Christ the King C: What Kind of King Do You Want?

Luke 23:33-43 Dear Partner in Preaching, “What kind of king do you want?” In one sense, this is the question Jesus put before those crucify him. Keep in mind that just days earlier the crowds of Jerusalem had greeted Jesus as their king, rolling out the “red carpet” as it were by spreading their cloaks on the road, and receiving him as the one sent by the Lord (Luke 19:36-40). And now he is rejected, derided by the leaders of the people, then the soldiers, and even one of the criminals next to them. They mock his titles, asking why, if he is Messiah, chosen One, and King, he does not save himself. “What kind of king do you want?”...