Today is the last Sunday of the Church year. The Church Year begins with the first Sunday in Advent and ends today with Christ the King Sunday. Though the Church Year is patterned around the life of Jesus Christ and His many roles in our salvation, only once a year does the Christian Church honor Jesus Christ as King. We believe Jesus is King of the universe, and also sovereign King of all mankind. Christ is sovereign, meaning He reigns in honor. But He also rules with power. In early days, kings were all sovereign and they were rulers. They received great honor and their word was law. Modern kings and queens may reign, but few, if any, rule any longer.

         Confused? Let me explain it this way: A monarch reigns with honor, but rules with power. In England, the last great monarch to both reign and rule was Queen Elizabeth I. She was the daughter of Henry VIII by Ann Boleyn. Henry VIII died in 1547, one year after Martin Luther died, and two very weak rulers followed him, Edward VI and Mary I. In 1558, Elizabeth was crowned Queen and ruled England powerfully for 45 years. She reigned, that is, she was given all honor and glory due a Queen of that era. But she also ruled. She ruled affairs of state with an iron hand, forming armies, ordering executions and enforcing all laws of the British crown rule. During her reign science and the arts flourished under Francis Bacon and Wm. Shakespeare. Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh maintained English power abroad, and in 1588 Lord Howard's navy defeated the Spanish Armada and began domination of the seas. But it was also under Elizabeth's rule that British Parliament developed its power and became the true ruler of England after Elizabeth. "Good Queen Bess," as she was called, was the last British monarch to both reign and rule. Since then, monarchs have reigned in glory, but Parliament has ruled by law.

         But all earthly monarchs, whether Christian or not, are subject to the God who made the heavens and the earth. And today we Christians honor Jesus Christ as the One who both reigns and rules. He is given honor over all others, and so He is called "King of kings." But He also rules all things, in heaven and on earth, and so we call Him "Lord of lords." "King of kings and Lord of lords," are familiar words from Revelation, and were immortalized by George Friedrich Handel in his musical masterpiece, the "Hallelujah Chorus." Handel also quoted Revelation 11:15 where St. John the apostle says, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever."

         In today's text, St. John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, saw a vision of Jesus as the ruling monarch. He wrote, "The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF 'KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS'." Impressive words, mighty words we rarely hear used of Jesus.

         What might this mean for us today? One thing we must never forget. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. my kingdom is from another place." (John 18:36) Jesus spoke those words after being arrested in the Garden, the night before His death on Calvary's cross. Jesus wanted all there to know He had not come to rule nations, as some still believe today, but to rule hearts.

         Our Lord Jesus Christ seeks our faith and trust. He does not wish to organize earthly armies to defeat His enemies. He seeks our faith and trust, that we might defeat the Evil One. And though He wishes our obedience, He knows He cannot require it. If He did, none of us would stand a chance.

         That's why Jesus went to the cross in our stead, taking our punishment, becoming sin for us, that all who believe on Him might not perish, but have eternal life.

         Kings and queens of the past sought to win their hearts of their people, to hold their allegiance, loyalty and obedience, or at least their cooperation. Loyalty allowed kings to rule, to tax, to conscript men into armies and to enforce imperial edicts. Without loyalty, kings would face rebellion and be useless.

         Jesus came to rule His people and it is a rule from within. Jesus seeks loyalty of the heart. His Kingdom can't be seen all at once. We can see parts of it in churches or other Christian groups. But only God knows who are the true subjects of His Kingdom, for only He can see into our hearts.

         St. John tells us in our Bible text, "The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty."

         Words like those present a side of Christ's authority we rarely see. He not only reigns in splendor, He also rules in power, like a conqueror. Revelation tells us Christ will win the final battle which it calls Armageddon. In that great and final battle with Satan's forces, Jesus will indeed be a soldier of soldiers, the supreme commander who directs the heavenly hosts to defeat Satan and eliminate his presence from earth once and for all. But until that time, we honor Christ as the One who rules and reigns over heaven and earth. Today Christ reigns, and tomorrow He will rule forever. However, the question is, will God reign over us? Will we submit to His rule?

         A king was riding in his royal carriage through a village on His way to his summer castle. All along the way, people turned out in the roads to see him with the queen and their daughter, the beautiful princess. It so happened in this village, a small child foolishly ran in front of the carriage horses and would have been trampled to death had not a young man, a keeper of swine, ran out and grabbed the child and hauled him to safety. The king was touched by the brave act and invited the dirty and smelly young man into his carriage. At the king's insistence, the heroic swine herder rode with them to the castle, where he was bathed, finely clothed and honored in a banquet. And it so happened he caught the eye of the beautiful princess, for he was rather handsome under all that dirt.

         The next day the King told the young man, "Today you have a choice. You have found favor in my eyes and so I offer you the hand of my daughter. If you accept, you shall become father to future kings and shall never be in want. You can help the poor, and wherever you go, people will bow and honor you. As husband of my daughter you will become the Queen's consort, a very powerful man. Tell me, what do you choose? Swine herding or a king's life?" The young man pondered this all day and those kingly prospects appealed to him. He would have wealth, ease and live a life few even dreamt of. But then he realized all the changes he would have to make. He would have to move away from home. He could no longer drink with his friends and chase young women. He would have to learn to speak correctly, bathe often, wear fine clothing, attend affairs of state, and be an example to people. He would have to respect the King in all things. This new life, or his old life - it was his choice. And he chose the old life. "No thank you, Sire," he said, "What you offer would require too much change that I wish not to make."

         How could he turn down such a thing, we might ask. All the privileges of a king laid out before him, and yet he chose to remain in the pigpen. You see, this story is rally about receiving the blessings of God. Is it not the same when people refuse God's riches? Why would it be that some would choose not to be in God's kingdom, with all that He offers, and choose their old life? Of course we don't live in a pigpen, but compared to heavenly mansions, all of earthly life is no better.

         Our good King Jesus seeks our loyalty, our trust and our faith. He is not only the good King, He is the best King. He is a king that gives His life for His subjects. He offers us all the joys of heaven, if we will only trust Him. May God grant to us each of us, His subjects, that we give Him our allegiance always, amen.

Credits:
 
  Epiphany logo designed and provided by Dale Bargmann at daleb@ecentral.com