Reading 1: Daniel 7:13-14

As the visions during the night continued, I saw one like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him,
the one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Reading 2: Revelation 1:5-8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.  To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him.  All the peoples of the earth will lament him.
Yes. Amen.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.”

Gospel: John 18:33b-37

Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?”  Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.  What have you done?”  Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.  If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.  But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “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.”

When growing up, I often heard the song “King of Kings, Lord of Lords” at church. Today, there are many versions of the song ranging from subdued Gospel to Contemporary Christian Rock. It is a song of praise and worship acknowledging the splendor of the Kingship of Christ. The Scriptures for today also emphasize that Kingship, especially in the Gospel of John where Jesus makes it clear that his kingdom does not exist on Earth.

Even though the Scriptures are about the Kingship of Christ, I would like to shine some light on this subject from a different angle, an angle how this applies to us directly. In the Book of Revelation we read, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father…” At our baptism, after the water is poured over our head, we are sealed with the oil of chrism as the priest anoints us as he or she uses the words “priest, prophet, king.” This statement is our baptismal call! What do I mean? Jesus came to proclaim God’s love and preach how God wants humanity to live, before He was crucified. We are called to be witnesses of that message by the mere fact that we are part of that Kingship of Christ through our ministry; how we love our neighbor and how we reach out to those in need.

This Sunday celebration is about proclaiming that Christ is King, but it is so much more. It is a reminder for us to be like Jesus in our actions.   It is a reminder as we prepare to enter Advent; the season of waiting for our King to come into this world. If we are not living out our baptismal call, what are you going to do to change? Will you become like that king which you are called to be in ministry?