HIS ROYAL MAJESTY KING JESUS 1
What type of king is Jesus? The book of revelation calls him “the King of kings and the Lord of lords” (Rev. 17:14). His kingdom is not of this world yet He rules the kingdoms of this world because they are subjects to his kingdom.Though by his birth in the flesh, he inaugurated his reign over humanity. His adversaries wanted to humiliate him by crucifying him on the cross, and yet he still ruled his people from the cross.He made the cross his throne. His crown was a bunch of thorns. His royal title is “the condemned one”. The people who witnessed his coronation were the two criminals condemned on the cross with him. The inscription over his head showed that he is the king of the Jews. But guess what! The repentant criminal revealed his real identity and his real kingship. He made us to understand that Jesus’ kingship and kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is the paradise where he is the only one capable for admitting people; and Jesus would say, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise”.
Jesus is the only king who has dominion over every kingdom.
He is the only king who has his subjects spread in every kingdom and rules them from his kingdom.
He is the only king who operates beyond the boundaries of the earth, and who does not need permission to enter any kingdom. The kings of this world bowed to him and offered him the most precious gifts (Mt 2:11-12).
He is the only king whose kingdom has no end.
He is the only king who has no need of successor, no need of heir apparent to the throne because he lives and reigns forever.
He is the king who is not stingy with his kingship. He shares with us the mark of his royalty. Through baptism we are made kings, priests and prophets and become ‘a royal nation’ (Rev. 1:6).
In the kingdoms of this world, some kings are weak while some a mighty but we have only one King who is Almighty, Christ the King.
FIRST READING: Daniel 7:13-14
The book of Daniel contains series of apocalyptic writings which are variety of prophecies that reveal to human view the whole future course of human history by virtue of the plan of God on behalf of His people.
The prominence of the book of Daniel was evident during the sixth century B.C of Babylonian exile whereby it encourages the people of God in the midst of all possible oppression. It came to assure them that irrespective of the cruelty and the powers exhibited by the rulers of this world, the God of Israel is in complete control of history. The chapter 7 we read today constitutes the central section of the Book of Daniel and serves as the first and most important of the visions of Daniel. He pictures one like the son of man who received dominion and glory and eternal kingdom from the Ancient of Days (a title used by Daniel to depict God as eternal and perfect). He has received power such that all nations, all peoples and all languages must be subjected to his authority. He is meant to rule forever and his kingdom unlike the kingdoms of this world is eternal and indestructible.This prophetic vision announces the imminent advent of the Messianic era when the people will be set free. Jesus fulfils this prophesy when he came in the flesh to inaugurate the kingdom of God which had suffered violence since sin came into the world.
SECOND READING: 1:5-8
The Book of Revelation assumes a prior familiarity with Daniel and builds upon the foundation laid there. St John in today’s second reading concludes by stating that Christ the King is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, that is, the A and the Z, the beginning and the end of our lives and of all life. Alpha and Omega are the first and the last letters of the alphabets in Greek, the original language of this book. Giving Jesus the Alpha title equally reminds us of the first theme of John’s Gospel that Jesus is the Word of God, pre-existing with the Father before all creation.To call Jesus the Omega is to say that he will be in charge at the end of the world. St. John completes the the vision of Daniel by projecting Christ as that Messiah who has come to inaugurate the reign of God through the blood of his cross by which he has made us kings and priests in the kingdom of his God and Father.
GOSPEL: 18:33-37
“You say I am a king…but my kingship is not of this world.”
Again the eternal kingship of Christ resounds in the gospel of John ; a kingship that transcends this world. The very sense of the Messianism of Jesus revolves around his kingship. And the reign of the kingdom of God constitutes the central message of the teachings of Jesus. Already from the announciation, the evangelist Luke mentions him as king: “The Lord God will make him a king as his ancestor David was, and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever and his kingdom will never end”(Lk 1:32-33). The specificity of the nature of his kingdom and kingship lies in the phrase, “…forever and his kingdom will have no end.” Matthew equally pictured him as a king when the kings of this world came to bow to him, therefore depicting him as the king of kings: “Where is the baby born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star…and we have come to worship him” (Matt 2:2).
Pilate wanted to know if Jesus was actually a king as his people accused him off. He wanted to clear his doubt because the one standing before him had no royal look and no mark of royalty around him. To clear his doubt Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
LIFE MESSAGES:
1. By saying his kingdom is not of this world, Jesus points our attention to the kingdom of heaven where we must strive to be subjects.
2. Jesus does not just rule in the empty, he is meant to rule in our lives. He cannot be king of our lives if we do not listen to him, love him, serve him and follow him.
3. As children of the new covenant we have been initiated into his kingdom where our eternal safety is guaranteed.
4. The exaltation of the kingship of Christ and his eternal kingdom reminds us that no kingdom of this world or the underworld should have dominion and authority over our lives because they are meant to submit to the kingship of Christ. And no power, no authority, no principality will have the direct and final say and rule over our lives because we have a king whose power and authority supersedes all. St. Paul captures the grandeur of his authority when he says; “…at the mention of his name, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11).
PRAYER:
Through this solemnity of Christ the king, may Jesus rule in our broken world, in our turmotous countries, in our divided families, in our sinful lives, in our falling businesses, in our “promotionless” working places, in our unsuccessful places of studies and in every ramification of our lives. Amen.
PAX VOBIS!
