Revd Darren McCallig’s sermon from Christ the King, reflecting on Luke 23:33-43.
Reflecting on the crucifixion account traditionally associated with Holy Week, the sermon explores why the Church places this Gospel reading at the close of the liturgical year. Christ the King is presented not as a celebration of earthly power, but as a revelation of the ultimate purpose of Christ’s ministry: to show the lengths that divine love will go to in order to save humanity and bring the lost safely home.
Drawing on Jesus’ parables of the prodigal son, the lost sheep, and the lost coin, the sermon emphasises God’s persistent initiative in seeking out those who feel distant, lost, or estranged. The cross becomes the culmination of this message of forgiveness and welcome, seen in Jesus’ words from the cross and in his promise of paradise to the repentant criminal beside him.
The sermon concludes with an ancient Jewish story about a king and his lost son, using it as an image of faith, worship, and homecoming. Through prayer, worship, and song, Christians are encouraged to hear the voice of God calling them home through the darkness, until at last humanity and God walk together in harmony and love.