Revelation 1: 4-8 (New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition)
John 18: 33-37 (Common English Bible)
This Sunday is known as Christ the King or Reign of Christ Sunday, the day in the liturgical year when the Alpha reaches the Omega. The Word who was with God in the beginning is now celebrated as having the last word, the final word in the eternal story of God’s redemptive history.
In celebrating the Reign of Christ, Christians should not ignore or separate themselves from the actual governing process that influences the ways people are treated in society. While it might be easier to assume that Jesus was above politics, the truth is Jesus spoke directly to the political leaders of his day. The back and forth between Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea and Jesus was political. Pilate questions Jesus, “So you are a king?” and Jesus replies, “You say that I am king. I was born and came into this world for this reason, to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.”
And what “truths” do we have today? Science is a truth but some say it’s false. Some say the Moon landing in 1969 was a hoax, but the evidence proves otherwise. We see individuals being appointed to positions of power who are medical quacks, mindless celebrities, racists and those who want to make the rich more powerful and the poor among us more miserable. What would Jesus do?
Here on Christ the King Sunday, we have Jesus on trial before a representative of the Roman Empire in the person of Pontius Pilate. I would say this was the most important trial in human history. It was the governing council of religious matters, called the Sanhedrin, who brought Jesus before Pilate. This was the clash of two kingdoms and their values. The Roman Empire vs. the Kingdom of God.
Although Jesus is the one on trial, he acts like a judge in his conversation with Pilate. It reminds me of a very intense chess game with back and forth moves. Jesus does not feel the need to answer Pilate directly. Jesus’ rebuttal to Pilate comes in a question, asking, “Do you say I am a King on your own or have others spoken to you about me?”
Did Pilate come to the conclusion that Jesus is a king? In my opinion Pilate did consider Jesus as a king and a threat to the Roman Empire. That is why Jesus was crucified. Rome didn’t care about Jesus’ miracles, that was no threat, but rival kings were dangerous. But Jesus knew how the kingdoms of the world exist. They try to manipulate situations to get their preferred outcome. It’s war and rumors of war and backroom dealings. One example is the invasion of Iraq in 2003. They never did find those Weapons of Mass Destruction did they? But they did leave behind a very destabled Middle East and thousands of Iraqis killed plus several thousands of Americans killed and severely injured. It breaks one’s heart to see those wounded warriors commercials. As a young teenager during the Vietnam War, I thought once this was done, surely there would be no other useless wars created by deception. But here they are again. Sadly wars never end.
Pilate in a sarcastic tone asks Jesus a question, ”I’m not a Jew, am I?” And Pilate asked Jesus, what have you done to get the Jewish hierarchy in an uproar? What has Jesus done that is so dangerous that the Jewish leaders of Judea want him to disappear?
Jesus and Pilate both talk about what makes Jesus and his kingdom so different, that it is dangerous? Above all, Pilate did want any chaos in Judea, the Roman Emperor Tiberius wouldn’t like that. So what is Jesus’ kingdom? The Jesus kingdom is unlike anything in this current world. Jesus doesn’t care about those kingdoms that control nations, but only the kingdom of God on earth.
If most Christians today were asked, “What is the most important thing about the Kingdom of God?” No doubt most would say, “Jesus died for my sins.” Others might say, “God is Love.” Jesus said to Pilate, “I was born and came into this world for this reason, to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.” That is in Mark 18 verse 37.
If we only focus on our own sinfulness and a need for a savior, we are missing hearing and knowing the bigger truth. The Creator of the Universe testifies to everything that is true in the person of Jesus the Christ. God was always like Jesus and Jesus was always like God. So when you read the Old Testament about God ordaining violent battles, those were not God’s words. Those passages were written by men with hardened hearts, who wanted to use God to justify their carnage. Read Psalm 137 verse 9, and tell me if you think that passage was inspired.
In every time, in every place and every situation, there is always that other voice. It speaks to the present world. It is the voice to listen to. That is the truth to which we should belong.
The Revelation letter accredited to John identifies Christ as the One, “who is and who was and who is to come” (Rev. 1: 4-8). Christ is present among all believers and this is the background of Revelation. Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things.
Before the last things come to pass, Christ is present in his churches as the head of the church. Under Christ’s mission, the renewal of the world is underway by social-justice activism within the church.
But a struggle is going on between the divine and the anti divine forces. In chapter 12 in Revelation metaphorical language is used that says, “Michael and his angels fought the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place for them in heaven.”
In the meantime you can see this battle on earth in the highest positions of power. The adversary, whether you call it a dragon or satan, can always be identified by their actions. The human dragons are those who lust for power, make the rich more powerful and ignore the poor. They might use stealth and claim they are a Christian, while they represent the opposite of everything Jesus taught.
We who live in a secular society are governed by a scientific mindset. We have to ask ourselves, can we still have the hopes of the first Christians, using their language and metaphors? Can the Parousia, the end of the world, the Second Coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment and everlasting life be interpreted in a modern age? Is all this above literal, symbolic or false? People have been confused by this for centuries. But hope is the answer to our doubts. There is something in our human DNA that hope is essential to our existence. Jesus brought us the truth of a Second Coming, but I have no idea how that will be. But I believe something spectacular will happen that has never been seen before. I believe in that truth that Jesus gave us.
Truth-telling comes with a cost. In this season of political uncertainty, Christians are called to testify to the truth. We must ask political leaders about what truth they serve? Do they tell the truth even at a personal cost or do they subvert truth to enhance their own powerful interests? Only time will tell.
AMEN.
