Christ the King (The Fourth Sunday of End Times)
- For His Perfect Justice
- For His Amazing Grace
SERMON TEXT: Psalms 45:1-7
My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you forever.
Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
In your majesty ride forth victoriously
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
Bible Readings
FIRST LESSON: Daniel 7:13-14
I kept watching the night visions, and there, in the clouds of heaven, I saw one like a son of man coming. He came to the Ancient of Days, and he was brought before him. To him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom. All peoples, nations, and languages will worship him. His dominion is an eternal dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
SECOND LESSON: Revelation 1:4b-8
Grace to you and peace from him who is, who was, and who is coming, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father—to him be the glory and the power forever. Amen. Look, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. And all the nations of the earth will mourn because of him. Yes. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, the one who is, and who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.”
VERSE OF THE DAY: Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and
the End.
GOSPEL: John 18:33-37
Pilate went back into the Praetorium and summoned Jesus. He asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.” “You are a king then?” Pilate asked. Jesus answered, “I am, as you say, a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”