By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, November 22, 2009 · Christ the King Sunday
Sermon Text: Matthew 28:16-18
Sermon Theme
It is not enough to say that Jesus Christ is King. It is even insufficient to say that he is Lord. It is certainly true that he is both King of Kings and Lord of Lords but he is much more. At the conclusion of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus makes the astounding claim that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” One of our biggest problems is that we underestimate Jesus. We are hesitant and uncertain all too often in our walk of faith. We see this also throughout Scripture. Yet the greatest freedom, the greatest encouragement we could ever know, is to begin to grasp who the Risen Christ actually is. He overcomes all doubt. His authority extends through all of life and beyond. Even the darkness of sin and hell is under his command. There is absolutely nothing that is not under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Outline
- Doubt. The eleven disciples come to Galilee for a final meeting with Jesus. They have seen Jesus heal the blind, cast out demons and calm the sea. They have been with the Risen Christ for forty days. Yet some doubted. How can that be? The only possible explanation is that Jesus is so awesome, so over powering that they cannot grasp it. We cannot begin to comprehend someone who has all authority in heaven and on earth.
- Dominion. Nothing is qualified in the straight forward statement Jesus makes when he says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” We struggle to understand such an all embracing claim. The implication is that even the full authority of God, in this case of the Father and the Holy Spirit, has been given to Jesus. The Trinity is still fully present but in terms of Jesus’ mission the full authority of the Godhead has been given to him until he has completed his task of restoring all nations, indeed all of creation. Then he hands his kingdom over to the Father. Beginning with the Resurrection Jesus has all authority over everything. Jesus is the only one in charge. Therefore we should not doubt, nor be hesitant or uncertain in our faith. We hold back all too easily. We need to realize that everything depends on Jesus. There is nothing that cannot be accomplished in his name.
- Darkness. Scripture reminds us again and again that the authority of Jesus Christ is being resisted. This is the continuing work of the spiritual rulers and authorities, “the cosmic powers of this present darkness (Ephesians 6:12)” We are not to focus on them. We need however to realize that we are in a spiritual conflict. Yet there is no reason to fear. There is nothing in heaven or hell, nothing in life or death, nothing past, present or future that can stand against the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the century before the birth of Christianity the Roman writer Virgil (70-19 BC) described Hades as containing the home of empty dreams, the land of shadows and the fields of mourning. These symbolic places exist in our present world. Jesus descends to all of them. He restores hope to the hopeless, love to the lost and life to the dead. No barrier can shut Jesus out. There is no authority except from God. We are under the authority of Jesus Christ alone. Therefore we need to be continually acting and living under his authority.
Questions for Us
- What are some of the ways we doubt the authority of Jesus Christ? Why are we often hesitant to act on that authority?
- If we really saw all aspects of life under the authority of Jesus Christ how would our lives be different?
- We are all too aware of the darkness in our world, the darkness of sin, sickness and tragedy. What are some of the ways we can be more bold in presenting the light of Jesus Christ to those who live in"the home of empty dreams"?
