Worship the King
Some churches follow a worship calendar each year, which begins with the celebration of Christ’s birth on December 25 and ends the Sunday before Advent season. The goal is to be mindful of all the major events of Jesus’s earthly life—the visit of the magi, his baptism, the weeks leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection, his ascension—as well as the beginning of the church on Pentecost.
The final Sunday of the worship calendar, called Christ the King Sunday, celebrates Jesus’s return to earth and the “complete authority of Christ as king and Lord 
ofCreation.”[i] In another sense, though, Jesus never stopped being King of the Universe and Lord of Creation during his earthly life. As king, he exercised his authority over the Mosaic law and over religious leaders who had misinterpreted it. Even the Roman prefect Pilate was subject to Jesus’s authority. In John 19:11, Jesus says to Pilate, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (ESV).
Jesus’s authority as Lord of Creation was manifested in every miracle—calming seas, healing diseases and disabilities, feeding multitudes, and resurrecting people. In Mark 4, when Jesus rebuked the storm, the disciples asked one another, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (v. 41). The answer to their question is clear: Jesus is Lord of Creation, whether he is clothed in human flesh or seated on his throne in heaven.
During Advent, we focus on Jesus’s birth, and sometimes the image of him as a helpless baby can diminish our awareness of his authority over us as King of the Universe and Lord of Creation. But God the Father never intended for us to lose sight of Jesus’s eternal authority. The Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah included reminders of his kingship. In this year’s advent devotions, we return to some of those prophecies and celebrate the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.
Let’s be ever mindful that Jesus is both Savior and King—worthy of adoration, yes, but also worthy of worship and obedience.
King of Justice and Righteousness Isaiah 9:6-7
King of Authority Daniel 7:13-14
In Honor of King Jesus 1 Timothy 6:13-16
[i] “The Liturgical Calendar,” Faithward, accessed November 7, 2025, https://www.faithward.org/the-liturgical-calendar/.