Christ the King

A Sermon from November 24, 2013 - The Festival of "Christ the King" - based on Luke 23:33-49.  The audio recording was taken at the Praise and Worship service at Bethany.

Luke 23:33-49

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.  Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing.  And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”  The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”  There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”  One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.  When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.”  And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.  But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. 



    The cross is our theology.  This simple statement points to the heart of how Martin Luther understood our relationship with God.  The cross stands at the center of what Luther taught and preached during his life and ministry.  The cross is written into what we confess and how we live out our faith.  We have inherited this focus from the generations before us and we pass it down to our children.  A cross is the center point of our sanctuary.  When you walk in you can’t help but see it suspended behind the alter.  It is so prevalent in our midst that I wonder sometimes if we even notice.  Hidden in plain sight is the cross, the heart of our theology.  We encounter it on jewelry and t-shirts so much that perhaps we look past it.  And yet we are faced with it’s reality this morning.  
    And it may seem odd to find the cross in the cold winds of November.  We left the cross back in April, on Good Friday.  We left it standing empty on a hill outside of Jerusalem.  We celebrated the empty tomb and the Easter miracle of Christ’s resurrection.  As the church year flows, the cross is behind us.  Among the Christmas lights and trees popping up around town and on TV, the cross makes an interesting contrast.  Next to the mangers of the nativity the cross may seem like a harsh reality - let us celebrate his birth before his death.  But here the cross stands.  And its at the feet of the crucified Christ that we find ourselves this morning. 
    Today we celebrate Christ the King, also known as the Reign of Christ; the final festival of the church year.  We adorn the church in gold and white and festival before we enter into the blue and waiting of Advent.  Today is the day we celebrate the lordship of Christ in our midst. 
    It’s actually a rather late aspect of the church’s life on this earth.  The festival of “Christ the King,” or the “Reign of Christ,” does not get introduced into the church’s calendar until 1925.  Pope Pius XI introduces this festival to the world in order to combat the rise of nationalism and secularism.  This festival was born in the shadow of the first world war.  The victors were celebrating, the pride of victory spilling over into the rise of a more secular society.  Humanity had won a hard fought victory through weapons, not God.  It was into this environment that the Pope pointed to Christ.  The world needed to be reminded of God’s gift for all people.  Nationalism and secularism needed to be kept at bay so the pope pointed to Christ.  And still to this day we celebrate the reign of Christ. 
    But today we find Christ on the cross and not on a throne.  Today we hear the story of Christ’s crucifixion and death.  If we are celebrating lordship and the festival of a king, perhaps we chose the wrong one.  The figure hanging on the cross does not resemble a king.  He does not resemble a person of power.  In the context of the story, which is to say the context of Rome, he is a criminal, and is receiving his state approved sentence.  Jesus is labeled as a threat to the state and so he must be dealt with accordingly.  The cross was used by Rome to send a clear message; we control life and death.  The empire controlled life under it’s watch.  It set the boundaries of what as acceptable and if you threatened these rules or broke them, you paid the price.  The cross was a statement of control.  Left in public spaces, at crossroads, and along major highways, the crosses of crucified rebels send a clear message to steer clear of questioning Rome’s power as if to say, “Do not defy us or we will crush you.”  A loud and clear statement with a cross.  And this is where we find Jesus.
    But the picture Luke’s paints of Jesus on the cross does not look like a broken, humbled Jesus.  If the goal was to destroy Jesus’ sense of self and mission, the cross has not worked.  Luke shows Jesus in control of himself and the circumstances.  Though he is indeed crucified by Rome, Jesus is still ministering to those in need. 
    From the cross Jesus forgives those who are crucifying him.  “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  The ministry of Jesus was about reaching out and healing those on the margins, and this ministry continues from the cross.  He reaches out to those on the margins once more, speaking a word of forgiveness to those whose job it is to kill and silence the detractors of the empire.  Those who deal in death live farthest from the fruits of life, but not from the mercy of Jesus.  Jesus remains the healer.  Jesus releases them from their captivity to death, and in the face of death speakers words of healing and forgiveness.  
    From the cross Jesus speakers words of new life to the criminal who defends him.  In the face of jeers from the crowd, the calls for Jesus to save himself in a display of divine power, Jesus chooses to reach out to one in need with a more subtle display of power.  The second criminal, hanging on his own cross, dares to ask Jesus to remember him when he reaches his kingdom.  It is a treasonous statement.  The criminal, crucified for his defiance of Rome, has not gotten the message.  He looks to Jesus and sees one who is bringing a new kingdom into the world.  A kingdom that belongs to God.  A kingdom that brings hope and healing to a people crushed under the weight of death.  “Jesus, remember me when you come into you kingdom.”  And Jesus extends a hand of welcome.  Even from the cross the boundaries of God’s kingdom has no limits. 
    From the cross Jesus displays his trust in God, who has sent him into the world to preach and heal.  “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”  Jesus has remained faithful to his ministry for the sake of God’s kingdom, even through the humiliating work of the cross.  Jesus trusts that God can bring healing, even through the most unimaginable events.  And God does bring healing, and new life through the cross. 
    Today we celebrate Jesus Christ, a king enthroned on a cross.  It is a paradox.  It does not make sense to a world that expects a king to rule from a throne.  It was unexpected at the time of Jesus and I dare say things have not changed all that much.  And so for us who follow Jesus, the message of the crucified Christ is still an imperative for our lives.  
    “We preach Christ, and him crucified,” as Paul wrote in his first letter to the church in Corinth.  And this remains our calling today.  The world needs to be reminded of the healing power of God’s kingdom.  A kingdom that does not conform to the world’s standard’s of power, but to God’s boundless mercy and love.  This world needs the good news of the cross. 
    We live in a nation that spends more annually on weapons and war than it does on education.  In the face of this reality of death we preach Christ crucified, God’s love poured out for the world.  This bold statement points to the reality that’s God’s kingdom is more powerful than death.  That through the love of God poured out on the cross we can come together in peace and build a better world. 
    We are taught to fear our boarders and those who cross them.  We are taught to fear our neighbors and the strangers in our midst.  To this broken image of community we preach Christ crucified and the power of God that tears down boarders and teaches us to love.  Even our enemies.  This is a powerful witness to the community of God’s kingdom where all have a place at the table.  
    The cross, the symbol of absolute power for an earthly empire, is turned into a life giving symbol through the death and resurrection of Christ.  Through the cross God draws all things to himself.  There is no evil or sin too great for the power of God.  Jesus displayed this radical power by enduring the cross.  And we celebrate this victory today. 
    Christ is our King.  The cross is our theology.  This is our way of faith.  This is our story.