Setting the Tone: Jesus’ Reign of Love in Our Lives

Reflections on Christ the King Sunday – November 24, 2024, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church – Buffalo, NY .

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As the church year comes to a close, we gather to celebrate Christ the King Sunday, a time to reflect on what it means to live under Christ’s reign. Yet for many, the word “king” evokes images of power, control, and hierarchy—things that can feel at odds with how we understand Jesus. After all, when we picture Jesus, it’s not as a distant ruler perched on a throne but as someone who walked among us, offering love, healing, and a radical invitation into a different kind of community.

“My Kingdom Is Not of This World”

In the Gospel of John, Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus replies, “My kingdom is not from this world” (John 18:33-36). This exchange invites us to consider: if Jesus’ kingdom isn’t rooted in worldly power, where is it? Is it only in heaven, waiting for us after we die?

The Greek word often translated as “kingdom” is basileia, which can also mean “reign” or “dominion.” This nuance shifts our understanding of Jesus’ kingship away from geography or hierarchy and toward relationship. Jesus isn’t a conqueror demanding allegiance. Instead, he invites us into a way of life defined by love, truth, and service.

Setting the Tone of the Kingdom

To explore this idea, I can’t help but draw on the social structure of a beehive. The queen bee doesn’t micromanage or rule with an iron fist. Instead, she sets the tone for the entire hive, fostering harmony, cooperation, and productivity. Similarly, Jesus’ reign isn’t about control but about showing us how to live together for the common good. His life and teachings set the “tone” for how we relate to one another—with love, compassion, and a focus on community.

Christ’s dominion is not marked by power over others but by power with others. His reign calls us to co-create a world where justice flows like a river and where love isn’t constrained by borders, governments, or divisions.

Living in The Way

Before we were called Christians, we were known as followers of “The Way.” This points to the active, ongoing nature of Jesus’ leadership. Christ doesn’t just point us toward heaven; he walks with us here and now, showing us the way to live abundant, meaningful lives rooted in God’s love.

This is why Christ the King Sunday is so much more than a celebration of Jesus’ power. It’s a call to pause, reflect, and realign ourselves with his reign—a reign that liberates us from fear and invites us into hope.

Preparing for Advent: A New Beginning

As we look toward Advent, we find ourselves on the cusp of new beginnings. Much like New Year’s Eve marks the end of one chapter and the start of another, this Sunday invites us to reflect on where we’ve been and where God is leading us.

What fears, anxieties, or struggles keep us stuck? What hopes and dreams are stirring within us, waiting for Christ’s light to bring them to life?

In this new season, Jesus invites us to notice the places where his reign is already at work, freeing us, healing us, and reorienting us. His kingdom is not a distant reality but something breaking into our lives right now—in moments of justice, acts of kindness, and glimpses of grace.

Living in the Reign of Love

To live in Christ’s kingdom is to let his love set the tone for our lives. It means embracing the “way” of Jesus—a way of community, compassion, and connection. It’s about looking around and recognizing that we are not alone. We are part of something greater, a holy hive buzzing with life and purpose, working together for the greater good.

So, as we enter Advent and prepare to celebrate the arrival of the King who reigns in love, take time to pause, look around, and ask: How is Christ calling me to live in his kingdom here and now?

This week, let’s notice where Jesus’ reign is setting us free, lifting us up, and calling us forward into hope, justice, and love. Together, let us prepare the way for the King whose reign knows no borders and whose love has no limits.

“The kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)