“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” Jeremiah 23:5 NIV
This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday. Though it may not be one of the most well-known days in the church year, it does play a significant role in the church calendar.
For one, it marks the end of the church year. This Sunday is the last day of the church liturgical or church calendar. The church year has a yearly rhythm to it that flows through seasons, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. A new liturgical year starts with Advent the following Sunday, the time when the church prepares for the coming of the Christmas, the coming of the Christ child.
And it is no coincidence that the Sunday before Advent begins is Christ the King Sunday.
As the name suggests Christ the King Sunday is a day when we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, Lord of all. It is a time when we should be challenged with the question of whether Christ is Lord, Lord of our life, Lord of all nations, Lord of everything. Whose rules do we go by, what drives us, what are our values in life, does our relationship with Christ have any effect on how we live our lives? It’s easy to say of course Christ is Lord of my life with our lips, yet how often are we confronted with situations that slap us in the face to makes us rethink our answer.
The honest-to-good reality of the Kingship of Christ is that it stands in stark contrast to the ways of the world. Living as Christ lived is not self-seeking but self-sacrificing for others. It is not desiring to be master over others but being a servant to others. It is not just loving those who love us back, but even loving our enemies. It is not distancing ourselves from other people and holding grudges when we’ve been wronged, but desiring reconciliation, seeking forgiveness. It is not relying on our own resources, but trusting in God that drives our lives. Making Christ King is not just giving Him the title but giving Him your life.
Our true hope comes from our faith in God in bringing about His Kingdom, whose King will be, as stated in the Scripture reading in Jeremiah, “a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” Living with Christ as King in your life strives to bring about that Kingdom. And living with Christ as King in our life and in our world means that we belief that His righteous Kingdom will someday be realized and that His Kingdom is the true hope for all of creation.
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