0:07
reading of Daniel's prophecy I
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continueed to insist on the night vision
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and behold among the clouds of the sky
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one like a son of man came approaching
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the ancient of many days and was led
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into his presence power and glory and
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kingship were given to him and all
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people and Nations and languages served
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him his power is an everlasting power
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that will not be taken away from him and
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his kingdom is a kingdom that will not
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be dissolved word of the Lord thank
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God reading of the Book of Revelation
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Jesus Christ is the faithful witness the
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first arise from the dead the ruler of
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the kings of the earth to Jesus who
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loves us who by his blood freed us from
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our sins and who made us a kingdom
1:01
priests to his God and Father to him be
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glory and Power in eternity amen look he
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comes with the clouds and all eyes will
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see him also those who pierced him all
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the tribes of the earth will beat their
1:15
breasts because of him yes amen I am the
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Alpha and the Omega says the Lord God he
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who is and who was and who is to come
1:25
the almighty word of the Lord thank God
1:36
proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St John Glory To You
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Lord at that time pilate called Jesus
1:45
and asked him are you the king of the
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Jews Jesus answered are you saying this
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of your own accord or have others told
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you this of me pilate said am I a Jew
1:57
your people and the high priests handed
1:59
you over to me what have you done Jesus
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answered my kingdom is not of this world
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if my kingdom were of this world my
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guards would fight so that I would not
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be handed over to the Jews but my
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kingdom is not from here pilate said to
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Jesus are you a king then Jesus replied
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you say I am King I was born and came
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into the world for this purpose to Bear
2:27
witness to the truth every everyone who
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is of the truth listens to my voice word
2:33
of Salvation Glory To You
2:43
Lord dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
2:47
my kingdom is not of this world these
2:50
words of Jesus spoken before Pilate
2:53
echoed down the centuries to us today
2:55
challenging our understanding of Power
2:57
Authority and kingship in our readings
3:00
today we are confronted with a vision of
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kingship that completely transcends our
3:05
Earthly expectations let us imagine the
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scene described by Daniel in our first
3:10
reading in a heavenly vision he beholds
3:14
one like the son of man coming on the
3:16
Clouds Of Heaven this is not a triumphal
3:19
entry with horses and carriages as we
3:22
would do in our limited human
3:24
understanding of royalty it is a
3:26
manifestation of heavenly Glory a
3:28
revelation of Divine Authority that
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transcends Earthly Realms he was given
3:33
power and glory and kingship and all
3:36
people Nations and languages served him
3:39
what a striking contrast to the scene we
3:42
find in the gospel there we see Jesus
3:45
the true son of man not surrounded by
3:48
Heavenly Glory but by Roman soldiers not
3:51
sitting on a throne but before the court
3:54
of pilate not wearing Royal robes but
3:58
the simple clothes of a prisoner The
4:00
Book of Revelation unites these two
4:03
apparently contradictory images John
4:06
presents Jesus to us as the beginning
4:08
and the end he who loves us and freed us
4:11
from our sins with his blood he is
4:13
simultaneously the sacrificial lamb and
4:16
the King of Kings his crown is not of
4:19
gold but of thorns his throne is not
4:22
made of ivory but a cross his power
4:26
comes not from the strength of arms but
4:28
from sacrificial love are you King asks
4:32
pilate the question reveals the entire
4:35
limitation of human understanding of
4:38
royalty pilate is thinking in terms of
4:40
political power of threats to the Roman
4:43
Empire of armies and revolts but Jesus
4:46
responds in a way that completely
4:48
transcends these Earthly categories you
4:51
say I am King for this I was born and
4:55
for this I came into the world to Bear
4:57
witness to the truth what kind of King
5:00
is this who talks about truth instead of
5:02
power what royalty is this that
5:05
manifests itself not in Domination but
5:08
in testimony what kingdom is this that
5:11
is not of this world to understand this
5:14
we need to completely reexamine our
5:17
understanding of power and authority in
5:19
the Kingdom of Jesus true greatness is
5:22
in service true Authority comes from
5:25
love true power manifests itself in
5:28
self-sacrifice Ice Daniel saw an eternal
5:32
Kingdom that would never be destroyed
5:34
John saw a king coming on the Clouds Of
5:37
Heaven but this eternal Kingdom and this
5:40
glorious King manifest themselves in
5:42
ways that defy our expectations the
5:45
kingdom is established not through Force
5:48
but through love Authority is exercised
5:51
not through coercion but through service
5:54
power is demonstrated not through
5:57
domination but through sacrifice
6:00
this has profound implications for us
6:02
today as subjects of this King as
6:05
citizens of this Kingdom we are called
6:08
to live according to a logic different
6:10
from the logic of the world in a world
6:12
that values power over others we are
6:15
called to exercise power through service
6:17
to others in a world that seeks to
6:19
dominate through Force we are called to
6:22
influence through love in a world that
6:26
self-preservation we are called to
6:29
everyone who is of the truth listens to
6:31
my voice says Jesus this is a
6:35
revolutionary statement it suggests that
6:38
recognizing the kingship of Christ is
6:40
not a matter of submission to force but
6:42
of openness to the truth and what truth
6:45
is this the truth that love is stronger
6:48
than hate the truth that service is more
6:51
powerful than domination the truth that
6:54
the cross leads to the resurrection how
6:56
do we live this truth in our daily lives
7:00
how do we Manifest this different
7:01
royalty in our families in our work in
7:05
our society first recognizing that our
7:08
primary citizenship is not of this world
7:12
as Paul reminds us elsewhere our
7:14
citizenship is in heaven this does not
7:17
mean that we disengage from the world
7:19
but that we engage it with different
7:21
values and priorities second exercising
7:25
Authority in the way of Christ whether
7:27
as parents teachers leaders at work or
7:30
in the community we are called to lead
7:32
through service to influence through
7:34
love to exercise power through
7:37
self-sacrifice third bearing witness to
7:40
the truth not just with words but with
7:43
our lives the world needs to see in us a
7:46
different way of being an alternative
7:49
way of exercising power and authority a
7:51
living testimony to the kingdom that is
7:53
not of this world as we contemplate
7:56
Christ the King today let us not only
7:58
see the son of of man coming on the
8:00
Clouds Of Heaven Nor only the prisoner
8:03
before Pilate let's look at the king who
8:05
redefines royalty through sacrificial
8:08
Love The Sovereign who establishes his
8:11
kingdom not through Force but through
8:13
truth the Lord who calls us not to
8:16
dominate but to serve and when the world
8:19
asks us like pilate are you a king then
8:22
may Our Lives be a living testimony to a
8:25
different kingship to a transforming
8:27
power to a kingdom that although not of
8:30
this world has the power to transform
8:32
this world through the sacrificial Love
8:34
Of Christ and his followers May the Holy
8:36
Spirit give us the grace to live as
8:38
worthy citizens of this Kingdom as
8:41
faithful subjects of this King as
8:43
courageous Witnesses of this truth and
8:46
that one day we can fully participate in
8:48
that Eternal Kingdom that Daniel
8:50
envisioned where every knee will bow and
8:52
every tongue will confess that Jesus
8:54
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
9:08
St Michael the Archangel defend Us in
9:10
battle be our protection against the
9:13
wickedness and snares of the devil may
9:15
God rebuke him we humbly pray and do
9:19
thou o Prince of the Heavenly Host by
9:22
the power of God cast into hell Satan
9:25
and all the evil spirits who prowl
9:27
throughout the world seek the ruin of
