Gospel Reading: John 18:33-37
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor
Christianity, like many other faith traditions, marks time differently than the secular world. The secular world uses chronos time—chronological, clock-and-calendar time, that governs our schedules and keeps our lives ordered. Faith traditions, however, often embrace kairos time—a time that transcends numbers and schedules, marked by sacred moments that shape our faith, like Christmas, Easter, Pentecost.
Today, in the chronos world, November 24 is just another day, nothing special. But for us, as Christians living in a kairos world, November 24 means so much more—it is the Feast of Christ the King, the final Sunday of our year. Next Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new year…a year shaped by sacred moments in the life of Christ, such as his birth, death, and resurrection.
But why does this final Sunday of the liturgical year focus on Christ as King? Why is this particular feast chosen to close the year and prepare us for the new one?
This feast offers us a lens through which we might view the entire Christian kairos year. We are reminded that yes, Jesus is our king, but this doesn’t mean he is a king like others…he is not rich or powerful, full of splendor and majesty, but he is a king born in a dirty manger, he dies on a shameful cross, and his primary goal is to bring justice, peace, and love, especially to the oppressed and the outcast. Jesus’ kingship, his kingdom, is upside down, subverting all expectations. This is the truth we celebrate today.
Our Gospel reading, John 18:33-37, is one we often hear on Good Friday, but it plays an important role in shaping how we are called to view Christ as King. In our reading, Jesus stands before Pilate, facing questions that will lead to his crucifixion. Pilate, likely confused and annoyed, asks Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Pilate’s understanding of kingship is worldly: a king is a rival to the emperor, a figure of wealth, power, and military might, who is a threat to Rome.
But Jesus makes it clear that his kingship is not like this at all: “My kingdom is not from this world. If it were, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over...But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate, not really understanding, asks Jesus again, “So you are a king?” Jesus responds, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
In this brief exchange, we notice how Jesus and Pilate have very differing views of what it means for Jesus to be a king. Pilate’s view of kingship is of the world and reflects the values of empire: conquest, military power, oppression, and wealth.
Jesus’ view of kingship, however, stands against Pilate’s, it is not of the world and it is based in truth, being reflected throughout his life and ministry. The nature of Jesus’ kingship is beautifully expressed in the Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. In this opera, the three wise men, traveling to see the Christ Child, stop at a widow’s home. The widow, desperate to care for her child, tries to take gold meant for the baby Jesus. When she is caught, one of the kings, Melchior, responds not with punishment but with these words:
"Oh woman, you can keep the gold. The Child we seek doesn’t need our gold. On love, on love alone He will build his kingdom. His pierced hand will hold no scepter. His haloed head will wear no crown. His might will not be built on your toil. Swifter than lightning He will soon walk among us. He will bring us new life and receive our death. And the keys to his City belong to the poor.”
Melchior captures Jesus’ vision of kingship, Jesus the king doesn’t need gold, his kingdom is based on love, he holds no sceptre, wears no crown, he values the poor. Melchior is speaking of the exact kingdom Jesus has in mind in his conversation with Pilate in today’s Gospel.
As we prepare for the new kairos Christian year, The Feast of Christ the King challenges us to see both the life of Jesus and our mission to the world around us through the lens of Jesus’ vision of the kingdom. We are reminded that Jesus is a king and his entire life testifies to how his reign is shaped by something so truly different than many people would expect, it is, as I have said, upside down…the baby in the manger is the king, the man who helps the poor is the king, the man hanging on the cross is the king.
And with this image of king Jesus in our minds, so it also shapes how we live. To be citizens of Jesus’ kingdom means letting his kingly values influence every aspect of our lives: how we love, how we serve, and how we see the world. It is not about admiring Jesus from afar, but following him, aligning our lives with his radical example. We do this by being people who forgive those who hurt us, who build bridges with the marginalized, and practice daily kindness through our words and actions…we do this by offering our time and skills to care for the vulnerable, by volunteering, visiting the sick, or lending a hand where needed, we do this by looking at every person and situation through God’s grace, seeking justice, mercy, and humility.
As we stand on this last day of our kairos year, preparing for a new year to begin with Advent, take a moment to reflect on how you have experienced Jesus’ kingship in your life—not through worldly gains, but maybe through moments of grace, love, or transformation. Where have you seen his kingdom of justice and peace at work in your life? How might you live out his reign more fully in the coming year?
Jesus is a king, but not a king as Pilate expected…Jesus is a king unlike any other. He doesn’t seek gold or power, but lowers himself, born in a manger, dying on a cross, and ruling with love. As we move into Advent—a season of preparing for the coming of this “upside-down” king—let us embrace Jesus’ vision of his kingdom allowing his truth to shape our hearts so that, in all we do, we become reflections of his reign. Amen.
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