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Sunday, November 24, 2024, the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Year B)
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Today’s Readings: First Reading: Daniel 7:13-14Second Reading: Revelation 1:.5-8 Gospel: John 18:33b-37
Today is the final Sunday of our Church year. The Church celebrates the glorious Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Next Sunday begins Advent.
Today we all profess the profound truth that our Lord is King! He is the King of all things. He is King of the Universe. And He is King of Heaven and all spiritual realities.
Today we shall carry Jesus in the Eucharist in procession to the streets to show the world that Jesus Christ is Our King, Our Lord and Our Saviour.
From the three readings of today, we learn about the Kingship of Christ.
What kind of King?
In the first reading, John said important things about this king.
Firstly, he saw this King who looks like the son of man in his vision coming down from the cloud of heaven. It is good to note that Jesus used the term ‘son of man’ in many episodes in the New Testament to attribute to himself.
So, this shows that the vision of John was a prelude to the coming of the kinship of Christ.
Secondly, this man who looks like the son of man was presented to the Ancient of Days, and to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
This is a total acknowledgement that Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
Coming to today’s gospel of John 18:33b-37), Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” The question is still about the Kingship of Jesus.
Let us now listen to the answer of Jesus to Pilate.
“My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.”
The first lesson from Jesus ‘ answer is that Jesus is clear that He is a King, but that His Kingdom does not belong to this world. So where does his kingdom belong?
From his statement, two things are clear.
First of all, if Jesus would have claimed that He was an earthly king, one with civil authority, then Pilate would have judged Him to be guilty of trying to overthrow the Roman authority. This would be unlawful and would be punishable by death. In that case, Jesus could have been found legally guilty of violating civil law.
Secondly, he is a king who is purely innocent, humble, obedient, morally perfect in every way
But Jesus was a King. He was The King of all Kings! Therefore, so as to exercise His Kingship, He declared that His Kingdom was not of this world. In other words, it was not a Kingdom that was in competition with the Roman authorities or any other civil authority. To that, Pilate did not know how to respond.
So where does his kingdom reign?
Today and always, God desires that His glorious Kingdom reign in every way.
Jesus Christ is the king of our souls. We should invite him to reign in our souls, our lives.
We shall invite Jesus to be the ruler of our every passion, desire, thought and action. When this happens, His Kingdom is firmly established within us.
What can we say? We have a king who puts the good and the salvation of the people he governs more important than anything else.
A king who lays down his life for those he reigns over.
Today let us pray that God may give us the virtue of worshipping, adoring, praising him always.
May Almighty God bless us and protect us from all evils through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Have a wonderful celebration of the Solemnity of Christ the King and the end of the Church year.
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Rev. Fr. Ambrose Onyeka Anene SDB, is the Parish Priest of Church of the Archangels, Gaduwa, Abuja.
