A Different Kind of King

November 24, 2024 homily on John 18:33-37 for Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday, by Pastor Galen

“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over…But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’” — John 18:36

King Arthur and The Round Table

When we think of legendary kings, one name often comes to mind: King Arthur. Legend tells us that when Arthur was just a boy, a mysterious sword appeared lodged in a stone. Inscribed on the blade were these words: “Whoever pulls this sword from the stone is rightwise king born of all England.” Many great warriors tried to remove the sword, each convinced their strength or status would secure the sword, but each one failed. Then along came a humble and unassuming boy by the name of Arthur. He had no claim to power, no wealth, and no following. Yet when he placed his hands on the sword, it came free with ease. In that moment, Arthur became the rightful king—not because of his might, but because he was chosen.

As King, Arthur ruled not by domination but by inspiring loyalty and hope. His court at Camelot was said to be a place of justice, honor, and equality—symbolized by the famed Round Table, where all were equals, united in a common mission. He embodied what people yearned for in a leader: a just ruler, a defender of the weak, and a guide for the strong. 

While the legend of King Arthur may just be a legend, it points to our true longings for leaders who will lead with justice and mercy and compassion. We see this longing throughout history and throughout Scripture. 

Yet, even Arthur’s kingdom, as perfect as it seemed in concept, was marred by betrayal and human frailty. So too was the reign of King David, whose final words in 2 Samuel 23 describes what  makes a ruler truly great: one who rules in justice, in the fear of God. Yet King David, like King Arthur, often fell short of the ideals he names here. 

The stories of King Arthur and King David remind us that no earthly ruler can fully embody the justice and peace for which we long.

Jesus: A Different Kind of King

And yet the stories of King Arthur and King David point us toward a very different type of Kingdom, and a very different type of ruler. A kingdom truly marked by justice, compassion, and peace. An “upside-down” kingdom where the king stoops to wash the feet of his followers. Instead of forcing his people to fight for him, he instructs them to love their enemies and turn the other cheek, and then he models this by willingly giving his own life on their behalf. This Kingdom is nothing like the kingdoms of this world. And yet, it is a Kingdom that will never come to an end.

Jesus and Pilate

The King, of course, is Jesus, and the Kingdom is the Kingdom of God, also known as the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed while he was here on this earth — the Kingdom that he said was “at hand” (see Mark 1:15, Matthew 3:2, and Matthew 4:17). This Kingdom, Jesus said, belongs to those who are “poor in Spirit” (Matthew 5:3) and “those who are persecuted because of righteousness” (Matthew 5:10). It belongs to children, as we saw last week, and those who are willing to become like little children (Mark 10:14) in recognizing our need and dependence on God. It’s a kingdom where “The last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16). This is why it has often been called an “upside-down kingdom.”

This is also why Pilate was obviously confused in John 18 when Jesus was standing in front of him — hands tied behind his back, no soldiers at his side, no crown on his head, wearing no kingly robe. He did not live in a palace, but had been traveling the countryside, in the towns and villages, preaching and teaching. He had no earthly kingdom to speak of, and most of his followers fled when he was arrested.

Why then was Jesus being brought to him for questioning? Why did it matter if he said 

he claimed to be a king? What authority did he hold?

And so Pilate asked Jesus pointblank, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Pilate knew, no doubt, that many of the Jewish people of his day were unhappy with his governorship, and the occupation by the Roman empire. They longed for their own king—not a puppet king like King Herod in Galilee, but a true king of Israel who would unite them together and free them from Roman occupation. He knew that there were many who were on the constant lookout for a “messiah” who would establish an earthly kingdom, like that of King David of old. And Pilate knew that there were many who had messianic aspirations, and were perhaps even secretly gathering followers and training up their own militias in the hopes that they could do just that. Perhaps Pilate wanted to know if this was that type of person standing before him — someone who was secretly building an army of followers and was simply lying in wait for an opportune time to stage a revolt.

But Jesus answered by saying, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over…But as it is, my kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36).

Pilate responded then, “So you are a king?” (John 18:37a). But rather than answering in the affirmative, Jesus focuses instead on why he was born and came into this world: “to testify to the truth” (John 18:37b).  According to Jesus, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

A Different Kind of Kingdom

What’s going on here? Why doesn’t Jesus readily embrace the term “king”? Or perhaps even more importantly, Why didn’t he allow his followers to fight for him? Why didn’t he overthrow the Roman empire and establish a kingdom of peace and justice here on this earth? He certainly had the power to stage a successful coup. Someone who can feed 5,000 people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish and walk on water and bring the dead back to life could certainly have gathered an army and staged a successful revolt.

But if Jesus had gathered an army, and if he had instructed his followers to fight for him, then the resulting kingdom would have been an earthly kingdom like every other. It would have been subject to the same pitfalls and shortcomings of every other earthly nation.

Think about it. How many earthly rulers have tried to achieve peace through violent means and failed miserably? And how many have tried to achieve justice through committing acts of injustice? Violence always begets more violence. The result of injustice is more injustice. It’s like trying to tell the truth by lying. It just doesn’t work. Two wrongs do not make a right. 

This is why Martin Luther King, Jr. said, that “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” If peace is the goal, then peace is the way to the goal. If truth is the goal, then truth is the way to the goal. If justice is the goal, then justice is also the way.

I know it feels like a slow way of achieving the goal. And truthfully, sometimes we will never see the results in our own lifetimes. As humans we like to see immediate results. We like to take shortcuts. Working for peace through peaceful means is a long game. And it’s not a linear progression. Often there will be setbacks. Often for every step forward it feels like we’re taking two steps backward.

But it’s like planting seeds in the ground. It’s worth doing the necessary soil preparation and breaking up the fallow ground. It’s worth watering the seeds and adding nutrients to the soil, even if we can’t see anything happening above the surface. Because if we till and water and add the proper nutrients, we will see the results in due time. It’s the same way with peace and justice, which is why the New Testament author James says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” – James 3:18

Jesus’ eternal Kingdom is a kingdom of love, and of justice, and peace. And so therefore Jesus did not give into the temptation to take shortcuts, to try to achieve instantaneous results through unjust means. But rather he embodied the principles of his own kingdom by living a life of love and justice and peace, and he invites us as his followers to do the same.

Christ Our Hope

On a pastoral note, it’s difficult to hear and read about the reign of Christ and God’s eternal kingdom without contrasting it to our own nation, especially in light of the recent presidential elections. What I’ve found fascinating in talking with some of you (and reading your posts on social media) is that some in our congregation seem to be feeling a profound sense of relief about the results of the election, while others are feeling deep fear and distress about the direction our country is headed. The fact that these vastly conflicting feelings exist even within our own small congregation point to the reality that we live in a country made up of people from a wide diversity of backgrounds and with a wide variety of life experiences that provide us with very different lenses in which to view the world.

There are some who would tell us that we should not focus on the present political realities, and that we should instead simply bide our time until Christ returns and makes everything right. They say things like, “Jesus Christ is King!”—but frequently this comes across as a dismissal of people’s real fears and distress than as a recognition that Jesus’ reign upends all of our understandings about true leadership.

Although every earthly will fall short of the standard that Jesus set, we can and should call our leaders to account. We can and should remind them that the way to true peace is through peace, and that true freedom does not exist until everyone is free. We can and should remind that that justice doesn’t just involve punishing wrongdoers, but it also involves standing up for the poor and the oppressed and the marginalized. Although every earthly ruler makes mistakes, we can and should call them to admit those mistakes and to speak the truth and to work for the good of the people they are called to lead and to serve.

Conclusion

The legend of King Arthur and the Round Table offers a vision of community where all are equals, united in a common mission. King David pointed us forward toward the ideals of a Kingdom— a ruler who loves justice and fears God. But Christ’s kingdom offers an even greater reality—one where love reigns, justice flows like a river, and truth sets us free.

As we prepare to enter the season of Advent (preparation for Christmas) and as we look forward to that day when Christ returns to bring everlasting peace and justice and make everything new, may we recommit ourselves to live as faithful citizens of Christ’s kingdom in the here and now, bearing witness to his justice and truth. Let us declare with our lives what we proclaim with our lips: That Christ is King, now and forever. 

Amen!