Christ the King
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
In the homiletical studies for the Lectionary Preaching Workbook III, Cycle A, it was pointed out that this Sunday was first named in the Roman Catholic Ordo, and that it "firmly reinforces the eschatological framework of the church year, closing the gap between the Ascension of our Lord and the end of the Pentecost cycle." All of the Sundays between the Ascension and Christ the King Sunday reflect the fact that in the Ascension Jesus has begun his reign. In the Lutheran Book of Worship liturgy, the traditional hymn of praise (in the eucharist) may be replaced by "Worthy is Christ," with its verse, "For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign," on the Sunday after the Ascension. It ought to be sung on various, if not all, Sundays throughout Pentecost and, of course, on Christ the King Sunday. In Year/Cycle B, it would make sense to read the Gospel for the Day first, with its declaration of the kingship of Jesus in his trial before Pilate. Daniel 7, with the vision of one "who came ... like the son of man," might be the second reading. Revelation 1 promises to make the vision visible to all people when Jesus returns at the end of time. This might become the third reading: "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." With the completion of the church year on this eschatological note, the church year will move very naturally into the Season of Advent, when the church should pray fervently for the coming of Christ the King to bring in the fullness of the Kingdom.
The Prayer of the Day
For some reason or other, the Book of Common Prayer does not give the title, "Christ the King," to the last Sunday after Pentecost; it is simply called "Proper 29." But the readings and the other parts of the propers for the day reflect the Christ the King theme of the Sunday. Like the Lutheran Book of Worship, the Book of Common Prayer has prepared only one collect for this Sunday, but lucidly raises its petition for the unity of the people of this world under the rule of Jesus Christ, leaving petitions for his return and "full rule" for Advent:
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 befreed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now andfor ever. Amen
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 93 (E, L); 93:1-2, 5 (R) - On the first reading - and from a Christian perspective - this psalm is just about perfect for Christ the King Sunday. God is the king from the beginning of time and for eternity; he always has been and always will be the Lord and Ruler of the universe, which he created. He put that kingship into the hands of Christ, who now, as the risen and ascended Lord, rules over heaven and earth. And the work of the kingdom - proclaiming the Gospel and serving God and people in love - goes on under the sovereignty of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
This prayer underlines the significance and meaning of Christ the King Sunday quite well:
Lord Jesus, king of glory, when you rose from the grave in the power of the Spirit, you firmly established your kingdom, never to be shaken or destroyed by death. May your will be done on earth as in heaven until the church is made holy by your embrace, our Redeemer and our Lord.
The readings:
Daniel 7:9-14 (E); 7:13-14 (R, L)
This reading was considered in the homiletical study of the first reading (Daniel 7:9-14) in the Common lectionary for the Twently-sixth Sunday after Pentecost. The comments apply to Christ the King, as well. The short form of this pericope, as the Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches have appointed it, concentrates on the "son of man" theme in Daniel's vision, who appears before the throne of the "ancient of days" and receives "dominion and glory and kingdom. that all peoples, all nations, and languages should serve him." The last verse of the reading announces that his dominion will be everlasting and that his kingdom will never pass away. The church has seen Christ as the Son of man, the one in whom all these things will be true.
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (C)
The Roman Catholic and Lutheran lectionaries appointed this reading for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, which is also the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The king/shepherd dichotomy in Jeremiah finds the emphasis on the kingship of the Lord when it is read on Christ the King Sunday. Jesus has become the great Shepherd of the Sheep, who is also the King of Kings, ruling over an eternal kingdom. Other comments may be located in the materials for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost.
Revelation 1:1-8 (E); 1:4b-8 (L, C); 1:5-8 (R)
The first three verses of this reading, which the Book of Common Prayer prescribes for this Sunday, comprise an introduction to the revelation John received from the Lord God, and which convinced John that the time of Jesus' return was close at hand. The pericope, as the other churches have defined it, begins with a greeting from Jesus Christ, the living Lord, to all of the churches of Asia Minor. John proceeds to proclaim that it was Jesus, who "freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom (of) priests to his God and Father." And he announces that this Jesus "is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." Jesus speaks through John and identifies himself as the Alpha and Omega, "who is and was and who is to come, the Almighty." The King, Jesus Christ, will come again - and everyone on earth will know who he is and no one will be able to escape his judgment and rule.
John 18:33-37
The Gospels give different accounts of the trial of Jesus and, in particular, how he responded to the charge of being some sort of a false Messiah. Sometimes he is silent, and at other points in the trial he seems to want his accusers and judges to get the record right. But in John's version of the trial before Pilate, Jesus engages in a discussion with Pilate, which really consists of a series of questions and answers that finally enables Jesus to reveal himself as the king who has come into the world for non-political purposes. His business is not to lead a Jewish revolt and drive the Romans back to Rome - not at all. He has come to save people from their sins; he has come as the Messiah - and he was born to be this kind of a king. And Jesus declared that all those who are "of the truth" - that is, tuned into God and his word in a response of faith - will hear his voice and know that he is speaking the truth. After this, in the verses immediately following the pericope, Pilate asks another question, "What is truth?" And then, receiving no answer (did he really expect an answer?), he went out and told the Jews, "I find no fault in him." Of course, that didn't stop him from giving in to the crowd and condemning Jesus to death on the cross.
A Sermon on the Gospel, John 18:33-37 - "Three Questions for the King."
My wife and I love to visit castles, manor houses, and palaces, regardless of their physical condition. Some of them are only skeletons of what they once were, but others have been restored to their former glory. One of the most fascinating palaces we have ever visited was gutted out by a fire, but enough of it remains so that it is still possible to walk through most of it and gain some appreciation of what it must have been like when it was in useable condition. This palace is in Linlithgow, Scotland - about twenty miles west and north of Edinburgh. Centuries ago, when the King of Scotland was also serving as King of England, the King (one of the Stuart line) would travel from London to Linlithgow in time to celebrate St. Nicholas' Day, December 6th. In what must have been a kind of palatial manor house, which was quadrangular in shape, with a fountain in the middle of a center courtyard, the king celebrated Advent by hunting in the nearby fields or by fishing on the loch on the west side of the building, and feasting and merry making at night. According to the records, when Christmas morning arrived, he would attend mass in his private chapel, and then walk the short distance from the palace - only a few yards - to the village church, which stands next to the palace, and celebrate the Christ Mass with his people. Then he would return to the palace and enjoy feasting and the other festivities of Christmas with his family, friends, and court.
Today, one may stand in the banquet hail of that palace, no roof above one's head, and look through one of the slit windows and see the church, its tower, and steeple. It is the tower that has caught my eye when I have been there, because there is a crown - a king's crown - on it. I have often wondered if that crown were there to signify that the king is sovereign over the church in this land, or if it symbolizes the fact that there is one King who is above all kings, even the one who lived next door. I've never had an opportunity to ask that and other questions of someone who could give a proper answer. Pilate, when Jesus stood in his judgment hail, asked some questions of Jesus - and he received some questions and answers in return that made a lot of sense to him. He had questions for the King of Kings.
1. Question number one: "Are you the King of the Jews?" To this first question, he didn't get an answer - only another question in return, which was really asking, "Where did you get this piece of information about me?"
2. Question number two: "What have you done that is so wrong that the leaders of the Jews are thirsting for your blood?" This time he got an answer from Jesus: "My kingdom is not of this world." And he went on to tell him that if he were an earthly king, he would have an army to protect him from the Jews and fight for him, if necessary. He said it twice - "My kingdom is not of this world." It is not political in nature, and no political or military threat to Rome.
3. Question number three was a statement turned into a question: "So you are a king?" Jesus' answer was a kind of "if you say so" sort of reply, but he went on to tell Pilate that he was born to this kingship, destined to bear witness to the truth about God and his relationship to his people - and to do something about reestablishing the rule of God in the world - no matter what it might cost him. "People who are of God, of the truth," he told Pilate, "will hear and comprehend the meaning of what I am saying."
4. An unanswered question: "What is truth?" But even though he turned Jesus over to the Jews for crucifixion, he must have heard at least part of the truth, because he had a sign placed on the cross, "This is the King of the Jews." He should have written, "This is the King of Kings, ruler of all people and the whole world - and the king who will reign forever."
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Daniel 7:9-14 (E); 7:13-14 (R, L)
See the studies for the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost for a sermon suggestion on this text. The preacher, in the Christian perspective, will - no doubt - see Daniel's "son of man," not simply as a symbol of the redeemed people of Israel, but of the one who was called the Son of Man and is at the same time the King of Kings.
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (C)
The sermon suggestion on this text, which the Roman Catholic and Lutheran communions assign to the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), needs to be reworked from the perspective of the King of Kings, rather than from the "Good Shepherd."
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Revelation 1:1-8 (E); 1:4b-8 (L, C); 1:5-8 (R) - "Greetings from the King."
1. Constantly and until he comes again, Jesus sends his greetings to the faithful from heaven itself, where he has begun his reign with the Father. "Grace" and "peace" comprise his greeting to the church.
2. "Grace" tells us about the gift God gave in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. "Peace" reminds us that our sins are forgiven and that eternal life is in store for all believers.
3. Christ, according to John, has made us "priests," who are to sacrifice themselves, as he did, in the service of God and for the sake of others. The "priesthood of all believers" is a response to Jesus' sacrifice for us.
4. And John assures us that Christ will come again - much as Daniel pictured the coming of the Son of man. And the One that is both alpha and omega will begin a reign on earth which will never end. Hallelujah!
The Prayer of the Day
For some reason or other, the Book of Common Prayer does not give the title, "Christ the King," to the last Sunday after Pentecost; it is simply called "Proper 29." But the readings and the other parts of the propers for the day reflect the Christ the King theme of the Sunday. Like the Lutheran Book of Worship, the Book of Common Prayer has prepared only one collect for this Sunday, but lucidly raises its petition for the unity of the people of this world under the rule of Jesus Christ, leaving petitions for his return and "full rule" for Advent:
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 befreed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now andfor ever. Amen
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 93 (E, L); 93:1-2, 5 (R) - On the first reading - and from a Christian perspective - this psalm is just about perfect for Christ the King Sunday. God is the king from the beginning of time and for eternity; he always has been and always will be the Lord and Ruler of the universe, which he created. He put that kingship into the hands of Christ, who now, as the risen and ascended Lord, rules over heaven and earth. And the work of the kingdom - proclaiming the Gospel and serving God and people in love - goes on under the sovereignty of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
This prayer underlines the significance and meaning of Christ the King Sunday quite well:
Lord Jesus, king of glory, when you rose from the grave in the power of the Spirit, you firmly established your kingdom, never to be shaken or destroyed by death. May your will be done on earth as in heaven until the church is made holy by your embrace, our Redeemer and our Lord.
The readings:
Daniel 7:9-14 (E); 7:13-14 (R, L)
This reading was considered in the homiletical study of the first reading (Daniel 7:9-14) in the Common lectionary for the Twently-sixth Sunday after Pentecost. The comments apply to Christ the King, as well. The short form of this pericope, as the Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches have appointed it, concentrates on the "son of man" theme in Daniel's vision, who appears before the throne of the "ancient of days" and receives "dominion and glory and kingdom. that all peoples, all nations, and languages should serve him." The last verse of the reading announces that his dominion will be everlasting and that his kingdom will never pass away. The church has seen Christ as the Son of man, the one in whom all these things will be true.
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (C)
The Roman Catholic and Lutheran lectionaries appointed this reading for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, which is also the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The king/shepherd dichotomy in Jeremiah finds the emphasis on the kingship of the Lord when it is read on Christ the King Sunday. Jesus has become the great Shepherd of the Sheep, who is also the King of Kings, ruling over an eternal kingdom. Other comments may be located in the materials for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost.
Revelation 1:1-8 (E); 1:4b-8 (L, C); 1:5-8 (R)
The first three verses of this reading, which the Book of Common Prayer prescribes for this Sunday, comprise an introduction to the revelation John received from the Lord God, and which convinced John that the time of Jesus' return was close at hand. The pericope, as the other churches have defined it, begins with a greeting from Jesus Christ, the living Lord, to all of the churches of Asia Minor. John proceeds to proclaim that it was Jesus, who "freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom (of) priests to his God and Father." And he announces that this Jesus "is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." Jesus speaks through John and identifies himself as the Alpha and Omega, "who is and was and who is to come, the Almighty." The King, Jesus Christ, will come again - and everyone on earth will know who he is and no one will be able to escape his judgment and rule.
John 18:33-37
The Gospels give different accounts of the trial of Jesus and, in particular, how he responded to the charge of being some sort of a false Messiah. Sometimes he is silent, and at other points in the trial he seems to want his accusers and judges to get the record right. But in John's version of the trial before Pilate, Jesus engages in a discussion with Pilate, which really consists of a series of questions and answers that finally enables Jesus to reveal himself as the king who has come into the world for non-political purposes. His business is not to lead a Jewish revolt and drive the Romans back to Rome - not at all. He has come to save people from their sins; he has come as the Messiah - and he was born to be this kind of a king. And Jesus declared that all those who are "of the truth" - that is, tuned into God and his word in a response of faith - will hear his voice and know that he is speaking the truth. After this, in the verses immediately following the pericope, Pilate asks another question, "What is truth?" And then, receiving no answer (did he really expect an answer?), he went out and told the Jews, "I find no fault in him." Of course, that didn't stop him from giving in to the crowd and condemning Jesus to death on the cross.
A Sermon on the Gospel, John 18:33-37 - "Three Questions for the King."
My wife and I love to visit castles, manor houses, and palaces, regardless of their physical condition. Some of them are only skeletons of what they once were, but others have been restored to their former glory. One of the most fascinating palaces we have ever visited was gutted out by a fire, but enough of it remains so that it is still possible to walk through most of it and gain some appreciation of what it must have been like when it was in useable condition. This palace is in Linlithgow, Scotland - about twenty miles west and north of Edinburgh. Centuries ago, when the King of Scotland was also serving as King of England, the King (one of the Stuart line) would travel from London to Linlithgow in time to celebrate St. Nicholas' Day, December 6th. In what must have been a kind of palatial manor house, which was quadrangular in shape, with a fountain in the middle of a center courtyard, the king celebrated Advent by hunting in the nearby fields or by fishing on the loch on the west side of the building, and feasting and merry making at night. According to the records, when Christmas morning arrived, he would attend mass in his private chapel, and then walk the short distance from the palace - only a few yards - to the village church, which stands next to the palace, and celebrate the Christ Mass with his people. Then he would return to the palace and enjoy feasting and the other festivities of Christmas with his family, friends, and court.
Today, one may stand in the banquet hail of that palace, no roof above one's head, and look through one of the slit windows and see the church, its tower, and steeple. It is the tower that has caught my eye when I have been there, because there is a crown - a king's crown - on it. I have often wondered if that crown were there to signify that the king is sovereign over the church in this land, or if it symbolizes the fact that there is one King who is above all kings, even the one who lived next door. I've never had an opportunity to ask that and other questions of someone who could give a proper answer. Pilate, when Jesus stood in his judgment hail, asked some questions of Jesus - and he received some questions and answers in return that made a lot of sense to him. He had questions for the King of Kings.
1. Question number one: "Are you the King of the Jews?" To this first question, he didn't get an answer - only another question in return, which was really asking, "Where did you get this piece of information about me?"
2. Question number two: "What have you done that is so wrong that the leaders of the Jews are thirsting for your blood?" This time he got an answer from Jesus: "My kingdom is not of this world." And he went on to tell him that if he were an earthly king, he would have an army to protect him from the Jews and fight for him, if necessary. He said it twice - "My kingdom is not of this world." It is not political in nature, and no political or military threat to Rome.
3. Question number three was a statement turned into a question: "So you are a king?" Jesus' answer was a kind of "if you say so" sort of reply, but he went on to tell Pilate that he was born to this kingship, destined to bear witness to the truth about God and his relationship to his people - and to do something about reestablishing the rule of God in the world - no matter what it might cost him. "People who are of God, of the truth," he told Pilate, "will hear and comprehend the meaning of what I am saying."
4. An unanswered question: "What is truth?" But even though he turned Jesus over to the Jews for crucifixion, he must have heard at least part of the truth, because he had a sign placed on the cross, "This is the King of the Jews." He should have written, "This is the King of Kings, ruler of all people and the whole world - and the king who will reign forever."
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Daniel 7:9-14 (E); 7:13-14 (R, L)
See the studies for the Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost for a sermon suggestion on this text. The preacher, in the Christian perspective, will - no doubt - see Daniel's "son of man," not simply as a symbol of the redeemed people of Israel, but of the one who was called the Son of Man and is at the same time the King of Kings.
Jeremiah 23:1-6 (C)
The sermon suggestion on this text, which the Roman Catholic and Lutheran communions assign to the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time), needs to be reworked from the perspective of the King of Kings, rather than from the "Good Shepherd."
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Revelation 1:1-8 (E); 1:4b-8 (L, C); 1:5-8 (R) - "Greetings from the King."
1. Constantly and until he comes again, Jesus sends his greetings to the faithful from heaven itself, where he has begun his reign with the Father. "Grace" and "peace" comprise his greeting to the church.
2. "Grace" tells us about the gift God gave in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. "Peace" reminds us that our sins are forgiven and that eternal life is in store for all believers.
3. Christ, according to John, has made us "priests," who are to sacrifice themselves, as he did, in the service of God and for the sake of others. The "priesthood of all believers" is a response to Jesus' sacrifice for us.
4. And John assures us that Christ will come again - much as Daniel pictured the coming of the Son of man. And the One that is both alpha and omega will begin a reign on earth which will never end. Hallelujah!
