Sunday's Message - Our Reason for Thanks

On Sunday, we considered how Christ the King can enhance our celebration of Thanksgiving. Below is a audio recording and text of the sermon. On Sundays, you can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

Of course, I don’t have to tell anyone here this morning that Thanksgiving is this Thursday, or make that Wednesday if your daughter is dating a guy from Weirton who’s laid claim to the actual day. But that’s alright, we get Christmas, on December 25th. 

But be that as it may, Thursday is Thanksgiving. And I’ve got to tell you, when I was growing up, I think it was probably my favorite holiday, because, at least in part, it was most family-oriented. I mean, even though we had relatives over on Christmas and Easter and maybe the Fourth of July, on Thanksgiving, man, everybody, on both sides, were there. And we were all dressed up, wearing our Sunday best. And we were all sitting around the same table, using the good china and sterling silver. And of course, we were all eating some stuff we only saw one day each year, you know, like turkey and oyster dressing and of course that roll of cranberry sauce right out of the can. For me, that was Thanksgiving. 

And I’ll tell you, that was one of the adjustments I had to make when I moved out to Montana in 1987. Of course, being a young minister, the folks in the church took good care of me. In fact, one family had me over about four times, and I really appreciated it. But you know, they had this one tradition that we never did back home, and it always made me a little nervous. You see, before the meal, as we were sitting around the table, the host would have us go around and offer one thing for which we were thankful. And I can tell you, when we did that, man, it brought me right back to my church youth group and how, at the end of each meeting, we’d sit in a circle and go around making a prayer request. Now, as I remember, unless you were one of the first to speak, there was a lot of pressure coming up with something that didn’t make you sound really shallow or, you know, like a copy-cat. You know, as I was sitting at the table, silently waiting my turn, all those memories came rushing back. Because, I can tell you, whether it’s making requests or offering thanks, there’s a lot of pressure if you’re at the wrong spot in the circle. I mean, the people at the beginning would get all the good stuff, you know, like being thankful for Jesus and family and friends, while those at the end, well, they were stuck with the neck and gizzards. And good night nurse, no one wants to thank God for a bunch of leftovers. At least, that’s what I felt.

But if any of y’all have ever felt this way too, I’ve got some outstanding news for you. We’re going to talk about one reason for us to be thankful that I’m pretty sure no one at the beginning of the circle will mention, that is, if they’re not here this morning or streaming online. And I’ll tell you, it’s also related to another special day, in fact, today to be exact. You see, this is the scripture assigned for this particular Sunday according to the common lectionary:

Pilate then went back inside. He called Jesus over and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

“You know I'm not a Jew!” Pilate said. “Your own people and the chief priests brought you to me. What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn't belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to our leaders. No, my kingdom doesn't belong to this world.”

“So you are a king,” Pilate replied.

“You are saying that I am a king,” Jesus told him. “I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.” [John 18:33-37, CEV]

Now, that’s the passage for this morning, because today is Christ the King Sunday. Next week we start Advent, with everything pointing toward the birth of Jesus. And traditionally, on this last Sunday in the church year, we focus on the kingship of Jesus Christ. And although it's only a coincidence that these two days are always in the same week, Thanksgiving and Christ the King Sunday, I think one really has a lot to do with the other. I mean, I believe one of the things for which we can be thankful is that Christ is not only our king, but one that's so much more than anything else we could find on earth. You see, for this, we can be thankful. And that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. 

You see, I believe that Jesus is without question not just a king, but a really good king. I mean, isn’t that the point of the passage we just read from John, and I’m talking about that conversation Pilate had with Jesus right before his crucifixion? My goodness, as you read these verses, it sure sounds like Pilate was moving to that same conclusion himself. I mean, think about it. He started by asking Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” [John 18:33b, CEV] But then a little later in our passage he said, “So you are a king,” [John 18:37a, CEV], to which Jesus replied, "You are saying that I am a king.” [John 18:37b, CEV] Now, to me, that sure sounds like Pilate was coming around. And remember, a little bit later in this story from John, not only does he try to release Jesus, but when he was crucified, Pilate hung a pretty profound sign right above Jesus on the cross. This was what the Evangelist John wrote:

Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a board and put above the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The words were written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. [John 19:19, CEV]

You see, the longer Pilate was with Jesus, the more convinced he became that Jesus really was a king.

And that’s just as true today as it was two thousand years ago. Jesus is still a king; he’s still our king. And I’ll tell you, he shows it in three very clear and definite ways. I mean, first, he certainly rules with power. My gosh, right in the opening verses of his gospel, just listen to what John wrote:

In the beginning was the one

    who is called the Word.

The Word was with God

    and was truly God.

From the very beginning

    the Word was with God.

And with this Word,

    God created all things.

Nothing was made

    without the Word.

Everything that was created

received its life from him,

and his life gave light

    to everyone. [John 1:1-4, CEV]

You see, since “the Word became a human being and lived here with us,” [John 1:14a, CEV] in other words, since this word entered into our space and time, Jesus Christ rules with the kind of control, the kind of authority, the kind of power that can make all those forces that scare us so much, you know, all those people and groups that cause us to doubt the future and to give up hope; man, he makes them look like a joke. First, Jesus is a king who has power. 

But that’s not all; second, he also rules with justice. I mean, even though we run into people all the time who are arbitrary and capricious, men and women who seem to base their decisions on their feelings and change their minds more often than their socks, there’s a consistency and a coherence to Christ. In other words, Jesus was and is and will continue to be, at the very least, fair. And since he’s fair, right here and now, we know the basis for his judgement, don’t we? For example, in his last lesson right before his arrest and crucifixion, he said this to his disciples:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.

He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.” [Matthew 25:31-36, CEV]

You see, second, ours is a just king, but even that’s not all. 

Because, third, Jesus also rules with compassion, which I think is something we always need to remember. You see, unlike us, Christ’s justice is neither blind nor impartial. Instead, he rules with mercy and grace, giving us far more than we deserve. And even though we may not always want this quality in the people we elect to office, for whatever reason, when you’re talking about the one holds our destiny and the destiny of the universe in his hands, and who can see what we’re doing and who knows what we’re thinking, I don’t know about y’all, but personally, I want my lord to look at me with as much mercy and grace as possible. In fact, when I feel at my lowest, I’d be thrilled to hear him say:

If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light. [Matthew 11:28-30, CEV]

You see, like a good king, Jesus rules with power and justice and compassion, and for that I think we can all be thankful.

And if that were all there is, for me that would be enough, but you know, when it comes to his kingdom and his reign, Christ is so much more than anything we can find on earth. And I’ll tell you, I think we can see this in the passage we read from John a few minutes ago, you know the one about the conversation between Jesus and Pilate. I mean, that sure seems to be what he was getting at when, in response to a question, 

Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn't belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to our leaders. No, my kingdom doesn't belong to this world.” [John 18:36, CEV] 

Now that’s what Jesus said, and even though I think Pilate picked up on the earthly king stuff, I’m not sure he ever realized how much more Jesus was than that

But you know something, we can. I mean, we can recognize that Jesus’s kingdom is not from around here, because, praise the Lord, he does two things that would be impossible for any person, king or not, to do. 

I mean, for one, Jesus is the one who brings the presence of God himself to us. You see, he enables us to understand who God is and what he wants. In other words, in a real sense, Jesus Christ is where heaven and earth touch. As John wrote at the beginning of the gospel, 

The Word was in the world,

    but no one knew him,

though God had made the world

    with his Word.

He came into his own world,

but his own nation

    did not welcome him.

Yet some people accepted him

    and put their faith in him.

So he gave them the right

    to be the children of God.

They were not God's children

by nature or because

    of any human desires.

God himself was the one

    who made them his children. [John 1:10-13, CEV]

Now that’s what John wrote. You see, we don’t have to find God. Why? Because right here and right now, God has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ and he has found us. What does it say in that hymn, “I was lost but now am found.”

That’s one thing Jesus has done.

And two, he also gives us the ability to believe and to follow. You see, he bears witness to us. In other words, through his word and spirit, he tells us about the truth. It’s like Jesus said to Pilate, “I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.” [John 18:37b] And you know, this is exactly what he’s done for us when he made this promise to the disciples: 

I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you. [John 14:25-26, CEV]

You see, not only does our king come to us, he enables us to understand who he is, which in turn gives us the ability to believe. And in my book, that’s absolutely amazing. And when we remember how he also brings the presence of God into our lives, these are two examples of how Jesus is so much more than just an earthly king. And for that, man, we can give him thanks. 

Now this Thursday, or maybe Wednesday, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends. And even if you don’t have to face that high pressure stress of being to the left of the host as you wait your turn to share something for which you’re thankful without sounding like you’re either really shallow or just another copy-cat, even if that’s not part of your tradition, just remember that we do have an outstanding reason to be thankful. You see, we can all be thankful that Christ is king. I mean, he’s a good king who rules with power and justice and compassion. But he’s also better than any earthly leader, because not only does he bring us into the presence of God he also gives us the ability to believe and to follow. You see, as members of his kingdom, this can be our reason for thanks.