Christ the King

This Sunday in many churches around the world, Christ the King Sunday will be celebrated. It is a day when the Kingship of Jesus is front and center. It is the last Sunday of the church year, which leads us into Advent – our preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. You know, Christmas. 😉 

Jesus’ ancestry includes many of the kings of Judah/Israel on His human side. King David is probably the most well-known of these kings. We don’t often think about Jesus being descended from earthly kings.

We often look at Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords. While His life on this planet was humble and lowly – from His birth to His death – His deity was also on display in many ways. 

Think of all the miracles He did during His lifetime. From turning water into wine to raising the dead, He did things only God could have done. He healed the sick, fed thousands with little food, and caught the hearts of thousands of followers. 

At His Transfiguration, He was glorified and Peter, James, and John saw Him in all of His Godly glory.

The Book of Revelation is full of references to Jesus’ Kingship. In fact, our passage for this week claims that He is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

We openly acknowledge the fact that Christ is King. But do we live that out in all that we say and do? Is Christ the King of our heart or are there other things that take priority when that is not convenient? 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom of God. I wonder if we all do that all the time. Or do we just pay it lip service and forget it when  it’s not comfortable for us to do so? 

There are so many implications for us because of Jesus’ Kingship. Jesus humbled Himself and came to earth to live as a human for us and so that we could be freed from the bondage of sin. I don’t know of any earthly kings who would have done the same. 

Jesus’ Kingship allows us to be called Children of God. We are princes and princess in the Court of God the Father because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It must pain Jesus and God – and the Holy Spirit – that so many other things take first place in our lives. 

Money, material possessions, sex, alcohol and drugs, friendships and family. Not that all of these are bad things in and of themselves. But when they take first place in our hearts, that is a problem. That is idolatry.

Jesus should always be first in our hearts. When he was younger, one of our grandboys asked me what I would do if my family wanted me to turn my back on Jesus. I told him I would leave my family behind. While he didn’t like my answer, it would be the same today. 

I don’t always act like Jesus is the King of my heart. I am a human and a sinner. But I strive to make Him the center of everything I am and everything I do. I want Him to hold that sacred place because of all that He has done for me. 

I pray that we would all keep Jesus as King of our hearts. I pray that, when it comes to who we serve and who we honor as King, that it would always be the One who sacrificed everything for us on the Cross – then rose again to seal the deal. 

Blessings, 😊 Ceri