Blessed is the Kingdom of Christ that is to come
Solemnity of Christ the King
2 Samuel 5:1-3; Psalm 122; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-42
Watch the Video Reflection for this Solemnity on Youtube
The liturgy of the Word shows us three "images" of a king. There is David chosen by all the tribes of Israel as their king (2 Sam. 5:3). In the Gospel, we see the crucified Jesus proclaimed as "the King of the Jews" (Luke 23:38) - [video]. Finally, in the magnificent description of Paul, the mystery of Christ has been fully revealed to us (Col. 1:12-20).
David is considered the best king in the history of Israel. He won all his battles, expanded the borders of the nation, and established Jerusalem as the capital of the country. He also brought the ark of the covenant to Zion, prepared all the materials for the building of the temple, and is credited as the author of most of the Psalms. And yet, he was not a saint. He committed terrible sins (2 Sam. 11:1-27), failed as a father (2 Sam. 13:23-18:33), and on his deathbed commanded Solomon to deal with those who opposed him in his lifetime (1 Kings 2:5-9). Humanity needed someone greater than David (Mark 12:35-37).
St. Justin the Martyr (100-165 AD) knew a version of Psalm 96:10 that read "the Lord has reigned from the wood" and the letter of Barnabas (70-130 AD) states that "the kingdom of Jesus is on the cross". [movie]"The King of the Jews" did not save himself (Luke 23:37); He saves us. Jesus did not come from the cross so people would see and believe (Mk 15:32). He died on the cross and those who witnessed His death believed in Him (Mark 15:39). Now, the crucified Christ draws all people to himself (John 12:32). Marked with the sign of the cross upon our forehead, we glory in the cross, for in it is our salvation. The cross stands revealed to us as the Tree of life.
"Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). The good thief, who received faith on the cross, was delivered "from the power of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of Christ" (Col. 1:13). This "first saint" shares in "the inheritance of the holy ones in light" (Col. 1:12). In Jesus, he found "redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14). [movie] But this promise is not only for him. Everyone who confesses that "Jesus is Lord" and believes in his heart that "God raised him from the dead", will be saved" (Rom. 10:9). Because everyone who trusts in Him shall never be put to shame (Is. 28:16 LXX).
The identity of the one who brings the thief to "Paradise" is mind-boggling. He is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Col. 1:15) and "the firstborn from the dead" (Col. 1:18). Through Him, God the Father created everything (Col. 1:16) and through Him, God the Father reconciled everything to Himself (Col. 1:20). This ancient Christian hymn proclaims Christ as the Head of the old and the new creation. It also proclaims the divinity of Christ. Now we know that when "God created man in his own image" (Gen. 1:26), He created him after the image of Christ. "The second Adam [Christ] stamped his image on the first Adam when He created him" (CCC, 359).
"Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord" (Ps. 122:1) was a song of pilgrims going up to Jerusalem. When they arrived they were greeted by the priests of the temple with the words: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" (Mark 11:9). The united kingdom of "our father David" did not last long (Mark 11:10). During the reign of his grandson, Rehoboam, ten tribes of Israel separated from the house of David establishing their kingdom (1 Kings 12:1-20), and eventually, both kingdoms were destroyed. But the kingdom that is to come (Mark 11:10) is the kingdom of God's beloved Son (Col. 1:13), an everlasting kingdom that shall neither pass away nor shall be destroyed (Dan. 7:13).