Really – A King?
various Scriptures November 20, 2011
Intro:
In the church year, today is the last Sunday. Christian new year starts next week, with the first week of Advent, and the annual rhythm of worship begins anew. About a hundred years ago, in response to a growing individualism and secularism, the catholic church felt a need to introduce a new feast day which could perhaps combat this disturbing trend of people believing that they were ultimately in control of themselves, and could do as they please. So they introduced the Feast of Christ the King, a Sunday dedicated in the Christian year to a recognition of and worship of Jesus as King, and this was quickly adopted by Christians of many different denominations as they also saw the value of an annual Sunday celebrating the idea of Jesus as King.
But what is A King?
But before we go any further, what is a king anyway? I would be surprised if any of us here today have ever lived under a true king, especially of the understanding of a king that would have been in place in Biblical times. To us, a king or queen is largely a symbolic and ceremonial figurehead, which may be loved or hated, ignored, looked upon as a fairytale, or dismissed as irrelevant. I would be surprised if any of us here today have ever lived in a place where there was an actual king or queen – the one person who held ultimate power over a nation and people.
We are used to democracy, not dictatorship. We realized through history that power corrupts, and that investing one person with ultimate power more often than not becomes extremely problematic, and so we now have systems which attempt to distribute power through democratically elected representatives who meet together and argue, debate, and eventually make decisions through a due process.
So how are we supposed to understand, really, what a king actually is? We have to rely on the stories, and on our imaginations. The concept is still accessible to us, we’ve all watched movies or followed the Tudors on TV, read medieval novels or studied Shakespeare and even read the Bible’s stories of King Saul and King David. But we have to work at it. When we were on vacation a couple weeks ago, Joanne and Thomas and I went to dinner at a place called Medieval Times, where we ate roast chicken with our fingers while watching knights on horseback joust and fight with swords, all under the approving eye of the king while they fought for their kingdom – it was entertaining, but definitely not real. So the stories and concept are familiar, but not really very real in our experience.
Can you imagine what it would actually be like to live under the rule of a king? One person who made law. One person who decided when to go to war. One person with the power to say all people between the ages of 16-30 are now part of my army, and are marching into battle because I’m a little miffed at the king next door because he insulted me. And yes, some of you will die in battle. One person who decided how much tax to collect, who collects it under threat of violence and incarceration if it is not paid, and who decided how much of that tax to keep for himself. One person who decided ultimate questions of justice, and could literally say that guy is guilty – off with his head. One person deciding what, if any, rights or privileges any of us would have.
Under such a system, what the king says goes. It gets done, or people get punished. There is no sense of, well, that is what the king says, I’m not sure I agree… I think I’ll do something different. There is no sense of yes, I know I was summoned by the king, but I’m a little busy today, I’ll go later when I feel like it. There is no sense of, I know the king has commanded me to go or to do such and such, but I have to decide if that is what I want. For a people to live under the rule of a king, what the king says goes.
How many of us want to live as part of that kind of system? Honestly, how many of us would willingly give up our charter of rights and freedoms? Our appeal to the law of the land under which every person, regardless of status, is to be judged? Our right to speak freely, to choose together the people and groups to lead us, and to know that after a defined period of time we will be able to choose again at another election? How many of us would trade all we have under our current democratic system, for a true king or queen in the historic understanding?
Christ the King:
Well guess what: all of us who call ourselves Christians have already done so. I think it is important to recognize Christ the King Sunday, precisely because this whole understanding of what it means to live under the rule of a king is foreign to our experience. When we baptize people, we require a positive answer to two questions, the second of which states: Do you proclaim Jesus as the Lord of your life, and pledge to Him your lifetime of service? It is a kingship question – Lord and king are very similar in meaning, and the pledge to Him your lifetime of service is an oath of allegiance.
Now, I suspect some of you are resisting this concept a little under the very valid point that Christ as King is different from the way of rule by an earthly king, and that is correct and we will come to the differences in a little while. But those differences have nothing to do with power and authority over us, which are probably what we resist the most. We are culturally conditioned to believe in our own autonomy: my rights, my choices, me as the boss of myself, me in control of what I want to do. It is one of the realities that makes aging and illness so incredibly difficult for us, we are programmed to think that we are ultimately in control.
So I think it is good to celebrate Christ the King Sunday, because it forces the question: is Jesus really our King?
Scripture:
From the Bible’s perspective, absolutely: Christ is King.
It is in the prophecies: one example, Dan 7:13 As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
It is present at the incarnation, when the angel appears to Mary: Luke 1:29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 Don’t be afraid, Mary, the angel told her, for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!
Jesus claimed Himself as King, talking about His Kingdom in numerous places including Matt 25: 31-46 31 But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.
37 Then these righteous ones will reply, Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?
40 And the King will say, I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!
41 Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.
44 Then they will reply, Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?
45 And he will answer, I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.
46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.
We see Jesus as King on Palm Sunday, as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey: Matt 21:5 Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.
Jesus’ trial before Pilate centered around the issue of kingship, resulting in Pilate’s sign on the cross that read The king of the Jews.
We know Jesus by the title King of kings, which is in 1 Tim 6:15 as well as in the many images of Jesus in the book of Revelation, here from Rev. 19:16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
But is Jesus Your King?
So it is pretty clear from Scripture, Jesus is King. So now the question comes down to this: Is Jesus your King?
Before answering, recall the authority of a king – it is absolute, over our time, over our money, over our very lives. If we claim Jesus as our King, and truly pledge to Him our lifetime of service, it means we go where He says, we do what He says, we obey what He commands without question and without hesitation. It means we submit. We bow our knee. We openly and loudly proclaim (I) do not belong to (my)self, 20 for God bought (me) with a high price (1 Cor 6:20). It means we give up our claims, our autonomy, our self-serving interests, and instead follow our King, Jesus. Is Jesus your King?
It sounds a little crazy. Especially when we factor in how we’ve seen power corrupt, and how we really do believe down deep that we have to take care of ourselves, we have to look out for our own interests, we have to do what we think is best for us and what we think is right. To say Jesus is King is to submit to Him, instead of running our lives our way. But here is why it is not crazy; here is why it is wise even: King Jesus is different. Again, not in authority or power, but in character and in purpose. Matt 20:25-28 You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. and, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (Jn 10:10, NIV).
King Jesus is different. He is King not for His own interest, pleasure, or whims. He is King so that all who proclaim Him as King may have life, and have it to the full. He wields authority for our best and highest good. He commands so that we might follow the best path that leads to our highest good. And our highest good is not a life of luxury and ease, or of privilege and advantage over others. Our highest good is actually the opposite, in Jesus’ words above to serve others. For it is there that we find this life, abundant, which Jesus promises.
So it is not crazy to give up our illusion of control over our own lives and kneel to Christ as King. It is, in fact, best.
So long as we don’t pretend; so long as we don’t just proclaim Christ as King with our mouths and then go out and live as we please. That is why I read the whole passage about the sheep and the goats: it must be lived. And it must be complete.
We must obey, and submit completely. I found a story told by Dr. Wayne Dehoney of Walnut Street Baptist Church which maybe helps bring this home:
The Unbaptized Arm
Ivan the Great was the tsar of all of Russia during the Fifteenth Century. He brought together the warring tribes into one vast empire--the Soviet Union. As a fighting man he was courageous. As a general he was brilliant. He drove out the Tartars and established peace across the nation.
However, Ivan was so busy waging his campaigns that he did not have a family. His friends and advisers were quite concerned. They reminded him that there was no heir to the throne, and should anything happen to him the union would shatter into chaos. You must take a wife who can bear you a son. The busy soldier statesman said to them that he did not have the time to search for a bride, but if they would find a suitable one, he would marry her.
The counselors and advisers searched the capitals of Europe to find an appropriate wife for the great tsar. And find her, they did. They reported to Ivan of the beautiful dark eyed daughter of the King of Greece. She was young, brilliant, and charming. He agreed to marry her sight unseen.
The King of Greece was delighted. It would align Greece in a favorable way with the emerging giant of the north. But there had to be one condition, He cannot marry my daughter unless he becomes a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. Ivan’s response, I will do it!
So, a priest was dispatched to Moscow to instruct Ivan in Orthodox doctrine. Ivan was a quick student and learned the catechism in record time. Arrangements were concluded, and the tsar made his way to Athens accompanied by 500 of his crack troops--his personal palace guard.
He was to be baptized into the Orthodox church by immersion, as was the custom of the Eastern Church. His soldiers, ever loyal, asked to be baptized also. The Patriarch of the Church assigned 500 priests to give the soldiers a one-on-one catechism crash course. The soldiers, all 500 of them, were to be immersed in one mass baptism. Crowds gathered from all over Greece.
What a sight that must have been, 500 priests and 500 soldiers, a thousand people, walking into the blue Mediterranean. The priests were dressed in black robes and tall black hats, the official dress of the Orthodox Church. The soldiers wore their battle uniforms with of all their regalia--ribbons of valor, medals of courage and their weapons of battle.
Suddenly, there was a problem. The Church prohibited professional soldiers from being members; they would have to give up their commitment to bloodshed. They could not be killers and church members too.
After a hasty round of diplomacy, the problem was solved quite simply. As the words were spoken and the priests began to baptize them, each soldier reached to his side and withdrew his sword. Lifting it high overhead, every soldier was totally immersed - everything baptized except his fighting arm and sword.
That is a true historical fact. The unbaptized arm. What a powerful picture of Christianity today. How many unbaptized arms are here this morning? How many unbaptized wills are here? How many unbaptized talents? Unbaptized check books? Unbaptized social activities? How many are there here this morning?
Conclusion:
Christ the King. Is He your King? Completely? Entirely?? Every part??? One last word, that takes it one step further, and that happens when we truly bow the knee, make Christ our King, pledge to Him our lifetime of service, baptize every part, and it is the word of Jesus from John 15:15. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Not equals, but not servants either. Friends of the King.
