
[1] Brian Stoffregen, “Luke 23.33.43, Christ the King Sunday – Year C”, Brian P. Stoffregen Exegetical Notes at CrossMarks Christian Resources, online at www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke23x33.htm, accessed 21 November 2007, internet;
