Today, we celebrate Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This is the final Sunday of Ordinary Time, just before we begin the season of Advent. Each year on this day, we are asked an important question: What kind of King is Jesus Christ in our lives?
Is He just a symbolic figure, like the King of England or the King of Spain? We know these monarchs have no real authority over their people today. They live in palaces, wear traditional robes for ceremonies, and are addressed as kings, but their roles are largely ceremonial.
Is Jesus like that in our lives? Do we give Him lip service without acknowledging His real authority? Is He someone we turn to only when it’s convenient, or is He truly our King?
On the other hand, there are kings in some parts of the world, particularly in places like Saudi Arabia, united Arab Emirates, Qatar, who exercise real power and authority. They are the highest figures of authority in their countries, ruling over their people with genuine control.
Is Jesus that kind of King for us? Does He hold real power and supreme authority in our lives? Do His words serve as the law we live by? Do we commit ourselves to seeking His will and pleasing Him? Do we take pride in being known as His followers, making Him the very heart and soul of our lives?
The truth is this: Either Jesus is who He says He is—the King of the Universe—or He is not. Either He is everything to us, or He is nothing. There is no middle ground.
If we truly recognize Jesus as King, we must make Him the center of our lives. Otherwise, something else will take His place, whether it’s our ambitions, possessions, or desires.
In today’s Gospel, Pontius Pilate faced this very question. As a Roman governor, Pilate didn’t care about Jewish religious matters. But if Jesus claimed to be a king, it was a different issue. A king could be seen as a threat to Caesar. That’s why Pilate asked, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus responded with a profound statement. He said, “My kingdom does not belong to this world” and added, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:36-37).
This clearly reveals that,
Jesus’ kingdom is not defined by land or earthly boundaries. It isn’t limited to a specific ethnicity or race. Instead, His kingdom is made up of those who belong to the truth—the truth that Jesus is the Son of God, who came to die for our sins and rise again. Everyone who has faith in Him and is baptized becomes a member of this kingdom.
Through baptism, we are more than just citizens of His kingdom. We are children of God.
When we make Jesus our King, it doesn’t diminish our freedom or power—it amplifies it. Surrendering to Jesus makes us greater because it gives us our true identity as God’s sons and daughters. In baptism, we are anointed to share in Jesus’ kingly mission: to go out, make disciples, and transform the world with His love.
We don’t need to fear giving Jesus full authority over our lives. He is not just a King with power—He is a King who loves us enough to die for us. His authority extends over all creation, and He will always act for our good.
One day, as Daniel foresaw in today’s first reading, Jesus will come again on the clouds, and all nations will bow before Him. Earthly rulers and their power will fade, but His everlasting kingdom will remain. At that time, each of us will stand before Him to account for our lives.
If we allowed Jesus to be our King, He will welcome us into His eternal Kingdom. But if we chose to serve other “kings”—our pride, wealth, or worldly ambitions—we will be held accountable for that choice.
Now is the time to decide. Will we place Jesus on the throne of our hearts and serve Him as our King? Let us boldly choose to crown Jesus not only as King of the Universe but also as King of our hearts.
Today, we celebrate Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This is the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, just before we begin the season of Advent. Every year on this date, we are all asked this question: What type of king is Jesus Christ in our lives?
Is He there just for show, like the King of England or the King of Spain? Who we know do not really have any power over the people right now. Though they live in the palaces and wear traditional royal robes like in the past for ceremonies but have no real authority over people. They are still addressed as kings but they are just name sake kings.
[[-Is He someone whom we give lip service to but don’t really consider having any real authority? Is He someone we look to only when it’s convenient for us?]]]
Or is Jesus Christ another type of King?
[Then There are other type of kings who have real power and authority over people. Kings rule in many countries in the middle east such as sauda arabia, qatar, and other countries. They are the highest authrotiy figure in the country. They have real power over people, rule people. ]]
Is he a King with real power, who has supreme authority over us? Is His word law in our lives? Do we commit ourselves to pleasing Him by seeking His will? Do we take pride in being known as His followers, and is He our very heart and soul?
Either Jesus is who He says He is – the King of the Universe – or He is a fraud. Either He is everything, or He is nothing. There is no way around it.
Either we make Him the center of our lives by recognizing His supreme authority over us, or we recognize something else as being more important.
It is precisely this question that Pontius Pilate is faced with in today’s gospel. Pilate wasn’t a Jew, so it didn’t matter to him what Jesus taught about religious matters. But if Jesus claimed to be a King, then that was a whole other matter. Being a king would make Jesus – in Pilate’s mind – an enemy of the Roman emperor. That is why he asks Jesus if He is “King of the Jews.”
Jesus answers Pilate by giving this intriguing answer. First He tells Pilate that His Kingdom does not belong to this world. That is, it is a Heavenly Kingdom. Then He says, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (Jn 18: 37b RSV).
Jesus’ kingdom is not defined by land, the way an earthly kingdom is. It is not limited to a certain ethnic group or race. Rather, it is made up of those who “belong to the truth.” And what truth is that? The truth that Jesus is the Son of God who came down to earth to die for our sins and rise again. Everyone who has faith in Jesus as the Risen Lord – and who is baptized in His name – is a member of God’s Kingdom.
The good news is that, through baptism, we are more than subjects or citizens. We are sons and daughters.
So, if we have faith and courage enough to make Jesus our King, we do not have less freedom or power. We have more. Giving our heart over to Jesus doesn’t diminish us, it makes us greater. It gives us our identity as sons and daughters of God. In baptism, we receive an anointing which gives us a share in His kingly office. And we are given a mission – to go out, make disciples of all the nations, and transform the world through the love of Jesus.
So we do not need to be afraid of giving our lives over to Jesus and giving Him permission to be the supreme authority over us. And He will not ask us to do something without giving us the power to do it. This Jesus who is King of the Universe is also the one who loved us enough to die for us. He has authority over all creation, so there is nothing He will not do for us, as long as it is for our good.
The truth is that Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe. He is the Son of Man, whom Daniel saw in today’s first reading, who has an everlasting dominion and a kingdom that can never be taken away. One day, Jesus Christ will come again on the clouds to judge the living and the dead. Then there will be no doubt that earthly rulers were not as powerful as they seemed. There will be no doubt that there is no other king worth serving than Jesus Christ. All of us will stand before Jesus to give an account of our actions and choices. If we allowed Him to be the supreme authority in our lives, He will welcome us into His Kingdom. If we chose a king other than Him, then we will be held accountable for that choice.
Now is the day of decision. Will we put Jesus on the throne of our hearts and serve Him as our King? There is only one right answer. Let’s be bold in making the choice to crown Jesus King of the Universe and King of our hearts.