Christ the King
Preacher: Marcia C. Wilkinson

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Luke 23:35-43

In the recent special issue of U.S. News and World Report on sacred places there is an article of particular interest to me on the King of Thailand, King Bhumibol, who is celebrating his 80th birthday.  The article revived good memories of our family living there for four years.  Our girls were four and six months when we arrived in Thailand.  Imagine the excitement of our Heather going out on her fifth birthday to see the whole city decorated in white lights, thinking people were celebrating her birthday as well as the King’s?  Today, King Bhumibol is the world’s longest serving head of state, and has brought tremendous development to Thailand.  His people revere him as a semi divine, a guiding light, and great communicator for and to his people.

The scenario in our gospel with Jesus, King of the Jews, is far different. The hostility towards Jesus seems unanimous.  Roman and Jewish leaders and soldiers alike ridicule him while the people stood by watching.  There is tension and humiliation all around Jesus and only the outsiders, Simon of Cyrene, and unidentified women, pay him any respect.  The title of “King” for Jesus was totally pejorative.

It was meant to insult.  Luke illuminates the true identity of Jesus in his account of the crucifixion.  Jesus is more than a victim.  Although things appear to be out of his control, they are not.  Rather, Jesus maintains his identity by trusting in his Father and he never wavers.  Those who mock Jesus fail miserably to understand who the person of Jesus is and the nature of his mission.  “Save yourself Jesus!”  Yet, the irony is Jesus is the only One who can save them.  So the title ‘King’, meant to be pejorative, because how could any beloved royalty be put to such a humiliating death, is correct.  Jesus is a Savior for all people and he is really King!

He did not save himself, but he did, does and will save others.  It helps us to make the comparison between kings- one given authority for this temporary life, and one given authority within temporary life to ensure eternal life in the loving presence of our Lord.  Leaders and people revere the King of Thailand because of the temporal, physical changes he brings. While, Jesus, the King brings radical, revolutionary changes that penetrate and change the heart and will.

The difference of course goes back to identity.  A man can give of himself and be devoted to rule his people.  Jesus, the divine king, is the one entrusted by God to be the suffering servant who willingly intercedes for sinners.  Forgiveness is his ultimate gift, and his kingdom will be more glorious than we can imagine.  Even the most benevolent king, dictator, leader cannot make physical life grand enough to equal the spirit filled life we have in Christ.

Who is this King Jesus for us?  Has he taken his rightful place on the throne of our hearts?  Do we trust him enough to entrust our lives to him?  Do we believe what we say about him in our statements of faith?  Do we believe his Word to us?   Is Jesus really Christ our King?

The children’s story, The Emperor’s New Clothes, by Hans Christian Anderson has always been a favorite of mine.  It is a story of false pretense.  The emperor is gullible.  He wants a new suit of clothes for a parade and his tailor goes to work on the outfit using invisible thread.  Everyone involved buys the lie about this new garment that no one can actually see.  When the day arrives for the big parade, the emperor comes through the village smiling for all his subjects.  Only his clothing is his royal underwear.  Everyone gasps at the sight yet no one speaks the truth.– except one young lad who cries out, “the Emperor has no clothes.”

It took the outspoken innocence of the child to put truth into the light.  Pretending can fool others for only a time.  Anderson in his story drives home the importance of being real, speaking the truth, and following the truth.  In the end truth pays much higher dividends, to ones integrity and especially to the soul.

Paul’s letter to the Colossians summarizes the truth for those who believe that Jesus is the true King.  … The father has made it possible for you and me to inherit the light.  Because that is what he has done:  he has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the kingdom of the Son he loves, and in Him we gain our freedom, which is the forgiveness of our sins
(Colossians 1: 13-14).

I love the people of Thailand and commend King Bhumibol on his 80th birthday for serving his people with devotion.  Thais revere their king but very few of his subjects know him personally, and no matter how he cares for them he cannot offer them the gift of salvation.

However, Jesus our king does.  Not only is he personal with his love for each of us today, his sacrificial love means we will be in his presence forever.  Advent begins next week- our time as believing Christians to prepare for Christ’s coming- not as the child but as the King of Kings.  Are there pretenses in our lives of faith that God wants to show us?  For it is God’s Hope for you and me, and hope for the world, that we know the King of Kings personally.  Amen.

Before we begin Advent next week to prepare for Christ’s coming, not as the child, but this time as the King of Kings, what is there about him that others might see the hope in him alone?