Bible study - Christ the King?

On Sunday we celebrated ‘Christ the King’. The title ‘King’ is just one of many biblical titles and metaphors for Jesus.

Q1 How many other Biblical titles or metaphors for Jesus can you think of?

Q2 What positive and negative images does ‘King’ conjure up for you?

Q3 Can you think of a title or metaphor for Jesus which isn’t in the Bible, but which might be if the Bible were being written today?

Biblical precedents

Group A look at 1 Samuel chapter 8 and discuss Questions 4 to 8.

Q4 Why did the people of Israel want to have a king?

Q5 Whose leadership were they rejecting - Samuel’s?

Q6 What warnings did Samuel give about the consequences of having a King?

Q7 Why do you think God went along with their wishes and let them have a King?

Q8 How accurate did Samuel’s warnings prove to be in the history of the Kings of Israel and Judah? Can you think of any examples?

Group B look at Psalm 72 and discuss Questions 9 to 12.

Q9 What qualities does the psalmist pray that the King will have?

Q10 What does the psalmist predict that the King will do? Will the King be impartial, or will he be biased in favour of any particular group within society?

Q11 The psalm was written for a particular human King, probably Solomon. In what ways does the writer also seem to be looking beyond what any human King is capable of?

Q12 Can you think of Biblical examples of Kings who came close to this ideal?

Allow some time for groups A and B to share their findings and discuss…

NOTE on the biblical meaning of ‘Justice’
For us, bringing justice usually means punishing somebody for a crime or offence. But this is NOT what justice means in the Bible, where it means ‘making things right’, caring for others, bringing an end to inequality and exploitation of the poor. We sometimes think of justice and mercy as opposite aspects of God’s character, but in the Bible justice and mercy are one and the same thing. This is clear throughout the prophets (see Isaiah 1.17, Isaiah 30.18, Jeremiah 21.12, Zechariah 7.9, Amos 5.12-15, Micah 6.8, Matthew 12.18-21quoting Isaiah 42.1-4, )

Jesus and Pilate

Now let’s all read John 18.33-19.16

Q13 Why is it important to know if Pilate’s question is his own or something the Jewish leaders have prompted him to ask (verses 33-34)?

Q14 What kind of King is Jesus? Is he really a threat to Caesar?

Q15 How do Jesus and Pilate each demonstrate their power and authority in these verses?

Q16 How is justice done in the crucifixion of Jesus? Who is judging whom? Who is victorious?

Q17 How does the trial of Jesus relate back to the Old Testament passages we looked at and how does it relate forward to the way Christians are to live in the world today?

Two final illustrations to help us think about what this means for us:-

1. Chess
In chess, the King is the most important and valuable piece. He cannot be taken and the opponent’s aim is to trap the King in ‘checkmate’ so that he can no longer move. At the start of the game the King is in a position where he can’t move unless at least one of his other pieces moves first. In fact for the King to defeat his opponent he needs all of his pieces to be working to the best of their individual capability, each piece unselfishly moving in harmony with the others, and with awareness of the enemy’s strategy, to achieve the greater good, the victory of the King.

2. Robin Hood
The legend tells how Robin Hood and his merry men live under the oppressive rule of the false King (John), “but they can laugh merrily because they know that the present system is not the last word. They know that the true King (Richard) is coming, and that things will one day be different. From time to time they remind the false powers that their rule is temporary and bogus, by acts of rebellion that recall the true King. They also whisper around the good news that things don’t have to be like this. The King is coming, in fact he has already landed, and others can begin to live joyfully in the light of this coming Kingdom as well.”

Footnotes
1. This explanation of the Biblical meaning of justice comes from Derek Flood’s paper Understanding the Cross: Penal Substitution vs Christus Victor which can be found at http://sharktacos.com/God/

2. Graham Tomlin The Provocative Church (SPCK 2002)