This Sunday we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. It is a feast day that ends the liturgical year and introduces the new cycle taking us into the Advent season. I believe that it is a wonderful tradition to celebrate Christ’s messianic kingship and sovereign rule over all creation. It tells the end of the story even as we prepare ourselves for a new liturgical year, ushering in the incarnate baby Jesus born to His mother, Mary, in Bethlehem.
Jesus was intentional and clear with His disciples about having a “kingdom mindset.” Preaching the good news of the coming eternal kingdom of God was central to the teaching of Jesus from the beginning of His public ministry throughout.
In His final evening with the disciples, He made some key comments. When He instituted the Lord’s Table service, He presented the elements of the bread and wine, symbolizing His broken body and spilled blood. He declared that He would not eat these again with them until they were regathered in the kingdom of heaven.
As He was preparing the disciples to manage with His absence, He gave them strong words of encouragement.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. John 14:1-4 NIV
Even after Jesus was resurrected, and just before He ascended back to the Father, the disciples had their minds fixed on when Jesus, the King, would restore the kingdom to Israel. Unfortunately, it seems they were thinking of the benefits of a physical kingdom with a keen desire to be delivered from Roman rule. They missed the fuller meaning.
At the Last Supper, Jesus intimated that the point of the kingdom was to be with Him. The kingdom is about relationships. The apostle Paul amplified this understanding in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (NIV).
Paul’s short verse profoundly describes the abundant life humanity can and will have in Christ. It is the “kingdom life” we are meant for with our King.
Let’s break down the righteousness, peace, and joy that comes from God, the Holy Spirit.
Righteousness means everything that is virtuous and good — everything, streaming from the virtuous, perfect nature of Father, Son, and Spirit. All good gifts flow from God!
What if we engage our thoughts with “throne room” realities where we are seated together with Christ? Whoa! Can we really do that? As kingdom citizens now, let’s make a spiritual practice of having our minds go there.
Peace is more than the absence of strife; it is harmonious interaction with our neighbors. You may recall the famous quote uttered during the 1992 Los Angeles riots by the victim of police brutality, Rodney King, “Can’t we just all get along?” The answer to Mr. King’s question is a resounding “yes,” we can all get along, and we will in the realized kingdom of God.
The fullness of the kingdom will be the fulfillment of the Great Commands to love God with our entire being, and to truly and selflessly love our neighbor.
This peace is about goodwill in all relationships.
No more misunderstandings.
No more hurtful words.
No more stepping on the other to get ahead.
No judgment or contempt.
No malice.
There will be just, whole, peaceful relationships among all of God’s children.
Joy is our internal thinking and feeling about self, and the absence of negative, destructive self-talk. Many of us are our own worst critic. How many of us dominate ourselves with internal thoughts like:
“I’m not good enough or smart enough.”
“I can’t ever get it right” (when we demand perfection from ourselves).
“I’m such an idiot” (when we identify with labels that others have thrust upon us).
“Nothing goes right for me” (when perhaps our plane flight was delayed because of bad weather).
You get the point. On the other hand, I think about the uplifting, reassuring lyrics from the Christian band Casting Crowns, and their song, “The Voice of Truth.” Here are a few lines:
The waves they keep on telling me Time and time again. “Boy, you’ll never win!” “You’ll never win!”
But the voice of truth tells me a different story The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!” The voice of truth says, “This is for My glory” Out of all the voices calling out to me I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth!
It will take the fullness of the kingdom to completely eradicate and eliminate our self-doubt and negative self-talk, but oh there is joy to come!
Nestled in Romans 14, this tiny, little verse truly describes the eutopia that our inner beings and all creation long and groan for. The righteousness, peace, and joy that God has designed and will accomplish is what Christ the King Sunday is all about.
Keep in mind that Jesus is not only preparing heaven for us, but He is also preparing us for heaven. So, in 2025 our GCI annual theme is going to be “Kingdom Life.” I expect 2025 to be a fruitful year for GCI.
