A Homily given by Fr. Ben Jones; Curate,
St. George’s Anglican Church, Raleigh, NC;
On the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King, A.D. 2009.
“Our King”
+In the name of God the Father, and of God the Son, and of God the Holy Ghost, Amen.
The gospel according to st. John .xviii:xxxvii.
“Pilate therefore said unto him, art thou a King then? Jesus answered, thou sayest that I am a King. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, “King”. At first, having the opportunity to preach this morning seemed to be an easy task. Write a Homily on Jesus Christ, “Our King”?? How hard could it be!! The closer that I came to putting as we once said, “pencil to paper” which has now been replaced with putting “fingers to the keyboard”, the more difficult I saw the writing of this Homily. First of all what could be said of Jesus the Christ as “Our King” that hasn’t been said already. Or more importantly, what should be said? Secondly, the prophecy of the coming of the Christ, and His Kingdom, and His Kingship, the Incarnation, His ministry, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, His Ascension, and His promise to return and to establish a new Heaven and a new Earth, would certainly at best form a series of Homilies, compacted with doctrine after doctrine, which ultimately may or may not be understood.
One morning I opened an e-mail which was titled, “6 reasons not to mess with children”. At first thought I wondered, there are only six?? I figured I had a few minutes so I read it. Well there it was; a child’s perspective on my dilemma. Here is the excerpt from the e-mail. “A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around the classroom to observe each child’s work. She walked over to one little girl in the class that was drawing very diligently with her head turned just right, including the proper squinting of the eyes, with her tongue directing the crayons just right. Amazed at the concentration of the little girl, the teacher asked what she was drawing away on so hard. The little girl replied very excitedly, “I am drawing God”. The teacher, exerting just a bit of authority with her knowledge, paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like”. Without missing a beat or looking up from her drawing, the little girl blurted out, “Well they will in a minute”!! So, in the next few minutes, with God’s help, that is exactly what I am going to attempt to do. To paint you a picture; to help you see who IS this Jesus Christ, Our King, and WHY this Jesus Christ is Our King.
When Moses asked God in the account of “Moses and the Burning Bush” what should I tell the children of Israel that is the name of the God of their fathers that sent me? “God said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you”. God wanted Moses to express that “I AM, the One who is”; is unchanging, is eternal, and is the self-existence of His being. Let’s fast forward to Jesus answering a question posed by a group of Jews. “Then said the Jews unto Him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham”?1 Jesus had them right where He wanted them. This group of Jews being limited to their physical understanding could not comprehend how Christ saw Abraham. Christ now connects the dots for them as well as for all of us. It is important for us to understand this connection; to help us to see who IS this Jesus Christ, Our King. Jesus now makes the most significant statement of His ministry to date. “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.”2 Jesus was saying that before Abraham was born, I AM. Spiritually, what does this mean for us?
Before Abraham, Jesus was FIRST, “AS GOD”. Remember from the account of Moses and the Burning Bush, I AM is the name of God. Jesus Christ, Our King IS God. Secondly, Jesus Christ, Our King, IS the Mediator. He was appointed the Messiah, long before Abraham entered the picture. Jesus Christ, Our King to whom all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him IS “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”.3 Jesus Christ, Our King, IS that channel or Mediator of light, life, and love, from God to us. Jesus Christ IS Our King.
What proof do we have to help us understand WHY Jesus Christ is Our King? Again, I turned to the Gospel according to St. John. St. John developed and built the Divine nature and Kingship of Jesus Christ on seven miraculous signs and seven “I AM” statements. The seven miraculous signs further help to show us that Jesus Christ IS Our King. In that case, let’s focus on the seven “I AM” statements which will show us WHY Jesus Christ is Our King.
In the “Discourse on the Bread of Life” “Jesus said unto them, “I AM” the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst”.4 Jesus as God is the “Bread of Life”, the nourishment of our Spiritual life. Jesus is telling us that we will “NEVER” hunger or thirst. NEVER. Jesus is promising us Eternal, Spiritual nourishment. The second I AM statement tells us, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, “I AM” the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”5 Jesus Christ as Our King shines as the Light in the world of darkness and sin and we are promised the “Light of Life”. The “Light of Life” is our Eternal Salvation, our Eternal Life, in Jesus Christ Our King. The third I AM statement tells us, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, “I AM” the door of the sheep. I AM the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”6 We are being told that the entrance into His Kingdom is through Him, and Him alone, Jesus Christ Our King. Jesus is telling us about the abundance of life in Him. This abundance of life describes that constant never ending Spiritual care and nourishment which will maintain our “Eternal Life”, through Jesus Christ, Our King. The fourth I AM statement tells us, “I AM the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”7 Jesus Christ, Our King, is that one, perfect sacrifice for us, that we may have Eternal Salvation through Him.
He carried out and completed obediently His Father’s work that we might have Eternal Life. The fifth I AM statement tells us, “Jesus said unto her, “I AM” the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”8 We are given the assurance by Jesus Christ, Our King, that He will raise us up out of our sinful nature and will give to us “Eternal Life”. What this means for us is that when we physically die, or give up this earthly body, we will live eternally with Jesus Christ, Our King in His Kingdom. The sixth I AM statement tells us, “Jesus saith unto him, “I AM” the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”9 The way, the ONLY way to God’s Kingdom is through Jesus Christ, Our King. The truth. Jesus Christ, Our King, is the COMPLETE embodiment of all truth and knowledge. The life. Eternal Salvation or Life Eternal ONLY comes through Jesus Christ, Our King. The seventh I AM statement tells us, “I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. I AM the vine, ye are the branches” He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”10 Jesus Christ, Our King is the vine and we are the branches which represent the fruit of the vine. The fruit signifies our relationship with Jesus Christ, Our King. We have our total dependence upon the vine. Without this relationship, we can do nothing on our own, EVER, in regards to our Eternal Salvation. Through these seven “I AM” statements, we see WHY Jesus Christ is Our King. He has set the path in motion for our Eternal Salvation through Him as Our King since before the beginning of time. He has created the way for us to abide in Him eternally. This is WHY He is our King.
“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”11 After His Earthly ministry, His Spiritual Kingship has been established in the hearts and lives of us as believers. He administers to us for now, spiritually, and gives us the promise that His Kingship will become fully established at an unknown point in time in the future. His rule will be perfect and visible. “Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.”12 Once manifested, His future kingdom will endure forever. At this time God the Father will exalt Jesus, His Son, to the highest place of authority and honor. Jesus will establish this Kingship due to His sacrificial death.
Jesus’ Kingship freely gives the blessings He secured for His people through His atoning work. Jesus Christ, Our King, will forever reign and execute His power to our benefit, His redeemed.
For us now, at this time, Jesus Christ, Our King has instituted for us, the Holy Eucharist, to be that communion with Him until we are united with Him in His Kingdom. Christ, Our King, calls out to us through His Sacrament of His most blessed Body and Blood, “Come, receive my life redeeming Grace”.
AMEN.
+
“AND NOW UNTO GOD THE FATHER,
GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY GHOST;
BE ASCRIBED ALL MIGHT,
MAJESTY, POWER, AND DOMINION,
MOST JUSTLY DUE THIS DAY,
BOTH NOW, AND FOREVER,
WORLD WITHOUT END,
AMEN.”
1 The Gospel according to St. John 8:57.
2 The Gospel according to St. John 8:58.
3 The Revelation of St. John the Divine 13:8.
4 The Gospel according to St. John 6:35.
5 The Gospel according to St. John 8:12.
6 The Gospel according to St. John 10:7, 9.
7 The Gospel according to St. John 10:11.
8 The Gospel according to St. John 11:25.
9 The Gospel according to St. John 14:6.
10 The Gospel according to St. John 15:1, 5.
11 St. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews 13:8.
12 St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians 15:24.