Bible Study “Christ the King Sunday”
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Today we will fast-forward in the life of Jesus to his encounter with Pilate, shortly before Jesus is crucified. As we read the passage for today, let's look for clues as to why this Sunday is called Christ the King Sunday.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for the kingdom you have prepared for us and for Jesus who shows us the way. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to John 18: 33-37 and read or read the scriptures below.
John 18: 33-37
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
Reflection Questions:
- What clues tell us that this Sunday should be called Christ the King Sunday? (Its message is that Jesus the Christ is King. The Gospel for the last Sunday of Pentecost, although different for each lectionary year, focuses on the same theme.)
- Why is Pilate asking Jesus all these questions? (The leaders of the Jewish people had become convinced that what Jesus was teaching was not from God and so they wanted him arrested. Pilate was the person in charge of the government there.)
- We have heard many stories where people asked Jesus something and he gave them an answer different from their question or he responded with a question for them. Let's look for this happening in this passage:
- What does Jesus answer to these questions of Pilate:
- Are you the king of the Jews? (verse 34)
- What have you done? (verse 36)
- So, you are a king? (verse 37b)
- What is different from most governments about the kingdom Jesus is describing? (No army, no fighting, people told to listen for the truth, and verse 37b)
Fill in the Blank - Born to Be King: https://sermons4kids.com/born_to_be_king_cloze.htm?fromSermonId=567
My kingdom is not of this world. My kingdom is not won in a battle. Clearly, the kingdom Jesus offers comes a very different way than we expected. Jesus refuses violence. Instead, he speaks the truth and waits for ordinary people to hear his voice and choose to follow him. The ordinary gathers energy for the extra–ordinary to come.
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on the words or url)
Christ the King B John 18:33-37 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAwi8U2C5CM
John 18:33-38 Christ the King, year B - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyv6ZzmcCUk
John 18:33-37 Jesus Before Pilate – “Are You a King?” Christ the King Sunday - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y37fBBateAg
Activities:
Crown Wall Sign: Roll out some long butcher paper on a table. Draw a crown and decorate around the area and write words from the lesson such as JESUS, KING, LORD, REIGNS, CROWN HIM as well as today's Bible verse. Display the colorful sign on your wall when it is completed.
Pre-Advent – If you regularly attend church for Eucharist, can you think of what color has been featured. (Green is the traditional color for the Pentecost season that concludes today). Look for a color change next week (Advent's color is either blue or, in some places, purple.) Lookout for other changes you may see in church (An Advent Wreath, a manager scene etc.) Do you have a manger scene that comes out in your home at Advent? Maybe a Christmas tree will be put up soon.
Decoder – Born To Be King: https://sermons4kids.com/born_to_be_king_decoder.htm?fromSermonId=567
Word Search: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/3020945/christ-the-king-sunday/
Prayer: Thank you, God, that Jesus is our king and we can follow him where he asks us to go. Amen.
