Jesus the King

Preached at St. John the Divine, Billericay on 23 November 2025 at 10:00. The sermon was not recorded.

Prayer

Father God, our refuge and strength, reign in our lives as you reigned from the cross, bringing mercy and hope to all. Be exalted among the nations, and let your peace dwell with us now and forever.

Christ the King

Today is the last Sunday in the church’s year. Next Sunday will be Advent, but for today we remember Jesus as King. Personally, I’m not a great fan of celebrating Jesus as King, although I understand that He, most definitely, is. My reasons for that are that it can lead to triumphalism, and that we don’t really understand what a king is these days anyway. Even if we did, the model of kingship that Jesus shows us is very different, and so much better than any earthly king you’ve ever seen. We’ll look at that in a minute, but first let's outline the role of an earthly king.

Kings

What has a king ever done for us?

Our King, Charles III, is a constitutional monarch, his role is primarily ceremonial. Should he ever choose to refuse to sign a bill that had been passed by parliament and the lords, there would be a huge constitutional crisis, and he would probably go the same way as the first Charles? But, I hope he would keep his head!

If we think about Kings in medieval times, or perhaps even earlier, we will get an idea of what a king does:

• His primary role is defence of the kingdom, from external and internal threats.

• He is also responsible for the legal system and may sometimes hear cases himself.

• He is responsible for infrastructure, trade and taxation (to pay for all of the above).

There is one other thing that a king should do, that is ensure there is a successor.

Kings in the medieval times were subject to the authority of the Christian church - by which I mean the Pope – to a greater or lesser extent. Sometimes having to raise an army, and sometimes not being allowed to divorce a wife.

Psalm 46

Our psalm starts with the line:

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

The Korahites, the authors and performers of the psalm, were recognising that God helps them in their struggles against the surrounding tribes and empires. This psalm seems to be celebrating the victory at the Assyrian Crisis of 701 BC. Where Sennacherib’s armies invaded Judah (2 Kings 18–19; Isaiah 36–37; 2 Chronicles 32). They overran forty-six walled towns, and penned Jerusalem “like a bird in a cage” (Sennacherib Prism, BM 91 032). Hezekiah’s refusal to surrender led to a siege that was broken miraculously when “that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians” (2 Kings 19:35).

The authors then take it a step further in the following two verses and assert that they will not fear, even if there are natural disasters.

This is something no earthly king would want his subjects to expect of him. Remember what happened to poor king Canute. According to legend, he tried to hold back the tide and got wet feet. The story is an object lesson in how people get the wrong message, he was actually trying to show his noblemen that he WASN’T able to do that. But I digress.

The Israelites king at this time was Hezekiah, and he might have been seen as a stubborn fool, if God had not fulfilled the primary role of the king and defeated the invaders. Now they see that with God protecting them, the impossible happens.

The psalm ends:

‘Be still, and know that I am God!

I am exalted among the nations,

I am exalted in the earth.’

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

This is great worship, but there is the beginning of the triumphalism that I am so worried about. They start to think that God can do anything they need, but they forget that they have certain responsibilities.

Duties of a Subject

You and I are subjects of King Charles III. If he is to run his kingdom successfully, we all have to play our part. In medieval times, the duties of a subject were:

• to serve in the king's army during wars or conflicts.

• to protect the kingdom from invaders and uphold the king's authority.

• to pay taxes to support the king's rule and the maintenance of the realm.

• to work on the king's lands or provide labour for public projects.

• to swear loyalty to their lord or king, promising to support and defend them.

• to follow the laws established by the king and the customs of the land.

• to be involved in local councils or assemblies, providing input on community matters.

• to support the Church, both financially and through participation in religious activities.

• to live according to the moral and ethical standards set by the Church and society.

Rather more things for us than for the king.

The King of the Jews

Pilate

In our New Testament reading, Pilate has put a sign above Jesus that read “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews”. Each of the three crosses would have had some inscription, it was how the Romans made the charge public, and was required by their law. From Pilate’s point of view, it was also a way of helping to keep the Jews in their place, but if you read the rest of the account you will see that the Jewish leaders had already put themselves under his leadership anyway. Pilate was right, of course, but would have been incapable of understanding what his message really meant.

The thief

One of the thieves, on the other hand, seems to have a better understanding. He knows he has done wrong and is getting the punishment he deserves. He has also worked out something of who Jesus is, he knows Jesus does not deserve death, and he believes the message that Pilate has written (although it’s doubtful he could have read it).

The kingdom

Just exactly what he means by ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ is open to endless debate. It’s like a deathbed confession, but whatever he means, it’s enough for Jesus to accept him into His kingdom.

The King

We know that Jesus is king, not just of the Jews, but of the whole of humanity, but as king, He has some different roles than an earthly king.

Jesus’s kingship is one of humility and service, not power. To show that, he entered Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

So, Jesus was clearly identifying himself, and making a statement that He was a different type of king.

Rather than make war, He offers himself as the ultimate sacrifice. His fight now is not against the Assyrians, or any other people or nation. His fight is against the powers in the heavenly realms, and his resurrection is the proof that the fight is won. All that remains is to rescue His people.

Subjects of the heavenly King

As subjects our role is simple, there is not a long list of things that we might be required to do. John says (1:12):

But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children.

Or as Paul puts it in Romans 10:9

if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Belief is all we need, and belief in our King is more powerful than a list of responsibilities and expectations. Then there are a couple of commands that summarise all we need to do:

(Matthew 22) ³⁷ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ and ³⁹ ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

and, if we obey these commands, we become friends of the king:

John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command.

None of this stops us worshipping God, exulting His name, proclaiming His victories, or any of the other things that the psalmist does, it simply reminds us that we are on the King’s mission of rescue, not a mission of conquest.

Amen.

All Saints (for Pensioners Praise)

Preached at Christ church, Billericay  

Prayer

Almighty God, We give thanks for all your saints, who have shone with your light in every age. As we worship, kindle in us the same faith and love, that we may follow in their steps and glorify your name. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

History

In the 4th century, there began to be feast days to remember all the Christian martyrs. The feast days were either 13th May, or the Sunday after Pentecost. By the 7th century, the feast day included all the saints, not just the martyrs. 

Some say that on November 1st 731 Pope Gregory dedicated an oratory in Old St. Peter's Basilica to the relics of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just, made perfect, who are at rest throughout the world. But there is also evidence that he may have been doing other things that day.

Others believe that the date was chosen because it is the festival of Samhain, the Celtic festival of the dead, and also the festival of the end of harvest and the start of winter.

It was not until 800, that we have records from Gaelic Ireland and Anglo-Saxon Northumbria holding All Saints' Day on the 1st November. By the 13th Century, the optional date of 13th May had disappeared.

Hebrew’s Saints

In our reading from the letter to the Hebrews, the author, whoever that was, talks about a great cloud of witnesses. If we look back at the previous chapter, he has listed them. He starts with “By faith Abel bought a better offering than Cain.” Then many of the heroes of the scriptures are introduced, starting with the words “By faith …”. The writer, in each case, outlines something of their lives – some small (or huge) action, that demonstrates their faith. In verse 13, part of the way through the passage, the writer says:

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

These are the people who make up the great cloud of witnesses.

New Testament Saints

To us, if we look back in a similar way, our great cloud of witnesses, might include the disciples, the apostle Paul, Barnabas, Luke, and many of the other Christians mentioned in the New Testament. Each of them could have their faithful actions listed.

• By faith, Andrew brought his brother to Jesus.
• By faith, Peter and John spread the word of God and healed people, despite the threats and the beatings given them by the religious authorities.
• By faith Ananias, went to straight Street and laid his hands on Saul of Tarsus.
• By faith, Paul continued his journeys to reach the gentiles, knowing how much he would suffer for the Lord Jesus.
• By faith, Barnabas sold a field to support the work of the apostles.
• By faith, Stephen spoke the message the Holy Spirit gave him. 

I could go on, and on. There are an almost endless list of people that could be mentioned in the New Testament alone. It is also true that:

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 

The promise that these people were looking forward to was the return of Jesus, to bring the current age to an end.

More Recent Saints

Of course, 2000 years later, there are lots of other saints we could look at. I wonder who you think of, if I ask who is your favourite saint?
…

The Catholic Church has a very specific, detailed process for declaring someone a saint. Each stage is carefully processed and agreed by a number of people. The stages are:

• Servant of God
• Venerable
• Blessed
• Saint

and none of the stages can start until a person has been dead for five years. The Pope can excuse this waiting period, which he did with Saints Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. Here are a couple of the more obscure ones :
 

1. St. Casimir of Poland (1458–1484)
- Known for: His deep piety, chastity, and commitment to peace.
- Legacy: A royal prince who refused to lead a war he believed was unjust, choosing instead a life of prayer and service. He is the patron saint of bachelors and Poland. 

2. St. Lidwina of Schiedam (1380–1433)
- Known for: Enduring a lifetime of suffering after a skating accident left her paralysed.
- Legacy: She offered her pain for the conversion of sinners and became a mystic. She is considered a patron saint of ice skaters and the chronically ill. 

These then, among many many others, are the people that the Catholic Church officially recognises. Jesus may recognise many, many more. In our own time there are also many who should be in the great cloud of witnesses. I’m going to read 3 short passages for you.
 

1. – Story and Martyrdom of Frith. P 151

Frith was a young man famed for learning, and was the first in England who wrote against the corporeal presence in the sacrament. In May 1533 he was charged with not believing in purgatory and transubstantiation. He gave the reasons that determined him to look on neither of these as articles of faith. The bishops seemed unwilling to proceed, but Stokesler, the accuser, delivered him to the secular power, at the same time desiring that his punishment might be moderated: a piece of hypocrisy which deceived no one. Frith, with a fellow-martyr named Hewitt, was brought to the stake at Smithfield on July 4th 1533. On arriving there, he expressed great joy and even embraced the faggots (in the 16th century this meant bundles of sticks, tied together). A priest named Cook, who stood by, told the people not to pray for them more than they would for a dog. At this, Frith smiled, and said, "God forgive you." The fire was then kindled, and the martyrs burned to ashes.

2. – Stolyarov behind the truck. PP 200, 203

Stolyarov was released early from the disciplinary barracks, but on the next Saturday announced that he could not work on Sunday due to his convictions. A harsher punishment was required. The guards tied a rope around Stolyarov and attached it to the truck. The driver drove slowly, but still Stolyarov was dragged through the snow. When the driver a year later questioned Stolyarov about his feelings during the drive, Stolyarov answered, “I saw the blue sky. And think, brother, of what I saw there: Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of the Father. I became filled with such joy and bliss that I couldn't feel that I was being dragged behind the truck! I did not feel the snow creeping into my jacket and trousers. I had the sense of being carried on the wings of angels and of Christ watching over me to see that nothing happened to me. I had never previously encountered such a state of ecstasy! I was so grateful to all those who had tried to hurt me in the name of Christ! After all, they jeer at me for his names' sake! Stolyarov forgave the guards, saying, “We have to have sympathy for them. They carry out the will of the enemy of every human soul. They are much more unfortunate than we are.”

What does it take to be a Saint?

So, what does it take to be a saint? We have already had the answer. We become saints by faith. We have heard a couple of remarkable stories of those who stood up for their faith. It is, of course, only the remarkable stories that get written down. Faith is the only requirement, if we have the same sort of faith as we have seen in our great cloud of witnesses, then, in due time, we too will be in that cloud, and stories of faith may be told about us and our lives. 
So, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, and remember what the writer to the Hebrews said about the great cloud of witnesses, because it applies to those in the two stories, and to us:

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

Amen.

Soul of Fire, Terry Goodkind

** spoiler alert ** I didn't realise it was part of a series when I started. It doesn't matter. The book works well standalone. From the beginning, when the chicken that isn't a chicken causes havoc, we learn of the disaster that is about to encompass the world. The 'universe' is well described and easy to pick up. The character developments are mostly good, some are excellent, particularly the minor character Beata. It's good to see a minor character developed as the story progresses.
The story moves at a reasonable pace, but for me the end came too soon, the last two chapters seem to lack the depth of the rest of the book. The final victory scene is too short, too vague.
I did like the way the leaders of Anderith met their end - poetic justice at its best. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆