Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King.  A couple of years ago I was working on the Intercessions for Christ the King and as I did so I realised that it is not a picture of Jesus that springs readily to mind.  I think of him first and foremost as my Redeemer and Saviour.  The Bible has at least a hundred names for Jesus with 5 including the title of King:

King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17)
King of Israel (John 1:49)
King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11)
King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16)
King of the Nations (Rev 15:3)

I know all that but still I do not see him first of all as a King and I wonder why this is. Perhaps it has something to do with my understanding of a King who is someone set at a distance from me, a remote and powerful person who may have a great impact on my life but with whom it is pretty difficult to communicate.  The reading that we heard from Daniel reinforces this view:

To him was given dominion and glory and  kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.

But then we come to the Gospel reading. Pilate perhaps really wants to find out if Jesus is the King of the Jews, or maybe he is ridiculing him.  Certainly Jesus is not what the Romans would have expected of a Jewish King.  And so Jesus says to Pilate:

‘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 to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’

And after further questioning from Pilate, Jesus tells him that he came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Although truly a King he was able to become like one of us and experience life as a vulnerable baby, child and man.  This was puzzling to Pilate as he looked for an obviously powerful King and his very humanity can make us forget just who Jesus is.  But King he is and today would be a good idea to look at the attributes that this special King has.

The hymn, we have just sung, ‘Crown him with many crowns’ speaks of the many crowns that Jesus is able to wear, the many marks of his Kingship.  The original version, 9 verses, gives quite a long list, some of which are missing from our version.  Often Lord and King are seen as synonymous in Christ; many are unusual for a King, which reminds us that Jesus is an extraordinary King:

The Lamb who died for us and is unrivaled.

The Virgin’s Son who was God and from whom compassion and mercy constantly flow.

He is our Creator and also the Son of Man, who as a man has known every grief and bears them for us.

The Lord of Life who rose from the dead and so brought us eternal life.

The Lord of peace who by changing people’s hearts will bring lasting peace.

The Lord of love who came to earth because he wanted us for his own, whatever the price.

The Lord of Heaven before whom other thrones will fall.

The Lord of lords who is now worshipped constantly by angels and saints, day and night.

The original version of the hymn ended with these words:

            All hail, Redeemer, hail!
            For thou hast died for me;

Thy praise and glory shall not fail

Throughout eternity.

Which links into the final words from the Book of Daniel reading:

His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

That Redeemer King who died for us is also the King of all time and merits our total love, worship and gratitude for eternity. Jesus may be a rather unusual King in terms of the very intimacy by which we may know him but he is also the greatest King that there ever has been or will be. Let us learn to worship him as he deserves.

Amen.