Christ the King

How can we describe Jesus in the 21st Century, when we disdain non-elected leaders?

What if rather than calling Christ king, we compared him to different varieties of Coca-cola
No, I’m not being a heretic…just discovering a new way of sharing the faith

Diet Jesus. For those who want all the taste and none of the calories.
Diet Jesus is for people who love the concept of Jesus, but not all the impact he might make in their lives. We want Jesus to save our souls, but to leave our lifestyles alone. We love this Jesus. He gets people out of judgment,but not the judgment out of people.

This take on Jesus is as misdirected as overeating accompanied with a Diet Coke.
I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one who has watched people enjoy a feast with delicious desserts washing it down with a Diet Coke and wondered would the extra 100 calories
of real Coke make a difference?

Faith is the same way. We can’t check off the “saved” box and not examine our lives and repent. Diet Jesus doesn’t work because in Christ we are a new creation!

The triune God makes us new and the Holy Spirit is our Jiminey Cricket conscience leading us into a more holy life.

Other Christians treat Jesus as a special additive; think of Cherry Coke or Vanilla Coke. It’s Coke, plus a nice little additive to create interest.

Sometimes people see their lives as friends, family, career, recreation, retirement accounts, etc., and then throw in some Jesus additive once a week. He’s a nice flavor enhancement
to an otherwise intact formula.

He’s the Jesus icing on the life cake. Bishop David DeFreese calls it Country Club Christianity
— make the visit once a week to show everyone you are still a member. But don’t get involved or do ministry

While many unwittingly think of Christian spirituality in this way, Jesus makes no claim to be the cherry additive. He’s the real thing.

For Paul, Jesus is not an add-on. The text is clear: Because we are followers of Jesus,
all of our life — all seven days a week —all 4 million plus heart beats should be impacted by our faith.

Look again at the imagery and metaphors in Colossians 1:11-20 and see how they describe the whole and complete scope of Jesus’ reign.

Verse 11: Christ prepares his people to “endure everything” by offering “all the strength that comes from his glorious power” (v. 11).

In other words, there’s nothing we experience that God wants us to take on alone. The Almighty desires to be involved in every aspect. Every negative thought. Every insecurity.
Every temptation. God is there in the best and worst; in life and in death

Christ has “first place in everything” (v. 18). This is a tough thing; with our jam packed schedules it seems that Christ winds up elsewhere on our priorities. And today is the cold water in the face reminder there is only one place he will be.
First place.

Jesus is no pleasant vanilla accent. He’s Classic Christ: God’s anointed savior, the Good Shepherd, the Prince of Peace, the entire principle behind our whole lives.

Classic Christ needs a classic image and a just monarch is a fitting image: Christ the King

Jesus…the real thing
The real King
The same Jesus who shapes our souls keeps on working and will shape the way we do church.
The concept never changes —

Jesus Christ transforming lives so people can help change the world.

He is everything. He is Completeness. Reconciling all things in every aspect of your life
and every believer’s life.

What kind of Jesus are we drinking in? Quite simply, the living water who meets every need and brings us to everlasting life

Today and in the season of Advent, ponder "Who is Jesus?" as we walk together towards Bethlehem, to see Emmanuel, God with us.

Amen.