Seeing Christ in Others – November 23, 2025, Christ the King Sunday
Psalm 95, Matthew 25:31-46
November 23, 2025
Christ the King Sunday
These are the last words! I could have used another Billy Joel reference this morning, like I did last week! Because that’s another one of his songs! “The Last Words.” But in all seriousness, these are the last words – the last words that Jesus ever spoke in public. I mentioned that once before about our scripture for today. It’s the end of Matthew 25. And this was his last big public speech. His last sermon!
I didn’t notice that until recently. It hit me when we were studying Matthew in Men’s Group. We got to Chapter 26, and we saw that it began, “When Jesus had finished all these sayings…” And then the rest of the book is about his last days with his disciples, and then of course, his suffering, death, and resurrection.
So this was his last public teaching. And what was it that he wanted to teach the people that day? What thoughts did he want to leave them with, this very last time? I think it’s appropriate that he told them about the “Day of the Lord,” the day “the Son of Man will come in all his glory.” The end of his public teaching was about the end of all time. And of course, he hints here about the coming of the new heaven and the new earth, saying, “kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
I think this passage is the quintessential reading for Christ the King Sunday. Because, as we’ve said, the entire liturgical year leads up to this day, the day we recognize Jesus Christ as King. That’s the culmination of his whole life and ministry! And yes, this passage does begin by saying “the Son of Man.” Before him will be gathered all the nations. But then quickly he says it is “the King” who speaks, and addresses the multitude.
So this is the definitive “Christ the King” passage. On this is the day, we recognize Jesus Christ as King, both now, and at the end of all time – in that new heaven and earth. And when I think about those two things, I like to think of the old book about King Arthur, written by T. H. White in the 15th century. It was called, “The Once and Future King!” I was thinking maybe we could tweak that title a little bit, and think of Jesus as “The Now and Future King.” (Maybe that would have looked good on the sign!)
So this last teaching is about the coming of Jesus “in all his glory.” But, it’s also about the Final Judgement. That’s what the heading in my Bible says, “The Judgement of the Nations.” And if you think about it, that’s the one thing many believers are the most anxious about. Judgement! They think, “What’s going to happen to me in the end?” “What’s the final judgement for me?” “Is it going to be glory, or something else?” “Will it be heaven, or will it be hell?”
And hell scares a lot of people. Even with all the promises we have of Jesus’ salvation, sometimes we’re just not sure. And we all have our visions of that. An old pastor of mine used to say that Hell is where you go to a room and you’re forced to watch a video – on an endless loop – of all the things you did wrong all your life! In a way, that seems worse than a lake of fire, doesn’t it?
Well, this is a powerful teaching Jesus was giving that day! Because it’s about the Judgement of the Nations. But it’s not just about that. It’s also about the criteria by which the nations will be judged. And, of all the things we might be worried that we’re going to be judged on, in the end, Jesus is telling us that it’s all about how we treat each other. And even more, it’s about how we treat “the least of these.” And the power in this teaching is that he tells us that whatever we do – or don’t do – unto the least, we do unto him. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a very tall order!
As we think about that, we’re challenged to think about who are the least in our world. Who are the least that we might encounter throughout the day. And how do we treat them? What do we do and say to them? And do we think of Jesus’ words, “You do it unto me?” We are challenged here to think in terms of “Seeing Christ in others.” That’s the title of this sermon.
So these are Jesus’ final words to the crowds – the crowds that have been following him, and listening to his words, for some time now. And today’s sermon is also a final “teaching,” of sorts. It’s the last in our series of sermons on Stewardship. And like Jesus’ final teaching, they’ve all led up to this time that we bring forward and dedicate our pledges. That’s what we’ve been leading up to today.
Some churches don’t do this, you know. Some churches don’t have a time of “Stewardship Emphasis.” They just pass the plate, and exist on the weekly offering. Actually, I’m glad we Presbyterians do “Stewardship.” I think it gets us to think about it on a deeper level. It’s a time, as I said last week, that we dedicate not just our pledges, but our lives. It’s a time we ask ourselves what our commitment to the King looks like, and how we are going to follow him in the coming year.
And Jesus’ words here are about Stewardship. They’re about the Stewardship of God’s Grace. And they’re about how we give that Grace to others. But even more than that. This is also about promoting the kingdom of the Jesus we worship. And in that kingdom, the Jesus we worship is one who’s heart was for “the least!” And that’s the Jesus who, we don’t just worship, we follow. And yes, his heart was for everybody! And so should ours be. For God so loved the world! But I think his love stood out more, when he showed that love to those who no one else would.
Think about such people. Imagine the power of reaching out to someone who feels like everybody has “cast them out.” Jesus did that! The woman at the well said it best. She said, “How is it that you’re even talking to me?” That was the power in that story. It wasn’t simply that Jesus “told her everything she ever did.” The power was that he reached out to her in the first place – when nobody else would. And Jesus made this final teaching – these last words – about that. He made it about the people’s connection with “the least.” It was about them “doing unto the least” as doing unto him. He made it about “Seeing Christ in Others.”
So do think about that as you encounter the various people in your day to day lives. Do you think about Jesus’ words when meet that person in the grocery store? Do you think about him when you’re interacting with the clerk at the shop who’s ringing up your purchases. Or how about the overstressed single parent you pass in the parking lot, or that homeless person you see outside of Walmart? And here’s the hard one! Do you think about seeing Christ in that person who holds you up in traffic! When you do that, when you see Christ in others, does it change how you interact with them? I know it does to me. And it’s not always easy!
So this is a powerful perspective Jesus is giving! He’s changing up everybody’s vision about “the final judgement.” And his vision is based on how we treat each other. That’s the benchmark of God’s expectations of us. That’s the lens through which he looks on our lives.
This is Christ the King Sunday. It’s about the King on his throne with the nations gathered before him. It’s about how his people treat each other. And frankly, his people don’t have a very good track record. Think about all the division in our world, and how much division there has been between people down through the centuries. What will our track record be? When the king looks at us, what will he see?
I’m expanding on that just a little, and I’m asking you to relate that to our Stewardship Dedication. We’re going to do that in just a few minutes. And as we do, may we ask ourselves – in all we do, not just in what we give – will we follow the one standing before those people that day in Jerusalem? And will we remember that he didn’t just tell the people how to reach out to “the least.” He had already been showing them all along!
So, as you think of your pledge, think about that, too, as “doing unto Christ.” And does that make a difference in what you pledge and how you’re pledging – that is, the attitude and motivation behind your pledge? Those are the things God has always been interested in.
And finally, seeing Christ in others is not just a thing we do. It’s also an act of worship. It’s also about how we honor the King we follow. So today, as we bring our pledges forward, may we offer, not just our gifts, but also our “pledge” to look at every person – every neighbor, every stranger, every one of the “least of these” – with the eyes of Christ himself! And may we see him in all those people!
Prayer
Eternal God, your call upon our lives is a high calling! Help us to have your eyes when we look to all the people in our lives. Help us to see Jesus in them, and to reach out as he would, even if it’s just a kind word or a helpful hand. May the gifts we bring and the gifts we pledge truly be an act of worship, as we honor you, our King. For this we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.