Christ the King Sunday celebrates Christ's messianic kingship and sovereign rule over all creation. It is the last Sunday of the church year. In the Gospel of Luke, the angel Gabriel proclaims to Mary, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Outside of the gospels, the First Epistle to Timothy (6:14–15) explicitly applies the phrase of "king of kings and lord of lords", adapting the Pentateuch's declaration, for the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, to Jesus Christ. In the Book of Revelation, it is declared that the Lamb is "King of kings, and Lord of lords".
Our scripture for this Sunday may not seem to fit in with the season that we are entering but it reminds us of why Jesus entered into the world. He came to seek and save the lost and usher in the Kingdom of God.
Scripture for Sunday
Luke 23:32-43 (ESV)
32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
