November 23, 2003; The Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King Readings: Daniel 7:9-14; Revelation 1:1-8; John 18:33-37; Psalm 93.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Not From This World Pilate and Jesus come face to face. The person with political authority questions the one with ultimate authority. The words that they use are the words of the time. Pilate's understanding is limited by the circumstances of his life and the culture of his society. People are saying that Jesus is a King. For Pilate this means that Jesus is a threat to business as usual in the Roman empire. There can be no king but Roman Emperor. The Jewish people have been tolerated by the empire because they have been a religious and cultural group, rather than a political force. There has been no political threat of any significance from the Jews. The zealots who would crop up every now and then were crushed decisively. Jesus was trouble, more trouble than the average person with whom Pilate normally dealt. There was something about Jesus. Crowds gathered to listen to him and would follow him for miles. People left their families and jobs to be with him. Jesus talked about the kingdom of God in ways that changed lives. Such conversions were a threat to the religious establishment. Pilate feared that political unrest could follow for the Empire. Which brings us to Pilate's question: "Are you the King of the Jews?" Was Jesus going to be a threat to the Roman political structures? The answer was yes, but not in the way that Pilate imagined. Was Jesus a king? Yes, but not in the way that Pilate understood kingship. On this Christ the King Sunday, we might ask: What did being a king mean for Jesus, and what does his kingship mean for us? We hear Jesus say, "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." His followers did not keep him from harm. Jesus is King, but he is not a military or political ruler. He will not be victorious in battle. Jesus will face the pain of betrayal and the pain of death. No, his kingship was not of the world; it was of God. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. Christ's reign cannot be limited by force, just as his power does not come from force. Jesus' kingship is based in love. "As the Father has loved me so have I loved you." We hear Jesus say. Love cannot be destroyed. What does Jesus' kingship mean for us? Because the kingship that Jesus possesses is not one given by the world, it cannot be understood by worldly standards. To say that Jesus is our King might be confusing. Jesus brings new meaning to the word. The nature of Jesus' kingship can be seen in his description of being the Good Shepherd. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." He lays down his life for us. Jesus kingship means salvation. To say that Jesus is king is to say that sin and death will not rule us. Jesus sets us free from fear to live generously and lovingly in a world that does not always reward such virtues. All that I am saying about Jesus, is, of course, based on faith. To accept the Kingship, the Lordship, of Jesus is to make assertions such as we find in psalm 93. Psalm 93 is an enthronement psalm. It was probably written during the exile, a time of great tragedy for the Hebrew people. Enthronement psalms assert that the reign of God is a reality even when the circumstances of life seem to deny God's power. Mightier than any chaos, "is the Lord who dwells on high." Jesus was in the middle of chaos as he stood before Pilate. Yet, Jesus was mightier in that moment of confrontation. The political and religious authorities could do their worst, still, the Lord was mightier. We live in time that is chaotic. Our nation is at war. There is much violence and death on the news every night. I find myself wanting to turn away from the pain of it all. These are circumstances that cause people to ask, why? We might feel that we are in a time of exile from what we had known. Whether it is the chaos of our world or the pain of our own lives, there can be circumstances that seem to deny God's power. That is when it serves us well to remember Jesus' words: "My kingdom is not from this world." We pray for God's kingdom to come. And we do see glimpses of it here and now. Sometimes we see miracles. But we know that there will be times that seem to deny God's power. Even then, we can pray with the author of psalm 93, "mightier is the Lord who dwells on high." In the midst of chaos, whether personal or international, our faith stands as witness to the power and love of God in the world. Our faith is made visible by our actions. By caring for each other and reaching out to others, we show forth God's love. We proclaim that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. May all of our thoughts, words, and deeds, be signs of your kingdom, O Lord our God. Amen.