Christ the King: Past Present and Future
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33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate.
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Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits[a] before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him” and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”So shall it be! Amen.8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
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Christ the King festival was moved in 1970 to be celebrated on the last Sunday of the church year. A fitting end and a great opportunity to emphasise what Christ the King means to us today. Outside the Church it the festival and He the King means nothing today. Yet it is everything to us! When you study kings & heroes, you get a real sense of past. Our reading from Rev 1:4 to 8 describes Jesus as ‘alpha and omega, who is, who was and who is to come’
Let us look at this celebration in those three tenses: 1. Was - Past 2. Is - Present 3. Is to Come - Future
1 The Past
2 The Present
3 The Future
The Past
In 1987, at the age of 20 Mike Tyson was the youngest boxer to win a world heavyweight title. Tyson is a king of the ring of the past. Tyson still boxing at 58, defeated by Jake Paul 27 on Friday 15/11/24 – the King of the ring is a ‘has been.’
When we declare Jesus, king of kings we proclaim him king of past present & future. He spans time and eternity. Pilate asked Jesus a political question in John 18:33ff ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’‘You’ is emphatic. Jesus answers by asking him question 18:34 “Is that your own idea or did others talk to you about me?” Jesus is challenging Pilate, is this personal for you Pilate, where do you stand on this, about me? It is a question for some of us here today – where do you stand on this – Who is Jesus for you. Everything?
I am not a political king v36 my kingdom is not of this world. I came to bear witness to the truth. Jesus is saying I am sovereign to those who follow him.
Witness to the truth about God, his justice, his love, word, truth that God almighty reigns “Ends of the earth, see the salvation of your God, Jesus is Lord, is Lord, before the nations He has bared His holy arm. Our God Reigns”
Revelation 1:5 speaks of Jesus Christ who (past tense) ‘has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.’
What an exaltation, that is Christ the King born in Bethlehem and died to free us from our sins 2000 yrs ago. There is no sense of past glory
Revelation 1:6 ‘to him be glory and power forever and ever.’
Christ the King is unique – He endured the cross, past - but the victory is ongoing.
In John 19:5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to the [crowd] “Here is the man!” Ecco Homo. The crowd yelled crucify him. Pilate’s judgement was that he finds no fault in him. When we say the creed we say Jesus ‘born of virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate’ - not Caesar nor Herod. Pilate stands King Jesus in a loin cloth and crown of thorns before the mob. Pilate’s judgement was this: ‘I find no fault in him.’ Pilate plays this vital role in God’s Redemption plan. Hence his place in the Apostles Creed.
John 19:9 Pilate interrogates Jesus again. But Jesus said nothing. He bowed his head like a ‘Lamb to slaughter.’ That is King Jesus, no hero, no Mike Tyson - a king who wouldn’t speak back in his own defence at his own trial (lamb of God). If you believe and follow him he is the way to eternal life (John 3:16). Last week’s challenge was that you must be born again - John 3:3, it is the only way to life eternal.
On the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square at this new millennium a statue of Christ the King was stoot. He had just a loin cloth and a crown of thorns. It depicted this scene from John 18, Christat his trial before Pontius Pilate (It was sculptured by Mark Wallinger). Until 2017 he stood in Trafalgar Square with past greats like Admiral Nelson and Charles 1st Geoorge lV & others. After that he was moved to the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral. Today in September 2024 He has been replaced by 850 plaster casts of transgender and non-binary people by Mexican artist Teresa Margolles. It is a metaphor of how we are dethroning Jesus in western society today and replacing Christ the King with self as king – think of it! We have replaced the one who Rev 1:5 says ‘loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father, to him be glory and power for ever and ever Amen
The past could not contain him
The Present
Rev 1:4 Was and IS - Jesus is King of the present.
Mike Tyson had his time of glory; undisputed king of the ring - past but not present (age caught up with him) and not future because mortality will catch up with him.
Revelation 1:4-6 is a clear statement of Jesus Christ present and triumphant. “Grace and peace 5 from Jesus Christ, who is the [1] faithful witness, [2] the firstborn from the dead, and [3] the ruler of the kings of the earth.”
Let us think about those 3 things about Jesus in all his present glory [1] the faithful witness – [2] First born from the dead. [3] Ruler of the kings of the earth (We will come back to number 3 at the end).
[1] Faithful Witness - John in exile is writing this to encourage his readers – churches Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea – pressure is on them to drift from God. Faced with all these pressures John describes Jesus as ‘Faithful witness’ even unto death. John is saying do not be overcome. It is a word of encouragement despite the pressures- stay with Jesus, the one who is.
[2] Jesus is – present tense because he came back to life 1st born of the dead. 1st born means there will be others. Jesus’ resurrection defeated death – the sting of death was taken. It was not possible for death to hold him. Not just because God is great but because death had no claim on Jesus. He was born sinless and lived sinless so death had no claim on him. His death was in our death 2 Cor 5:21, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Jesus is always present, our ever-present help (Ps 46:1).
Christ is the king the past could not contain.
How is he present today in this church? C t K sent his Holy Spirit (see Revelation 1:4) upon his followers (you and I). That’s how he is present. St Theresa of Avila said ‘He has no hands but yours’ to love, serve, heal, and share good news to others. As you reach out and give out. If you are humble and generous with your money, possessions and yourself and faithful in holiness, Christ the King is present today, thro’ you and I. I could of course, give an illustration from our church serving in various ways, Messy Church, Open the Book in schools, Thursday meals and more but there is a story from 4th Centaury.
Martin of Tours AD316-397, Roman Soldier, Cold and locked outside his city gates after curfew. It was Winter and perishingly cold. There was also Beggar stranded outside. No shelter, no food. Martin cut his (Capella) cape in half and wrapped a half round the beggar. That night Martin had a dream. In the dream he saw in heaven all the angels gathered round Jesus in the centre. He was wearing a cape. One opf the Angels said to him, ‘Lord, why wearing a cape’.
Jesus replied, my servant Martin gave it to me.’ We celebrate St Martins Day on 11 November each year.
Christ the King is present today by his Holy Spirit and thro you spreading your clock over those in need and testifying to his mercy and goodness to you.
The Future
There’s one thing which no other king can promise or fulfil and that’s a king who will come back again as the king of the age to come.
Revelation 1:7 states “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be!
He is coming…every eye will see (even those who pierced him, mocked, ignored) So it is to be!
Notice the certainty. In the Bible the 2nd coming is mentioned more often than the 1st Advent of Jesus [accepted as fact]. So I’m putting my money on Jesus coming again.
Christ the King is quite a new festival in the church year. It goes back only to the late 1800's, when Empires: British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese, were all powerful. The pope at that time wrote a letter dedicating the world to Christ the King, reminding the empires that only God is all-powerful.
We have no idea what the future holds, [3] Rev 1:6 ‘Ruler of the kings of the earth’ - Do you think Putin, Netanyahu, Trump, Starmer, King Charles 3rd - Rulers and kings of the earth are the most powerful people? Rev 1:6 says the Risen Ascended King Jesus is ruler of kings of the earth.
In the second interrogation (John 19:11) Pilate said ‘I have the power to crucify you, Jesus said you only have that power because it is part of God's plan. Pilate says ‘I can finish you off’ and Jesus says ‘go on then, and all you will do let's make me saviour of the world, you will raise me upon a cross and all will be drawn to me.’ The former Soviet Union is in a mess, the Middle East is in turmoil but there is one whose kingdom is not of this world, and He alone is all powerful and he gave his life for you, he holds your future in his hands. He is Christ the King and he will return and take us to be with himself one day. Come today and worship the lamb enthroned on High.
The Alpha and the Omega who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
