Sunday 23 November 2025. Readings: 2 Sam. 5:1-3, Ps. 122:1-5, Colossians 1:12-20, Luke 23:35-43
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
Since the start of this liturgical year, we have been reflecting on key aspects of Christ’s life. Having reached the end of this liturgical year, today’s Solemnity is the closing declaration of all our celebrations. This Jesus, who took flesh in the womb of Mary, lived among us, preached and performed various miracles, carried the cross, died and rose again on the third day, ascended to the Father, and sent the Holy Spirit among us, is the king of the universe.
In this part of the world, our celebration of Christ the King is usually marked by processions through our streets, featuring lots of singing, marching, dancing, clapping, and public veneration of Christ the King in the Blessed Sacrament. This tradition is beautifully reflected by our Psalmist today: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” Today, we relive the joyful welcome of Jesus into the City of Jerusalem. From today’s readings, some crucial points could guide our reflections.
1. Christ is King. But Is He Your King?
With his face disfigured and blood dripping over his wounded body, Christ dragged his cross through the streets of Jerusalem to the place of crucifixion. The inscription on the cross was merely a mockery. “How can this man be a king? … A king without an army? … He saved others, yet he can’t save himself.” Even today, Christ is still being mocked, scoffed at, and insulted by many, and this includes those of us who claim to be Christians.
After walking the streets singing and dancing in celebration of Christ, do you allow Christ to reign in your living rooms, your workplace, your sense of fashion, and your daily interactions with others? Is Christ your King when you do not receive answers to your prayers? When the miracles you expect do not come? When life is difficult? When you face persecution? Do you still give Christ His due as your king?
Jesus Christ does not like hypocrites. If you know that you have not been giving Christ the respect He deserves as your king, do not assume He will be deceived by your decision to join the procession or kneel before the Blessed Sacrament in public. If Jesus is not allowed to reign as king in your body, in your business or in your dealings with one another, then your external show of adoration today is in vain.
2. Jesus Christ, King of a Troubled World
Amid the killings we are experiencing in our country today, someone asked me, “Where was Christ when some armed men went into a church in Kwara State during worship, killed three persons and kidnapped others? If Christ is king of the universe, can He not stop this violence in the country?” I answered, quoting the words of Christ, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36)
In today’s Gospel passage, John writes, “The rulers scoffed at Jesus, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ How did Jesus respond to those who mocked Him? Silence. Jesus did not utter a word; He did not try to save his life at that moment because He knew that He was about to defeat death, the last enemy of mankind.
What does Jesus’ silence imply for us Christians in the face of the ongoing insecurity, violence and abysmal failure of leadership in our country? Jesus knows what He is doing. He may appear weak in our eyes, but He remains a mighty warrior. No king will sit idle and amuse himself while watching his subjects die like flies, while others are forced to live in IDP camps. No. Jesus is not like earthly kings, who would prefer to campaign for 2027 and blame the opposition for everything wrong rather than use the power vested in them to protect innocent citizens. Jesus is silent, but He is not a powerless king.
On the other hand, Jesus’ silence also points to an eschatological reality; the fact that this world is not our home. When we say Jesus is our king, we are also saying we do not belong to this world. When we sing, dance and exult Jesus today, we are telling ourselves that we believe in a kingdom that exists in the world, yet is not of this world, because it transcends the physical universe.
As much as we work and pray for a better world (an end to violence and genocide against Christians and Muslims, an end to mass kidnapping of school children, an end to the sacking of people from their ancestral lands for the control of their mineral resources), let the gory events we see remind us to live upright lives in anticipation of the world to come.
3. With Christ, Nothing is Impossible
While others were mocking Jesus, some remained unmoved by the apparent “defeat” of Christ on the Cross. In fact, there was one man who had the insight to see that Christ is truly the King of the Universe: the second thief. Not only did he rebuke the other thief for mocking Jesus, but he also demonstrated sincere contrition for his life of sin and turned to Jesus to plead: “Remember me when you come into your kingly power.”
Jesus was so impressed by this man’s faith that He granted him an instant ticket to paradise. Jesus forgave his sins immediately and responded to His prayer. The thief wasn’t asking to come down from the cross like others; he was seeking something more precious: eternal life, because he knew that his death was not the end. How is your prayer life? Do you ask for eternal life, or are you only concerned about the perishable things of this life?
4. Christ is King: Therefore, we are Princes and Princesses
In today’s second reading, St. Paul explains the implications of the Kingship of Christ. By our union with Christ the King, we are not ordinary persons; we are royalty. We have been delivered from the dominion of darkness, we walk in the light, we receive forgiveness of our sins, and we are members of the body where Christ is the Head.
As Jesus would say: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister, and mother.” (Mark 3:35). Anyone from a royal family knows that there are specific rules that guide their behaviour. In Christ’s kingdom, there is only one rule: LOVE. Christ on the Cross did not hate even those who were killing him; He loved everyone to the end. He forgave them and prayed for them. We disgrace Christ when we don’t live by this principle of Love.
5. Christ is King: His Kingdom is Forever
Earthly kingdoms come and go, but Christ’s power is everlasting: His kingdom endures forever. Review the history of the world and tell me if there has been any kingdom that considered itself a world power that did not eventually fall. Today’s first reading talks about David’s kingdom. As great and glorious David was, his kingdom was only a foretaste (or preparation) of God’s kingdom that was to come in the person of Christ. All earthly power is fleeting, contingent and constantly under threat, but the Kingdom of Christ is forever.
This is what we know: No matter the level of persecution against Christians, no matter the indirect support of terrorists by our government through its deliberate recruitment of persons known to support and sponsor these killers, no matter how many lies they proclaim about their plan to turn our nation into an Islamic state, no matter how they pretend to be clueless about ending the shedding of blood while at the same time resisting foreign intervention, Christ is king forever. They will try, but they can never end Christianity.
I could be killed tomorrow, but the reason I am not afraid of dying is that I know where I am going. I know that Jesus was not telling lies when he said, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” I know that all the bullets of the terrorists, all their arms and ammunition, cannot bring down Paradise.
Let us pray: Almighty ever-living God, whose will is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of the universe, grant, we pray, that the whole creation, set free from slavery, may render your majesty service and ceaselessly proclaim your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Christ the King. Liturgical Colour: White. Bible Study: 2 Sam. 5:1-3, Ps. 122:1-5, Colossians 1:12-20, Luke 23:35-43)
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu