Sermon from Nov. 24, 2024, by the Rev. Dr. Tara W. Bulger

Second Lesson John 18:33-37

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”

Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?”

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Is He Safe?

In C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, three characters are talking about Aslan, the great king of the Wood who is also the Christ figure of the story. The young girl, Susan, is expressing her worry over meeting Aslan.

“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

He’s the king, I tell you. Today is Christ the King Sunday—a day when we contemplate all that Christ means in our lives and his lordship over ours.

Two Kingdoms

Our passage today has two competing kingdoms. The first is the kingdom of Rome. Jesus has been brought before Pilate because the religious authorities have claimed that Jesus professes to be king. In Jesus interaction with Pilate he doesn’t come right out and claim to be king. But he does tell us this: that the kingdom of Rome is not his kingdom. That the kingdom of this world, which values strength and power and might, is not the kingdom Jesus is from. In fact, if you want to know what the kingdom of Jesus is like, you need only remember that all the discussions about Jesus’ kingdom come in the shadow of the cross. This discussion of Jesus’ kingdom comes right before his passion and it is Pilate who demands the sign, “King of the Jews,” be placed over Jesus’ head on the cross. If you want to know what kind of kingdom Jesus comes from, it is one where sacrificial love holds all the power. In Jesus’ kingdom, it is self-giving love and service that matter.

The Truth

But Jesus also tells us this: that his primary purpose is to testify to the truth.

“You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

What is truth, Pilate will retort in the next few verses. What is truth for us today, when there are so many competing news stories, when even facts are debated in terms of perspective. What is truth?

Truth is the very person of Jesus Christ himself. The truth that Jesus testifies to is that if we want to know God’s very self we look first and always to the person of Christ—who he is and what he did. We look to Christ to see the very will of God laid bare. And if we see the truth of God—all God is and all God cares about, the power and authority of Almighty God—when we see this in Jesus, then Jesus’ kingdom becomes our own, and he will be our king. We cannot see the truth of Jesus Christ, we cannot hear his voice, and not turn over our whole lives to his kingdom.

Is he safe? Is turning our lives over to Christ safe? No, but He is good—perfect love and justice—he’s the king, I tell you.

Baptism

Today we get to celebrate the sacrament of baptism as new members join the church. In our baptism, we have all declared Christ the King of our lives. Let us live into our baptismal promises together.