Worship Service for November 24, 2024

The Last Sunday of the Church Year is about the last things, the day of judgment when Jesus Christ “will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,” Christ, “whose kingdom will have no end” (Nicene Creed). The last Sunday is therefore known as the Sunday of fulfillment, when all the plans and promises of God’s salvation break forth in the resurrection of all flesh and eternal life in the new heavens and earth. This year we hear the Readings appointed for what some churches call Christ the King Sunday. With the vision of the prophet Daniel, we are given a fascinating “apocalyptic” revelation. As such, we are cautioned against overinterpreting the symbolism of the four beasts, fiery flames, burning wheels, and the like. The clear point is that God Himself is Lord, king, and ruler over all the nations of the earth. The four nations of Daniel chapter 7 are progressively more evil than the ones before: Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Not all earthly kingdoms or nations are evil, of course. Yet evil and the devil’s madness appear here and there everywhere. Christ is the king not only over all the ancient nations of the world but also over our own! With great and glad celebration, therefore, we gather to rejoice over our assurance that Jesus Christ, the King of kings, rules ultimately over all things, always for our good, our healing, our salvation, and our destiny in the day of resurrection.