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Reign of Christ
November 23, 2004
Jeremiah 23: 1-6
Luke 1: 68-79
Colossians 1: 11-20
Luke 23: 33-43
This is the final Sunday of the church year - traditionally the ‘Festival of Christ the King.’ Our readings invite us to worship and reflect on Jesus Chris t as the risen Lord who reigns and who will return in triumph. Some people find difficulty with the old fashioned images of kings and kingdoms and some find triumphalism hard to handle in our world of violence and pain - so, the preacher¹s task today is challenging!
Jeremiah 23: 1-6: Verses 5 and 6 are the reason for the inclusion of this passage in today¹s lectionary readings - the early church, searching back through the Old Testament, recognised Jesus as the righteous king being foretold. Verses 1 to 4 are very like Ezekiel 34 - national leaders are likened to shepherds who, instead of nurturing and protecting their flocks, abuse and drive their sheep away. Jeremiah pictures God as sending a righteous shepherd to gather the scatted flock and to reign as a wise, just and righteous king over Judah . Jesus uses this same strong imagery in Luke 15: 1-7 and in John 10: 1-18. In the latter passage he describes himself as the ‘good shepherd’ who lays down his life for the sheep. Here is a picture of kingship that avoids triumphalism.
Luke 1: 68-79: From deep within the birth narratives at the beginning of Luke comes this passage - the ‘Benedictus’ - spoken by Zechariah at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. This prophetic poem is about God finally acting to fulfil ancient promises in a time when God¹s chosen people were weary of oppression. Zechariah¹s own story - of nine months without being able to speak as punishment for lack of faith - reflects the experience of Israel itself. Prophecy had been silent for 200 years, now it was going to burst forth again and lead people back to a true and deep allegiance to God. The poem talks of ‘political salvation’, of the way of peace, and of sin and death itself being dealt with. This reading - in the ‘psalm slot’ - could be incorporated in a prayer of thanksgiving or adoration to Christ the King.
Colossians 1: 11-20: Verses 15 to 20 represent the ‘highest’ view of Christ in scripture; probably this ‘ Christ hymn’ was being used in the church at Colossae and has been reworked by Paul for inclusion in his letter. False teachings which Paul wanted to counter had been portraying the cosmic ‘powers’ as independent agents to be venerated in their own right. Paul portrays Christ as superior to all created things including the cosmic powers, as sharing the divine being and as the goal of creation. ‘Jewish and Greek thinkers had ideas of ‘wisdom’ and ‘logos’ as the instrument by which the world came into being. But no philosopher ever thought of wisdom/logos as the goal of creation as verse 16 announces. And, for Paul, no part of the universe is excluded’ [Ralph P Martin, 1991, ‘Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon’, Knox Press, p108]. The church, in verse 18, is described as the body of Christ - compare the great image in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. ‘He is the image of the invisible God... In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell’ [vv 15, 19]; God in his total essence, is expressed only in Christ, and not scattered through the universe, as was evidently the view of the false teachers.
Luke 23: 33-43: There is a huge contrast between this, and the epistle reading! So this passage from the heart of the crucifixion narrative is well chosen to make the crucial point that the kingship of Christ is different from all human experience of power and authority. There are many paradoxes in this reading:
- Jesus is dying a death reserved for the worst criminals yet, instead of cursing his killers he prays for them.
- One of those hanging beside him asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom [this is not a sarcastic comment] and Jesus responds by saying ‘today you will be with me in Paradise ’.
- The royal cup bearer approaches but turns out to be a Roman soldier offering him the sour wine drunk by the poor.
- Instead of being dressed in coronation robes, the clothes he is wearing are disposed of by casting lots.
- The royal announcement of his coronation is a mocking statement of his crime nailed above his head: This is the King of the Jews.
- Throughout his ministry, Jesus has associated with the wrong people [tax collectors, widows, the ritually unclean such as lepers, prostitutes...] now at last he is hailed as king, but in a spirit of mockery .
- Jesus, in dying the death reserved for traitors - the worst of sinners - although innocent is carrying the sins of those who crucify and taunt him....
Directions for Preaching:
Clearly, today, our task is to show that the crown worn by Christ is unlike all human crowns. Chris t the king is not remote and majestic, sitting at God¹s right hand in the heavens, but is the suffering Lord, bringing forgiveness, compassion, sacrificial love - the very life of heaven - to the here and now life of earth!
The triumph of the cross over death, evil, hopelessness and despair, brings new hope into our lives.
Spend some time in your sermon with Paul¹s vision and Paul¹s Christology;
Paul links at deep levels, suffering and sovereignty, cross and crown and is convinced of the continuing involvement of the God who is love in the life of our world.