First Reading: Daniel 7:13-14
Reflection:
This Sunday we celebrate the great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This solemnity is always held on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, one week before the beginning of Advent. It, therefore, brings to culmination the entire liturgical year, in a celebration of the King of Kings. In this Sunday’s first reading, we hear about a prophetic vision of the Prophet Daniel. In this vision, he saw the “Son of man,” which is a Messianic title that Jesus would later take upon Himself. The Son of man received “dominion, glory, and kingship.” This indicates that the Messiah (which literally means, “anointed one”) would be a great king. Furthermore, he would be a king of “all peoples, nations, and languages.” Thus, there would be a universal nature to the Son of man’s kingdom. This indicates that the Messianic kingdom would go above and beyond the kingdom of Israel, which was a distinct nation with its own people group and language. The new kingdom of the Son of man, although modeled after the Israelite kingdom of David, would supersede it. The kingship of the “Son of man” would be “an everlasting dominion.” This promise fulfills the covenant God made with King David in which He promised him an everlasting kingdom. The fulfillment would ultimately come in Jesus, who is the descendant of David and the eternal King of the Universe.
Second Reading: Revelation 1:5-8
Reflection:
Jesus is King of the Universe because He is God. Jesus has existed from all of eternity. He is the beginning and the end (expressed by “Alpha and Omega,” which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet). Jesus, as God, holds dominion over all of creation. He revealed this kingship when He took on humanity. Especially through His death and resurrection, Jesus established His kingdom and invites all of us to be a part of it. Jesus is more powerful than any earthly ruler because His kingdom is one of everlasting love. Jesus died so we could have forgiveness of our sins and be part of His kingdom. He rose to conquer sin and death, proving His kingship and showing us that He wants to bring us all to resurrection. Jesus invites us all to be a part of His kingdom, which is the Church. In the Church, we find the forgiveness Jesus offers us and the new life that results. Let us all, therefore, allow Jesus to rule our lives with His perfect love.
Gospel Reading: John 18:33B-37
Reflection:
In this dialogue between Pilate and Jesus at the trial before Jesus was crucified, there is a contrast between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of heaven. Jesus claimed to be the Jewish Messiah, who was expected to be the king of the Jews in the line of David. At the time of Jesus, the Davidic line of kings had lain dormant for many centuries, and the political rulers in Israel were the Romans. Israel was basically a Roman colony with Roman leaders who held all the real power. In fact, the reason the Jews brought Jesus to Pilate for trial was because the Jewish authorities could not sentence someone to death without Roman approval. Pilate was the governor of the province, so he had the rightful political power to administer the death penalty. This provides the context for the dialogue in this Sunday’s gospel. The accusation the Jewish leaders made against Jesus was that He claimed to be the King of the Jews when He had no right to that position. Pilate would be concerned about this because any claim to kingship would be a threat to the power and authority of the Roman emperor. Pilate, therefore, asked Jesus a simple “yes” or “no” question: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus, as He typically did, answered with another question: “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” In doing so, Jesus invited Pilate to reveal what He thought of Jesus. It was, in a way, an invitation to faith. Pilate, however, saw the situation through a merely political lens. Since he was not a Jew, he expressed that it did not matter to him personally whether or not Jesus was the the King of the Jews. All Pilate was concerned with was whether or not Jesus was guilty of the Jews’ accusation. He simply wanted to gain enough information to come to a verdict on Jesus’ trial. Jesus brought the conversation above the political, temporal order by telling Pilate that His kingdom “does not belong to this world.” Jesus is the King of the Universe. He is not a king in the political sense but in the supernatural sense. He is king of all creation because He is God, the Creator. And, therefore, He is the very essence of truth. He is a perfect ruler who invites everyone (not just Jews) to listen to His voice, find the truth, and love and serve Him in their lives.
Application:
- Jesus wants to be the king of your life. He is not a tyrannical ruler who uses and abuses His subjects, but a loving king who desires what is best for all people. Jesus invites you to serve Him as your king. This means loving Him with all of who you are and obeying His commandments. Doing so will lead to a joy-filled life and ultimately to salvation and eternity with Him in the kingdom of heaven. Let us, therefore, entrust ourselves to our heavenly king.
