Readings:
Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

Collect:
God the Father, help us to hear the call of Christ the King
And to follow in his service,
Whose kingdom has no end;
for he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, one glory. Amen

Reflection - Who Reigns In You?

Introduction
This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, when the Church gathers to proclaim with conviction that Christ is King. This day marks the final Sunday of the liturgical year, a moment of pause before we begin anew next week with the first Sunday of Advent. It is a time when the Church publicly announces that it bows only to Jesus Christ. We affirm that no other person, principality, power, or ideology holds ultimate authority over our lives. As the Christian year draws to a close and we stand on the threshold of Advent, the Church invites us to ask a deeply important spiritual question: Who truly reigns in your life? Hence, Christ the King Sunday is not just a date on the liturgical calendar; it is a moment of reflection, renewal, and realignment for every believer. 

Why the Church Declares Christ as King
The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, during a turbulent period marked by political extremism, the rise of dictatorships, and a growing confidence in human power detached from divine authority. The Church responded by lifting high the Kingship of Christ not as an abstract theological idea, but as a living reality that relativises all earthly powers. The proclamation of Christ as King is profoundly countercultural because it declares that ultimate authority does not belong to presidents, prime ministers, parliaments, economic systems, scientific advancements, or cultural voices. Even good human structures remain temporary, fragile, and fallible. The reign of Christ stands above and beyond every human throne. It is important to note that Christians do not reject earthly authority; rather, they refuse to absolutise it. The Church affirms that history is not governed by accident or human ambition alone, rather it is held and guided by Christ, whose kingdom is eternal, just, and life-giving.

God’s Original Intent for His People
From the beginning, God desired to reign as a relational and benevolent King over His people. Divine kingship in Scripture is not oppressive or authoritarian; it is rooted in covenantal love, justice, and compassionate guidance. God’s rule was meant to be a source of flourishing, identity, protection, and purpose for humanity. God declared in Exodus 6:7, “I will take you as my people, and I will be your God”.
But humanity has always struggled with the temptation to enthrone alternative rulers. Ancient Israel’s request for a king “like the nations around them” in 1 Samuel 8:10-18 reflects a deeper spiritual reality: we often prefer the visible and immediate over the unseen and eternal. We find comfort in systems we can predict or leaders we can see, even when they fail to bring life. Despite human resistance, God's commitment to be our true King never fades. He continues to draw His people back, not by coercion, but through invitation and grace.

Christ the Servant King
The kingship of Jesus radically redefines what it means to reign. While earthly kings rule from positions of privilege, Jesus exercises His authority through humility, vulnerability, and sacrificial love. His crown is made of thorns, His throne is a cross, and His coronation occurs in the midst of suffering. In the life of Jesus, we see a paradoxical kingdom:

• A King who washes the feet of His followers.

• A King who welcomes children, outcasts, and the forgotten.

• A King who forgives His enemies even in His last breath.

• A King who gains victory not through violence, but through self-giving love.

This is not a kingship that coerces; it converts. It does not intimidate; it invites. It does not demand subservience; it inspires transformation. Christ’s reign is the revelation of God’s heart; gentle, holy, just, and redemptive.

The Present and Future Kingdom
Christ’s kingdom is both already and not yet. It is present wherever Christ’s rule is embraced, and yet it awaits full manifestation when He returns in glory. In the present moment, the kingdom is seen in lives transformed by grace, when injustice is overturned by love, reconciliation replaces division, and hope rises where despair once dwelt. The kingdom unfolds wherever Christ’s people embody His compassion, forgiveness, and humility. But the fullness of the kingdom is still to come. There remains a future horizon where Christ’s reign will be visible and complete, where evil is defeated, and where all creation is restored. Christ the King Sunday holds both of these realities together, reminding us that we live as citizens of a kingdom that has begun but is not yet finished. This tension is not a contradiction but a calling to work, pray, and hope for God’s reign to deepen within us and expand through us.

Conclusion
As we close the liturgical year and prepare for Advent’s season of longing and expectation, Christ the King Sunday invites each of us to reflect deeply - who reigns in you, what governs your decisions, shapes your values, and directs your heart? May we renew our allegiance to Jesus, the only King whose rule brings justice without oppression, authority without arrogance, power without corruption, and love without end. And as Christ reigns in us, may His kingdom be revealed through us, offering hope, peace, and light to a world searching for true leadership and lasting transformation.

Revd Adedayo Adebiyi.