After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. (Mark 1:14-20)

This past Sunday was Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday in the church year and also a celebration of the power and glory of King Jesus. As we read the text above, we see Jesus as the One who ushers in God’s kingdom, and as He does that there is a direct conflict with rival kingdoms of this earth. What is a kingdom? Given that such language may feel archaic, let me offer a definition that is simple and clear. A kingdom is any area or sphere in which someone or something holds a position of power to implement their will or their way.

We may not think of kingdoms much in our lives today, but we all still operate within them. We just use different terms for these concepts. We say things like the president governs the nation, the principal runs the school, or the parents maintain the household. We say things like Jeremiah has his clique of friends at school or Stephanie leads her team at work. We may not think of our lives this way, but it is true that we are all, in a sense, the ruler of the kingdom of our lives. We hold power in our lives to implement our own will or way, or to yield to another’s will or way. We certainly encounter all sorts of kingdoms today, even though we may not use that specific word.

Rival earthly kingdoms (1:14)
Returning to the text above, we sense the urgency of the Gospel writer in this passage. Mark does not take time to explain what happened to John the Baptist, only that he “was put in prison.” For the backstory, we must turn to Mark 6. There we read that Herod Antipas, the ruler over Galilee and Perea, imprisoned John the Baptist because John was critical of Herod’s marriage to his brother’s ex-wife. Later on, this criticism indirectly leads to John’s death. Herod represents all the power and authority of human kingdoms who do what they want and manipulate others for their own gain. Herod’s life and rule certainly fit our definition of a kingdom: “any area or sphere in which someone or something holds a position of power to implement their will or their way.”

In his life, Herod lived like he knew he held position and power in the area of Galilee, if not beyond. That’s why he arrests John the Baptist when John criticized him in public. Despots don’t like criticism. But Herod’s rival earthly kingdom also sparks the beginning of Jesus’ announcement of God’s kingdom. Herod’s lurching move to imprison John catalyzes the momentum which leads Jesus to step forward in ministry around Galilee. It is in light of this rival earthly kingdom that Jesus announces that God’s kingdom is close at hand.

In the midst of the power struggles around Galilee and all Judea, Jesus’ announcement presents a different sort of way. It is a kingdom under the preeminent rule of God, which is something people longed for. This inbreaking rule of God was promised throughout Scriptures: that God would one day reign over Israel Himself. In fact, in and around Jesus’ time, a wide variety of rebellions were directly linked to expectations of God’s kingdom coming.

But Jesus is presenting a different sort of way. It is the kingdom of God that arrives hidden and humble, yet full of power.

Rival personal kingdoms (1:18, 20)
There are other sorts of kingdoms than those presented in Herod, however. As Jesus turns from the context of Herod’s power struggle with John to proclaim His message of God’s kingdom, He immediately comes into contact with four men. In Mark 1:16-20 Jesus walks beside the Sea of Galilee and calls Simon (who we know as Peter), Andrew, James and John to follow Him. We will return to Jesus’ calling and message to them, but let’s briefly explore where these men stood. They were under no impression that they had authority like Herod Antipas. They were not trying to become the next president of a great nation or preparing to lead some sort or revolution. They were businessmen and fishermen. But they still had authority in their own personal kingdom.

Just as Jesus’ message began to push back against Herod’s kingdom, so Jesus’ message pushes into the personal kingdoms of these individuals’ lives. If it is true that a kingdom is any area or sphere in which someone or something holds a position of power to exert their will or their way, then these men were kings over the kingdom of their own lives. They had authority and will in relation to the kingdoms of fishing and business, kingdoms of overseeing hired men and working with their families, kingdoms of their daily words and actions, and the kingdoms of their interior lives.

Now, there is nothing wrong with these sort of kingdoms in and of themselves, but we have to recognize them for what they are. They are areas or spheres in which someone or something holds a position of power, and Jesus has arrived declaring that God and God’s kingdom holds sway over all other kingdoms, including the personal kingdoms of our lives. God is King and He has no rivals.

Even in our personal kingdoms, God is calling us to recognize His rule and authority.

Rival powers and authorities (Colossians 2:15)
Later in Scripture, the Apostle Paul describes the work of Jesus Christ in this way: He “disarmed the powers and authorities, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross” (Colossians 2:15). This reminds us that there are powers and authorities, and some are physical while others are spiritual, some are seen and some remain unseen. In both the physical and spiritual, both the seen and unseen, Jesus has become King. He disarms other powers with His humble power. He makes a public spectacle of all the forces that would come against Him at the Cross. He reveals that the way of God is entirely different than the way of all other kingdoms for it is a way marked by humble power and selfless love.

As Jesus enter the world, He is calling the world toward a new way of living. He is calling us to bring our kingdoms and rule, whether large or small, under His kingdom and rule. We are invited to bring all the places where we have authority, all the places where we have power, all the places where we have a role over something to the feet of King Jesus.

Jesus is King, and this is true over all kingdoms and over all our lives. Consider with me a series of question today: 

• What rival kingdoms is Jesus confronting in our world and our own lives today?
• What might it look like to live in our personal kingdoms utterly yielded to the kingship of Christ?
• How might we enter into the reality that Jesus is King in a practical way today?

Here is the prayer for Christ the King Sunday from The Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.