The King of Love, Our Shepherd

Christ the King

For November 22, 1998

Luke 23; Colossians 1

It is a statement of faith to say "Jesus is Lord!" Every time we pray the Lord's Prayer we mouth the words of God's purpose in Creation, and in making humankind. That will is that finally God's kingdom will come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. But too often it seems that God's will clearly is not being done on earth as it is in heaven. Our century has seen more martyrs to the Christian faith than all the previous nineteen put together. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way (Hebrews 2: 8 - 11 )

". . . now we see not yet all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren."

In the middle of the way things are— in the world— in our nation— and in our personal lives, it is a statement of faith to say, "Jesus is LORD!" It is the very heart of our faith to believe that God so loved the world that he sent us his Son, and to believe that Son of God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

CHRIST IS KING

Colossians 1:11 20

Our King is God Almighty

In Colossians 1 Paul describes our 'incomparable Christ', our King. John calls Jesus 'the Word", Paul here calls him "the image of the invisible God." He says that all things were created by Him, and that he is the heir of all creation. He is the head of the church, the pioneer of resurrection from the dead, and through Him the Father holds all things together in heaven and on earth. As God our Lord Jesus Christ is Creator, Sustainer, and King of light and life.

• Our King was the power that created all things. He is before all things, and all things are held together in HIM. In our KING we have the WORD on God, on how to relate to the Eternal.
• Our King is Flesh and Blood

  The passage also makes it plain that our King is fully human. (Col . 1:22 . . .He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body) He is the HOPE of what we shall be, and the means of our complete acceptance into the life and fellowship of the New Covenant. Through the whole year we celebrate the divinity and the humanity of our King. He was the Eternal Son, but he came to a manger to be One with us. He lived with us thirty-three years, and taught by living and speaking. And then . . .

• Our King was Crucified
• Our king died on a cross . . . but he was not a martyr.

  Nor was he a victim. He was not helpless to save himself, as those who watched him die said.

• Our king showed us how to live, but that was not the heart of why he came.
• Our king showed us how to die, but that was not why he came, finally, either.
• Our king came to fight battles for us which we cannot comprehend. He came because he loves us, and I cannot understand that, either.
• Our King was Crucified- but that is not the end of the story.

CHRIST IS KING

It is interesting/ fascinating the way we humans understand time in relation to our God. We have a God who IS, and who WAS and who IS TO COME. We call him the Eternal. We speak of Christ's Coming, and of his Coming Again. We have a Christ who CAME, and who COMES, and who IS HERE, and yet WHO WILL COME. But we only need one tense to describe the reign of Jesus. Jesus IS Lord! JESUS IS KING! Jesus WAS KING when he lay in the manger in Bethlehem, and when his family fled Herod to Egypt. Jesus WILL BE KING when he comes in splendor and glory. But in Christ's kingdom, there is never a time when Jesus is NOT KING!

Still, I admit this passage from Luke seems a strange setting for celebrating "Christ the King Sunday." The picture is anything but regal and majestic. We see our great king in the midst of his greatest battle.

Some people thought he was merely weak. His whole mission was just empty words. Some people hurled abuse on him. Some said, "If he really was Messiah he would save himself." After he died even his executioner recognized he was a righteous man. But amid this scene I shrink back from trying to describe there was one person most unlikely to recognize the majesty of our king, and yet that person did just that. That person was 'Dismas', who was dying on a cross next to our Savior.

Dismas spoke these words: Lord, remember me! Remember me when you come into your KINGDOM! For Jesus was king even on that cross. Especially on that cross!

The word that Jesus spoke to Dismas in reply was IMMEDIACY! It was a promise of Presence! "I am here with you now. This very day you enter my kingdom." No chance to be baptized. Dismas was not a church member. He never had a chance to do any good works at all. He just said, "Lord, remember me!"

There is too much here for superficial comprehension. More than we can quickly grasp. Plenty to study and meditate about regarding our own crossing into 'eternity'. Jesus' body would be in a tomb before the day was finally ended. Yet Jesus said, "THIS DAY you will be with Me in Paradise!" Paradise is the word the Bible uses for the Garden of Eden. The Cross, and the Resurrection bring us full circle in Creation by a New Adam into New Life, and New Kingdom– not just some time in the misty tomorrows– although that also is true– but the word from the king is, "Today you shall be with Me in Paradise!"

Nothing Jesus ever did was wasted. Nothing was left out that we need.

• It was not just the coming to us in our flesh, but that was necessary.
• It was not just the 'but I say unto you' authority that spoke of a New Covenant, but they were necessary also.
• It was not just the dying on the cross. Mystery, holy mystery! How necessary this is!
• It was not just the resurrection from the dead.
• It was not just the ascension to the Throne.

But it is all of these and more that are involved when we say by faith

Jesus is Lord, He is the King of Kings.

Do we dare say JESUS IS LORD in the light of what has happened this century? Of course we do! We do not dare to say anything less! There is POWER in the statement JESUS IS LORD!

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

There is POWER in the statement "JESUS IS LORD!"" The thief prayed, "Lord, remember me!" "Remember me," is the cry of us all. In our King Jesus God is telling us that wherever we are we do not have to be forgotten. There is blessed assurance that TODAY WE CAN BE WITH JESUS. Wherever we are on our spiritual journey God is just a prayer away. On the stormy seas of life, in the calm seasons of prosperity and blessedness, or even on the cross of pain we can pray the prayer that Dismas prayed: LORD, REMEMBER ME! And we will ALWAYS receive the same reply that Dismas received; TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME! IN MY KINGDOM!

Do you dare to make that deliberate affirmation from the heart today:

JESUS IS LORD! JESUS IS MY LORD! I BELIEVE HE IS MY SAVIOR!

You may have known Jesus all your life– maybe you have been baptized as a child- maybe not- but you never have known the full and blessed assurance that you are saved totally by his grace, and not your own works.

Make Jesus KING of your life today! Say publicly, "Jesus is LORD!"

Pray with me: Bow your head, close your eyes: Maybe you have said from your heart before God: JESUS IS MY LORD! I BELIEVE HE IS THE SAVIOR WHO DIED AND ROSE AGAIN. BUT I NOW BELIEVE HE IS MY LORD!

Maybe you have said it many times but you do not have the blessed assurance. Say it with me again, all who will: 'JESUS IS LORD!

Would you like to publicly confess that NEW or RENEWED allegiance?

PRAYER

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.