Icon written by Marcia Allison from St. James in Ormond Beach.

Christ the King; the Last Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 29
Year C

Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 46
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43

At the heart of the Christian faith is the kingship of Jesus.  The word ‘gospel’ means good news. And gospel announcements, particularly in the ancient world, were announcements of caesarship, lordship — kingship.  Thus, the good news is that Jesus is King.  

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4ff, St. Paul gives us, as it were, a technical definition of the Gospel.  These verses are, perhaps, an early Christian creed dating back to the 30s. Paul writes: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3-4, ESV).  These verses are the heralding of the Crucified and Risen King; for ‘Christ’ is not a surname but a title.  Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah, that is, the King of the Jews and, therefore, the Lord of the world.

And this announcement and unveiling of the King of kings is good news because the arrival of the king means the arrival of justice.  The collect for Sunday begins, “Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in thy well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (emphasis mine).  The Old Testament lesson, Jeremiah 23:1-6, speaks of the Shepherd, that is, the King (for ‘shepherd’ in the ancient world is virtually synonymous with ‘king’) holding the bad shepherds to account.  And the Good Shepherd-King’s name is “The Lord is our Righteousness” (v. 6). In other words, the one who brings saving justice, who puts things right according to his covenant faithfulness.  

Moreover, the heralding of a king is often the announcement of a victory.  The trumpets are sounded because King Jesus has won the victory over sin, death, and the devil.  As the God-man savior of the world he has become king on earth as in heaven, reclaiming in the battle at Calvary every square inch of the cosmos as his dominion — “all things have been created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16, emphasis mine).

Jesus, then, is the victorious king.  But the way in which Jesus won victory; the way in which he became the conquering king; the way in which he yields power (see Matt. 20:25); the way in which he treats his subjects, his sons and daughters (for what is a kingdom except an extended family?) is radically different than what one may expect or find.  For as the collect says, Christ the King brings a “most gracious rule,” and this most gracious rule is ushered in “through the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20).

The coronation of King Jesus was unlike anything the world had ever seen.  It certainly wasn’t what they expected, disciples included. The Cross, on the surface, didn’t look much like victory, like deliverance, like the beginning of a new age — quite the opposite:  Adorned, mockingly, with a purple robe. Crowned with a crown of thorns. Enthroned on a cross between two thieves, “one on his right and one on his left” (Luke 23:33). 

But veiled in humility is the most glorious victory of all.  For by the Cross of Christ, Satan is struck down. By the blood of Christ, our sins are washed away.  By the death of Christ, death is defeated. Christ the King has won the victory and this is good news, the best news — the Gospel.

Soon, we will enter the season of Advent, a season where we anticipate and prepare for the birth and arrival of our king.  And as we live between the advents of our Lord, we can take heart in the knowledge that the Prince of Peace is, at present, King over all.  We can take heart that he has overcome the world (John 16); that he has achieved victory by the Cross and that that victory will be fully realized at the Last Day when the gracious rule and reign of heaven will come fully and finally on earth.  Thus, because Christ is King, we can rest in the words of Psalm 46: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

The Rev. Matt Ainsley is the priest of the new church plant All Souls Episcopal Church in Horizon West.