A Royal Invitation

People have lots of views on kings - some good some bad. When we think about kings we perhaps inevitably think of palaces and riches, perhaps grand clothes and lots of power and influence… 

Today is Christ the King Sunday. Five years ago I received an invitation to a Royal Garden Party. It was a great privilege of course, and it was good to receive the rather grand looking invitation, but today we have a much more important invitation as we are invited to consider Jesus as king, but king of what or who? 

And to answer that, we’re invited to reflect on Jesus, who came to live amongst us 2000 years ago. Jesus, described as the king of the Jews - probably as an insult or as sarcasm, but 2000 years later, we know that in terms of influence there is no greater king that has ever lived. 

 

And we’re invited also to look at the things associated with that king - from our readings today, we hear from the book of Daniel (7:9,10,13,14), foretelling of Jesus. It says, ‘I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven…. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.’ 

 

As Daniel made the promise of Jesus, he tells us, as he told the people then, that Jesus was coming to transform the world forever, including every one of us. 

 

From the book of Revelation (1:4b-8), we heard, ‘Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

​To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

​Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.

​‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’’ 

 

Again we are reminded of the transforming power and influence of the king that is Jesus, described here as the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is again, we’re reminded, an everlasting power and authority… 

 

And then in the gospel according to John (18:33-37), we have the account of Jesus being asked by Pilate if he is the king of the Jews, and he doesn’t answer clearly – Jesus instead talks of his kingdom not being of this world, but he invites Pilate to make the judgement for himself…. 

 

And that’s what Jesus does for each one of us - he invites us to decide what we make of him. Where do we put him in our lives - do we view him as king of our lives…?

Just like Pilate we’re asked to consider the claims of Jesus, and when we’re making that judgement, perhaps we consider what sort of king he was. 

 

No palace, no grand clothes, no riches, no obvious earthly power.

He was born into humble beginnings. He lived on earth simply, speaking to people, debating with people, inviting people to follow him, and people did. 

They did because they saw something remarkable - someone who spoke with authority, authority that was reinforced by love. 

 

And Jesus wasn’t someone who just spoke of love but he showed love - in his care for those who were struggling, in his care for those who were marginalised, in his care for all… This isn’t just good news for the struggling or the marginalised by earthly standards. His care was also for people like Matthew, the tax collector and Zacchaeus another tax collector. These weren’t the poor and marginalised but they had a need, a need we all have for God… 

Augustine of Hippo wrote, ‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.’

 

So, Jesus showed love and possessed a charisma that drew people to follow him, or perhaps feel challenged and threatened by him at times, but through his words and his actions, he was offering an invitation to follow him… 

 

And then of course there was the cross which we’re invited to think about - the acceptance that Jesus would die for the wrongs others had done and would do… 

 

But that didn’t spell the end. In rising from the dead, he came to offer an even more powerful invitation, an invitation for people everywhere to follow him, to live out his example of love and compassion, to work for those who are struggling or marginalised, but also to share good news, not just with them, but with everyone - the good news of Jesus is news for everyone. This king has an invitation for all. 

 

And that invitation is to allow him to change us - to recognise that we are special ! We are already loved by the king of kings! And he wants us to continue to get to know him better day by day. 

 

In doing that he doesn’t ask much. He asks us just to follow him, to trust him, to ask him to help us be a bit more like him and to love him, not in the perfect way he loves us, but as best we can… 

 

Jesus gave Pilate the chance to make a decision about him and as we celebrate today Christ the king Sunday, we’re invited again to think about where we put Jesus… 

 

Is he someone we turn to just for comfort when we need it, someone that we adnire from history, someone we appreciate before dinner on a Sunday or is he someone who we recognise calls us to be transformed day by day, transformed not into some sort of robotic follower, but into someone who recognises more and more the gifts and riches we can have through knowing him better, and someone who has responded to that invitation to spend eternity with him. 

 

Christ the king Sunday is in my opinion a bit of a strange one, because every day could be the Christ king day if we accept his love and invite him to take the journey through life together with us…. 

 

But maybe it is good to have a reminder and that’s the reminder for today - the reflection on that invitation that he offers with love… the reflection on where we put Jesus in our lives. 

 

Next week is the beginning of a new year in the church calendar with the first Sunday in Advent... We’re invited to begin that new year with a new commitment, trusting that God will transform us, transform our churches into vibrant and active and attractive places that celebrate and share the life and love of Jesus, and transform our communities, and continue to transform the world.

 

May we respond today with that new commitment, and with the hope, trust and confidence that this is a message that really can transform everything, including us, for good… AMEN