Lectionary for Christ the King.

Lectionary for Christ the King

Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible. Colossians 1:15-16

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

Reading. Colossians 1:11-20. In this portion of Colossians Paul is offering a prayer to God for the believers who receive this letter. As such he is giving thanks for Christ’s Cross and resurrection which has generated the power to deliver each believer to a new status, inheritors of the gifts that God gives; namely redemption and forgiveness of sin. This redemption has effectively moved them from the kingdom of evil opposition to God, into the blessings of God’s Kingdom which gives light and life, and so to a freedom which brings peace and the opportunity to enjoy life to the full.

Paul then leaps from this blessing into a description of Jesus Christ, the Son through what is believed to be an early Christian hymn. Paul is giving thanks for the incarnation for it is through the incarnation that we can see Jesus and by seeing Jesus we see a description of God himself. The incarnation makes visible the invisible God! Without the incarnation we would not have seen God, God would essentially have been unknowable.

The encompassing of “all things” means that through Jesus Christ everything that is was created by him and is under his control.  Thus Paul is highlighting the ultimate supremacy of Jesus Christ.

As we read this section we remember that we have almost three centuries since the “enlightenment” began to influence our understanding of reality. This has influenced our thinking and has guided us towards a more spiritual understanding of Jesus. The early followers of Jesus had a different perspective for they had known him as a man. For them the reality of his deity was hard to grasp whilst for us it is the reality of his humanity we find more difficult to fully grasp. Paul is emphasising a man who was really human while at the same time being fully God is both Sovereign and Saviour. As ruler of all he has redeemed all, more over he has done this as a human being. This is an astounding ministry of grace and mercy. The result of this ministry is that through the cross the whole of creation can now be at peace and with God as God has always intended. This is the Lordship that results from the victory on the cross. As the old hymn said, Hallelujah! What a Saviour! (Philip P. Bliss 1785)

Prayer. Holy Lord, we your children lift our hands in prayer and thanksgiving that you would come and live this human life. What strength and love have you shown as you placed your infant life into the hands of sinful humanity. What hidden depths of brokenness were revealed by your humiliation on the cross; yet for such as us you came. We stand amazed at the sacrifice of grace, and we are in awe that through such love you have placed us into God’s loving care. We rejoice that as your children we now are free, and by the power of your Holy Spirit we are empowered to serve your plan and purpose. We your children rise up and praise your name. Giving all glory to you, O Lord our God. Amen.

Reading. Luke 23:33-43. The crucifixion is central to the Christian faith for it was on the cross that the salvation of humanity was achieved. Such was the degrading horror of crucifixion that it was reserved for slaves or criminals who were considered a danger to the Roman Empire, only very rarely did Roman citizens have to face crucifixion. Despite the horror of crucifixion the gospel writers do not dwell on the physical agony, rather it was the significance of the event rather than the event itself which they wanted to promote. (Historically speaking no description would have been necessary for every Roman subject would have been well aware of the horror crucifixion inflicted.)

What Luke does describe is the number of scriptural prophecies the crucifixion of Jesus fulfilled; condemned as a criminal, in a public place, laid to rest with the rich, wounded for our transgressions among others.

However, of equal importance was the record that this one was the king of the Jews. For us “king” represents only a title for the ultimate power that kingship brought in the ancient world has been lost to our experience. In its historical context the title carried with it a whole package of ideas and understanding. It signified that this man was the Messiah, the one that God was going to use to usher in the New Era. Therein lay a huge problem for the Jews. In the time of Jesus the expectations that the Messiah would soon appear were very high. Until his crucifixion many were prepared to believe that Jesus might be the one but from a Jewish perspective once he was crucified those expectations were dashed. Through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit Christian believers saw the events of the crucifixion very differently. For Christians the Messiah played a different role in the establishment of God’s kingdom.

As Messiah Jesus was the fulfiller of all the prophetic material that down through the ages God had revealed. The event of crucifixion is the climax of messianic prophecy. Thus, crucifixion is not only an event in history it is an historical event which has long been anticipated. It is the culmination of God’s plan to win back the whole of creation to himself. That is why as Christians we use this reading on Christ the King Sunday. The revealing of Jesus as Messiah and King is both our salvation and it also announces God’s victory. Here finally the results of the fall are set aside and creation is free once again to relate to God in peace. Under the kingship of Jesus Christ the time will come when the whole of creation will live in peace obediently serving God.

Jesus, remember us when you come into your kingdom.      Luke 23:42

Prayer. We thank you, Lord God that you gave us a different kind of royalty, one bereft of privilege and wealth, one whose power lies in truth, one who lives in faithfulness and grace. We thank and praise you Lord Jesus Christ, that you did not waver from your calling, living in perfect simplicity, bowing to the pain of our life, yet leaping free of its bondage. For all that you are and for all that you have done we raise our hands and hearts and express our thanks in all the ways that we can. All praise be to you, Holy God, King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen.

Collect. Crucified King, in dying, you reveal the ways of God to those who cause your suffering. Remember us in your kingdom, that we may be numbered among those who worship and acclaim you for ever and ever. Amen.