November 21, 2024 at 7:00 a.m.
Give faithful witness to Our Lord Jesus Christ!
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. — Daniel 7:14
The celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, is the culmination of the liturgical year. Why is it important that this solemnity be celebrated at all, and in particular, why is it important to celebrate the title of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe?
It would be through Jesus’ passion and death on the cross that he would ultimately receive the messianic title of king. In Jesus’ exchange with Pilate in Sunday’s Gospel from John 18:33-37, we hear Pilate ask Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus never denies the title. Jesus answers the question with a question, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” (Jn 18:34-35). Jesus does not deny the title, which the Roman procurator understood as a threat to Roman governance.
The title of Jesus Christ the King means so much more than the temporal understanding of the title king. The messianic title of king was the longing on the part of the people of Israel for a king like David who would re-establish the earthly kingdom of Israel. In light of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, the messianic title of king takes on eschatological and eternal meaning. The eschatological and messianic title king must be understood in light of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. Jesus, who suffered and died on the cross and rose again, is a servant-leader. He lays down his life on the cross, freeing us from sin and death and leads us to the glory of the kingdom. We share in the title of Jesus Christ the King through our baptism. This is our ministerial calling: to realize God’s kingdom here and now. Here is where salvation history is articulated through the Scriptures.
In the Book of the Prophet Samuel, we hear how the people of Israel want their own king so that they can be like their neighbors. For them to have their own king, they would have to take away God’s kingship. God allowed them to have their own king and they chose Saul. But God told Samuel the Prophet, if Saul goes against my will, I will withdraw my anointing. That ultimately happened and David was chosen as the anointed King of Israel. But even though God chose the kings of Israel, they did not always rule with justice and mercy. God promises through the prophets, like Daniel, that a king will come in glory for all the peoples and nations, “the one like a son of man received dominion, glory and kingship; all peoples, nations and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).
So, when Pilate nails the title King of the Jews to the cross of Jesus Christ, unbeknownst to him, he was proclaiming Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The cross is Jesus’ throne, this throne is a throne of service which leads to salvation. St. John the Evangelist proclaims that Jesus is glorified through his suffering and death on the cross. The cross is the sign of glory which proclaims Jesus Christ as King.
The Kingship of Jesus Christ on the cross, which is given to us in our baptism, gives each of us shares in Jesus’ threefold ministry as priest, prophet and king. The Kingship of Jesus Christ calls us to lay down our lives on the cross in service to the kingdom of God. For each of us, like Christ, there is no room for exultation. For the cross calls us to humble service as faithful witnesses as Christ himself gave in his suffering and death. For this reason, we are called to give Jesus Christ all glory and honor by our lives.
When we do not accept our share of the cross, we become like the Israelites who took away the kingship of God and gave it to Saul. We deny Jesus Christ as King of the Universe each time we do not protect life. We deny Jesus Christ as King of the Universe each time we accept injustice toward the poor and the marginalized. We deny Jesus Christ as King of the Universe when we are silent about abuse in our church or in society. We deny Jesus Christ as King of the Universe each time we allow racism and prejudice to go unanswered.
To faithfully proclaim Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we are called to give glory to the precepts and decrees of the Lord. By doing so, we proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
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