A Reflection on the Solemnity of Jesus Christ – King of the Universe (John 18:33-37)
Christ the King of Unity
Christ knows that people of all nations do not ultimately need an earthly king governed by human logic and methods. What all people universally need is the truth—the truth that liberates them from falsehood and harmful ideologies. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of this universal truth and love. He reigns with love over all peoples and nations so that, through His truth and love, humanity may be freed from every form of slavery—slavery that causes suffering, injustice, and evil.
Through Christ, people of all nations are gathered together in unity. As the King of the Universe, He calls disciples and worshipers from every corner of the world. Christ’s power is the power of God, transcending national boundaries. To celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King is to celebrate the gift of unity and global harmony. Through Him, people of all nations recognize one another as disciples of the Lord and beloved sons and daughters of God.
Jesus brings about universal unity because He excludes no one—regardless of race, color, or social status. Christ is not a threat to any religion or national security, and there is no reason to persecute those who follow Him. He loves everyone in every nation. He even teaches us to love those who hate us, just as He loved His enemies, even those who crucified Him. His desire is to redeem them forever. In the heart of Christ, there is only love, and He is the King of all virtues.
As St. Paul writes in his First Letter to the Corinthians: “When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).
Christ rules the universe with love as a unique and unrepeatable King of Truth. He declared to Pontius Pilate, “Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth, and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice” (John 18:37).
Christ: King of Truth
Christ is the King of Truth. He reveals to us who we are and who we are not. He teaches us what we are to do and what we must avoid so that we may always follow the holy will of God. His truth sets us free and sanctifies us.
On this Solemnity of Christ the King, we are reminded of His mission to bear witness to the truth of God. As the Second Vatican Council’s Dei Verbum states:
“After speaking in many places and varied ways through the prophets, God ‘last of all in these days has spoken to us by his Son’ (Hebrews 1:1-2). For he sent his Son, the eternal Word who enlightens all people, so that he might dwell among them and tell them the innermost realities about God (cf. John 1:1-18).”
Similarly, Pope St. John Paul II, in Veritatis Splendor, writes:
“The Splendor of Truth shines forth in all the works of the Creator and, in a special way, in the human person, created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). Truth enlightens the human person’s intelligence and shapes their freedom, leading them to know and love the Lord.”
Faith and reason work together to lift the human spirit to the contemplation of truth. Through Christ, we come to the fullness of truth about God, the world, and ourselves.
King of Love
Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and all who belong to the truth listen to His voice consistently. His truth heals, magnifies, and completes our human nature. Christ enlarges our capacity to love—a love that transcends national boundaries and personal comfort zones. Under His rule, those who fully surrender to Him are empowered to love even their enemies and to enjoy the peace and joy that only He can give.
Finally, as we glorify Christ—the King of Unity, Truth, and Love—we take inspiration from today’s second reading from the Book of Revelation:
“Grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the Firstborn from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood and made us a line of kings and priests to serve God OUr Father; to him, then, be glory and power forever and ever” (Revelation 1:5-8).
Let us honor Christ the King by committing ourselves to His truth and love, and by proclaiming His reign in our lives. May His kingdom come and His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Fr. Tien Cao
