Christ the King

Introduction

We are entering that time of year where we celebrate Christmas. Thanksgiving is in less than a week and that Sunday is when Advent officially kicks off. Advent is the season in the Christian calendar where we celebrate Christ’s birth. Today however is another special day in the Christian Calendar. It is Christ the King Sunday. It is easy sometimes to get lost in the advent season on Jesus being born and the miracles surrounding this birth. However, one short passage for today is from the time when he was facing trial before Pilate and he is questioned about whether he is a king. Sometimes in the Christmas story narrative we can forget what kind of king Christ is. We can mistake just like Pilate what a king is or should be. Let us focus on Christ the King and who he is as we devote ourselves to follow this king.

Trouble in the text

Jesus has been arrested and his followers deserted him. He has been put through questioning after questioning and a farce of a trial before the Sanhedrin. They wanted Jesus put to death yet they could not because the Roman government only had that authority.

Pilate was puzzled why they wanted Jesus killed. In some way perhaps he understood it as jealousy or did not see anything he had been accused of as worthy of being killed for. Yet this king accusation would have threatened Pilate’s position and maybe this was his justification in the end. When he questions Jesus’ he does not get the answer he thought he would get or hoped for.

When he questioned Jesus if he was the King of the Jews, Jesus responded by asking him why he asked that question. Pilate presses him further to try and understand who this Jesus is before him. Jesus does answer the question with a response of my kingdom is not of this world or there would have been a fight against his followers. Had Jesus been an earthly king then he would had told his disciples to fight. He would have roused up the crowds against the Roman government and perhaps the Sanhedrin too. He would have caused a revolt. Yet, Jesus as King is not an earthly king who would do these kinds of things.

Pilate struggled to understand what kind of king was Jesus.

Trouble Today

We often wonder this same question today. We declare Jesus as Lord and King but do we really understand what kind of king Jesus is? Think about the upcoming season of Christmas. If you were a non-Christian, would it be easy to mistake Jesus as a king of gift giving? Perhaps, you might also mistake Jesus as a baby boy king. The imagery you get surrounded with in Christmas season can perhaps cause some confusion around what kind of king Jesus is.

Perhaps we also see Jesus as the timid king because of being born in difficult places and having to flee for his life. Maybe you see Jesus and are puzzled by these stories and ask the same question. Is Jesus a conquering king who battles people and places to overthrow? Is Jesus a wounded king who simply takes on other punishments? This question of who is Christ the King sits unanswered and we never feel comfortable that we know the answer.

We know bits and pieces about Jesus and the bible yet are we any better off than Pilate when either we ask ourselves this question or others ask us, who is Christ the King? We too struggle to fully understand what kind of king Jesus is.

Grace in the text

However, Jesus did not leave Pilate without any answers. Jesus told him he was not an earthly king and he is the king who would bring the truth. This gave Pilate the answer. This proved to Pilate that Jesus was not the king of revolts that would be the power struggle he always found himself fighting against. Jesus is king of the truth. Jesus is focused on something bigger than politics or factions. Jesus is focused on bringing the truth. Pilate found the answer that he needed to try and release Jesus. I always like to think that something in Pilate’s heart or mind gnawed at him that Jesus didn’t deserve any punishment or was innocent of the things he was accused of. While we know he caved into the pressure of the crowds, Pilate understood Jesus as a different kind of king.

Pilate’s initial response of “what is truth” meant he understood better what kind of king Jesus is. Jesus for him was about search in life for truth as the goal and center of debate and conversation. This was something he maybe was scoffing at first at but he again, I can’t help but wonder if a little bit of that truth Jesus shared sunk into his mind when he tried to set Jesus free.

Grace in the world

This same truth that sunk into Pilate also sinks into our hearts and minds when we see and hear it. It all starts there doesn’t it? When we hear the truth that Jesus has conquered sin by death on the cross and has given us new life as proved by the resurrection, this should change our hearts and minds. First and foremost, Jesus is the King who has brought the truth into the world. Jesus taught and brought forth the church based on this truth. Jesus has lots of titles that we use such as Savior, Redeemer, and Lord. Yet what does it mean to call Jesus King? It means Jesus has brought the truth forward to overthrow the enemy and sin’s snare on us. It is the truth that sets you free. It is the truth that declares you are redeemed. It is the truth that says you are no longer enemies of God but you are children of God.

You see we hear the truth declared to us and this truth is brought to us by Christ the King who reigns with truth. So often we are lied to and deceived by others for reasons such as gaining power over us or political reasons or selfish reasons or any other justification someone uses. Yet, Christ brings the truth into this world for none of these reasons. It is who he is. Christ is the one who brings forth the truth for the sake of ushering in the Kingdom of God to set creation free from the lies and deception of the enemy and the world. It is the truth that overthrows the sin that tells us we can be nothing else. By God’s grace, the truth Christ shares as King can transform your heart and mind to see Jesus as King. By grace, this truth Christ declares to you will transform you. By God’s grace, you too can share this truth with others who need those same answers as to what is truth like Pilate asked. Truth is what Christ declares them to be. Let Christ the King declare the truth to you today and may you share this truth with others who also need hope.