The Times They Are A Changing

The Rev. Joseph Winston

November 26, 2006

Sermon

Grace and peace are gifts for you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.1
The last few days have been picture perfect. Low humidity, blue skies, and cool
temperatures made this beautiful scene possible. All over town, air conditioners
are taking their first well-deserved vacations of the season. Crisp air is entering
houses through the newly opened windows. People in cars are following suite.
Windows are down so that the drivers can enjoy the feeling of fresh air on their
faces. Convertible tops are off. During the hustle and bustle of this time of year, a
small number of people are wearing long sleeved shirts and even a some sweaters
can be seen on the many shoppers that crowd the stores.
It might be hard to see here with all of the evergreen trees around us, but the
colors are slowly changing. If you look carefully, some of the trees are starting
1
Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians
1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:3

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to drop their leaves and others are being transformed from greens into the colors
of fall. The state of Texas reports that the red oaks located at Lost Maples State
Park outside of Kerrville have started to turn from green to flaming red. Even the
sunlight during this time of the year appears to be different. Twilight seems to be
full of intense reds and glistening golds.
Every day, the number of hours of daylight is growing shorter. Today is one
minute shorter than yesterday and tomorrow will have one less minute of daylight
than today. Sunrise was about 6:54 yesterday and the sun peaked over the hori-
zon around 6:55 today. Cars have their lights on while they drive into work and
very soon, the car’s lights will be on during the return trip home. Yesterday, sunset
occurred near 5:21 and the sun will set today approximately at 5:20. Since twi-
light and darkness are starting sooner, people have less time to finish their outside
chores. People who wok inside have the same problem. Earlier sunsets mean that
lights are turned on sooner.
The cooler weather, the changing colors, and the gradual shortening of the
days all point to the facts that winter is coming and the year soon will be at its
end.
The same signs tell us the church year is at a close.
The colors will be changing in the nave next Sunday. No longer will the vest-
ments be green, the color of the time following Pentecost but instead either blue or
purple. Blue is the color that our Episcopal sisters and brothers use to distinguish
the season of Advent from Lent. Our Roman Catholic brethren use purple because
Advent has always been seen time of sacrifice and preparation, a time very much

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like Lent. As Lutherans, we have used both colors. The newer color is blue and it
is used in Lutheran congregations that wish to emphasize that Advent is a time of
watching, waiting, and hope. More traditional Lutheran congregations follow the
lead of the Roman Catholics and use purple to remind them of the sacrifice that
God made for us.
Today is the last day of the church year and it is known as Christ the King
Sunday. This festival, which celebrates the lordship of Jesus, is a recent addition
to our liturgical calendar. Pope Pius XI added this day to the Roman Catholic
calendar in 1925 and the original date of Christ the King was the last Sunday in
October. In 1969, the Roman Catholics changed the date to the last Sunday of the
church year. Three years later in 1973, the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship
added this celebration to our liturgical year.
Today’s Gospel Lesson comes to us and tells us that Jesus is unlike any other
king the world has ever known. In order to understand the implications of this
statement, we need to listen carefully how the author of John has identified Jesus
and kingship.
Up to this point in the Gospel, Jesus has been called a king three different
times. The first example is found in Christ’s call of Nathaniel. After Jesus mirac-
ulously tells Nathaniel about his past, Nathaniel proclaims that Jesus is both the
Son of God and the King of Israel (John 1:49.). Jesus flatly rejects the Nathaniel’s
confession because Nathaniel relied on seeing signs instead of believing in Je-
sus. Put more bluntly, Nathaniel wants someone to give him handouts and in re-
turn, Nathaniel will be trustworthy follower. Jesus says, “That wont do.” Contrast

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Christ’s stance with what normally happens in the world of politics. Here the stan-
dard operating procedure is, “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” In order
to remain in authority, people in power hand out favors. We call that the “pork”
in the budget. Kings are no different. They give away trivialities in order to obtain
and to maintain people’s loyalty. Jesus is not like that. If Nathaniel is only looking
for handouts, Jesus does not want Nathaniel as a follower.
The second time that Jesus is called a king occurs after Jesus has fed the five
thousand from the boy’s gifts of five barley loaves and two fishes. The fully sat-
isfied crowd wants to be fed in the future, so they attempt to force Jesus to be-
come their king (John 6:15). When Jesus finds out what is happening, He retreats
away from them and goes to the mountain (John 6:15). The reason why Jesus de-
clines their offer and leaves the people is exactly the same why He did not want
Nathaniel to be a disciple. Jesus does not want people to follow Him because their
bellies were filled. Instead, Jesus desires disciples who follow because they trust
His voice (John 10:27.)
The third time the author of John associates Jesus with a king happens when
Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on a young donkey (John 12:14.). The Bible
scholars in the crowd recognized the parallel with the following prophecy from
Zechariah:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!

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This prophecy from Zechariah is for a king who utterly lays waste to the enemies
of Judah (Zechariah 9:5). Not a single foe will remain standing nor will any ma-
chine of war be usable ever again (Zechariah 9:8, 10, 14). Others in the gathering
remembered that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead (John 12:9.). Put these
two together and you get an unstoppable force, a king who annihilates your ene-
mies but suffers no casualties. Once again, Jesus runs away and hides from them
(John 12:36.). These people want Jesus to be their king because of what Jesus can
do for them. In His action of leaving the scene, Jesus rejects the advances of His
potential followers.
Are we any different? Are we like Nathaniel, the five thousand, or the crowd
in Jerusalem and only want a king who gives us what we want? Are we Christians
just because of what we will get from God?
I would venture a guess that most Christians in the United States fall into this
category. We want all the benefits of eternal life without any of the costs. We want
to make Christ into a puppet king that gives us what we desire.
We are the ones who want to have some divine insurance policy for us, our
children, and our grandchildren. We have our children baptized but never made
them come to church because we do not want to impose our will onto them. We
say, “We’ll let them make the decision when they are older.” The fact of the matter
is that we have already made a judgment. By letting our children remain at home,
we are not teaching them about God’s love for humanity, His Son’s sacrifice for
us, or God’s Law.2 This has been our pattern for a generation. Today, this practice
2
The line of thought in John is that every who receives Jesus will become children of God

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now extends to our grandchildren. We will not tell our children that we disagree
with how they are raising our grandchildren. Instead of saying, “I expect that my
grandchildren are baptized and your entire family worship God.” we say, “They’ll
make the right decision.” In doing so, we are repeating our old mistakes of as-
suming that someone else will bring the Good News to our children rather than
bringing the Gospel ourselves.
We have done the devil’s work and have devastated the church.
Jesus is on trial for our sins. Pilate asks for all of us, “Do you give the Jews
what they want?” Jesus answers, “Who is doing the asking? Is it you or has some-
one put you up for this?” Pilate replies, “I have no interest in your petty little
squabbles. What have you done?” Jesus answers, “My kingdom is not from this
world.”
The phrase, “My kingdom is not from this world.” is pure Gospel. Christ’s
kingdom is not involved in the corruption that this world offers to all who accept
the world’s power. Christ is innocent of all charges that this world brings against
Him because He has not accepted any “favor” that this world presents. Jesus has
not taken advantage of anyone. This lack of sin does not mean that Jesus is not
incorporated in the world. This is what the world desperately wants us to believe.
The truth is that the world exists only because God wants it to not the inverse that
God only exists because we want Him to. Christ’s sinless sacrifice gives us our
forgiveness and our eternal life.
(John 1:12.) This task is done not by our own power, but by God (John 1:13.). Children follow the
will of their Father (John 8:39, 14:15, 23.).

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 Christ’s power and His kingdom come from a force that is totally outside of
our existence. Jesus comes from God the Father (John 3:35). He has entered this
world not to pronounce judgement against the world and what we do because we
condemn ourselves when we do not listen to Him. (John 3:17-18.). He comes to
make you and I children of God (John 1:12). He suffers so that we might live.
Every one who hears His voice will live forever.
The God given rhythm of the seasons is another one of God’s gifts to us. The
different times of the year remind us that there are times when new growth springs
upon the earth, when this new life is sustained by God’s bounty, when God’s gifts
are harvested from the earth, and when the earth rests so that this cycle can be
repeated over again.
The church’s calendar serves a similar function. It also recalls God’s grace to
the world. The liturgical year starts next week with Advent. During this time of the
year, we will prepare for God living with us. Next comes the time of celebration
as we thank God for the birth of Christ. Epiphany comes after the twelve days of
Christmass. During Epiphany, we recall the appearance of God in our lives. The
seasons of Lent and Holy Week help us to remember God’s sacrifice for our sin.
Easter is God’s final victory over death and the devil. Pentecost, which occurs fifty
days after Easter, starts the final season of the church year. In Pentecost, we recall
God’s actions in the church. This brings us to today, Christ the King Sunday.
Here at the end of the church’s year, we are almost at the end of John. All that
remains in John’s account is Christ’s death, resurrection, and commissioning of
His followers. When Jesus dies on the cross for the entire world, he will fulfill

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what John told us in the first chapter:3

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him;
yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and
his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who
believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God (John
1:10-12a.).

“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.”4

3
Thanks to Rev. Ed Peterman who used a similar closing on November 23, 1997 at Christ the
King in Houston, TX.
4
Philippians 4:7.