Daniel 7:13–14
Psalm 93:1, 1–2, 5
Revelation 1:5–8
John 18:33b–37
To call Jesus Christ King of the Universe is to make a bold claim. It requires a depth of understanding that can only be reached through faith. We cannot discover the meaning of the claim or can we evaluate its truth until we are willing to accept Jesus on His own terms.
The world often gives lip service to Jesus as “a good man.” His teachings, at times, are accepted as human wisdom, but nothing more. He is then relegated to stand on a pedestal or in a niche and to trouble us no more. What His followers have made of Him is not relevant once we tame Jesus.
The claim of the Catholic Church throughout human history is that Jesus in not merely one individual man, a part of history, but that He is the beginning and the end of history, that He is the Lord of the Universe, all that is. This claim was not the invention of human beings but rather comes from Jesus Himself.
In Jesus’ encounter with Pilate, one who represents political power and the philosophy of “this world,” Jesus responds with truth. Remember that this moment is a pivotal moment. If it had gone differently, the crucifixion would not have followed. Pilate was the world, acting in the name of the Roman emperor and collaborating with the political intrigues of his time that mixed in a variety of philosophies and ways of life. How Jesus chose to answer Pilate made all the difference.
Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus responds: “My kingdom does not belong to this world.” Pilate goes on: “Then you are a king?” Jesus answers directly with a deeper revelation: “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Jesus’ response is an invitation to all who are open to enter the kingdom.
To say that we believe in Jesus is not enough. We must believe Jesus Himself, accepting the truth, so that we can hear His voice. He speaks the truth by what He says and by all that He does. He reveals Himself to be the king, the ruler of the universe, by submitting Himself to the limits of the world and then breaking through them as He IS. The Crucified Lord is not the kind of King we would ever expect. Yet, He is the One who has full authority in Heaven and on earth. To embrace the truth is to choose to live, acknowledging Him as King and Lord.
Whatever may be going on in the world around us, the search for truth is a personal journey, unique for each person. There is One Truth, but that truth must be discovered personally, not imposed from the outside. It is an offer of relationship.
We become one with each other by being open to the truth of each other. It is possible for us to be mistaken about who we think we are, but the truth of who we are is discovered in our relationship to the King of the Universe. He entrusts us to one another. When we are mutual in our love for one another, we will discover that the King of the Universe is with us.
Pope Francis has called for 2025 to be a Jubilee Year of Hope. The Holy Door of St/ Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican will be opened on Christmas Eve 2024. The Holy Year will close on the Solemnity of Epiphany 2026. The theme for the Holy Year is Pilgrims of Hope.
Hope is opened to us through a willingness to accept the truth that this world and all that is in it belongs to God. All that is, all that happens, is under His providence. Believing in Him, trusting Him, loving Him gives us hope in time and into eternity.
“Hope does not disappoint.” (Romans 5:5) Let us put our Hope in Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, as we walk along our pilgrim journey to the kingdom.