Sunday, November 23, 2025
Last Sunday of the Church Year (Last Sunday C)
Text: Luke 23:27-43
Sermon Audio
As we gather… Depending on who you ask, this Sunday is either the Last Sunday of the Church Year, or Christ the King Sunday. The former focuses on the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The latter focuses on Christ’s kingship despite all appearances to the contrary. In this Gospel reading we see the two themes converge. On the one hand, the Lord warns the crowds not to mourn Him, foretelling of a worse destruction that will befall Jerusalem. This prophecy ultimately has as its sight the destruction that will befall the world when Christ comes again. Yet in the second portion of this text, we see the shelter we have in the midst of the coming calamity. Christ reigns as king, even from a cross as He pardons one criminal who seeks His mercy. As we see many scary things in our lives and in the news, we take shelter in Christ the King who protects us even in the stormy gales.
On the last Sunday of the Church year, we focus on things having to do with the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. We often focus on the end times speeches of Jesus who foretells His second coming. As we look at this Gospel text, we wonder if there has been a mistake. Why have this reading which would fit better for Good Friday?
This Last Sunday of the Church Year is also Christ the King Sunday. On this Sunday, we focus on how Jesus will return again and how He is the King who sits on His throne, even now. However, His throne is unlike that of any worldly king. And His return will be unlike the arrival of any earthly power.
Let’s look at today’s lessons and see what this Gospel text teaches us about Jesus as King. Today, we learn: BECAUSE YOUR KING CARES FOR YOU, HE SITS ON HIS THRONE TO OPEN THE GATES OF PARADISE.
For this somewhat longer text, I will break it up into three sections for the three paragraphs. First, verses 27–31: I. The King cares about His subjects more than Himself. Let me re-read this paragraph: “And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.”
If a normal king were being marched to his death, he would welcome the tears and lamenting. He would relish knowing that he would be missed. He would be concerned about himself. How often are we concerned with ourselves when we face a tragedy? The energy and focus shifts to getting yourself out of the bad situation.
Look how Jesus shifts the concern from Himself to the plight of the women. “But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”” Jesus is warning the women about the coming calamity that will befall Jerusalem. The Romans will invade Jerusalem and kill thousands in the year 70 A.D. The Romans would destroy the temple of Jerusalem and it has not been rebuilt since. In those days, things will be so bad that the women of Jerusalem will wish they never had a family so they don’t have to try to protect vulnerable children and infants.
Even as Jesus suffered on the cross, He had you in mind in your troubles and worries. He had you in mind that time you were mired in sin. He had you in mind and wanted you to come to repentance and life in Him.
On this last Sunday, we know that the next 70 A.D. is coming, namely, the times immediately before the second coming of Christ wherein there will be great worldly strife and devastation. Yet in this troubled time, Jesus our King has concern for us rather than Himself.
Second, II. The King remains on His throne to rule. (32–38) “Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.””
There Jesus was with the sign hung over His head: “This is the King of the Jews.” On this Last Sunday, here is your king on His throne! Here is your king, hanging bare on the cross as soldiers cast lots for his garments. Here is your king, reigning from this throne of wood and nails. Here is your king, issuing pardons: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Here is your king, being mocked and offered sour wine rather than a vintage befitting royalty. Here is your king, being scoffed at asked to do the very thing that although in His power—getting off the throne—would be the abandonment of His duty to suffer, die, and rise for us.
Indeed, it would have been easy to step off the cross, but the king shall not abdicate His throne, even if it is a cross. On this Last Sunday, we praise Christ who did not shrink from suffering so that our place in Heaven is secure.
On this Last Sunday, we praise Christ that He, the King of the Jews, still reigns. So even when chaos foments all around us, when news headlines make us afraid, when a personal tragedy strikes, when earthquakes happen and the sun refuses to shine, Jesus is still there on His throne controlling all things—not from the cross but from His heavenly throne. He never stops being in control even when everything seems out of control. He never stops loving you.
On this Last Sunday, we see that Christ hanging on the wooden throne has everything to do with Him currently reigning on His golden throne in heaven which has everything to do with His glorious return with the angels of heaven. This suffering for you is the payment for the glorious reign that started at Easter, was crowned at His Ascension, and will be completed at His return.
Thank the Lord that even in strife, Jesus stays on His throne and reigns for me and for you, even when it doesn’t seem like it whatsoever.
Third, III. The King opens the gates of paradise. (39–43) “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.””
On this Last Sunday, this one criminal railed at Jesus. Namely, the criminal blasphemed, that is, said offensive and inappropriate things about God. This was not simply complaining, this was a whole different level. He said that the true Christ would save Himself and them.
Yet the other thief admits that he and the one blaspheming Christ are justly being crucified, but Jesus has done nothing wrong. Indeed, part of the promise of Christ’s second coming is that those who blaspheme our God and do evil without repenting will be sent away to hell. The end of the world is the end of evil. Nonetheless, each day before the last day is a sermon on Christ’s patience as the Lord wishes that none perish but all come to faith in Him.
But the thief then asks Jesus to remember Him when He comes into His kingdom. What kind of request is that? The man adjacent to Him was dying, moments away from His death. What kind of kingdom would He have?
It is a kingdom that cannot be seen with the eyes—at least not yet. It is a kingdom where sins are forgiven, lives are changed, and outcasts are welcome. This kingdom is Christ’s Church on Earth. Right now, the King reigns here in this place. Right now, sins are forgiven. Right now, outcasts are welcome.
On this Last Sunday, the King welcomes sinners. He pardons the thief on the cross and He welcomed Him to paradise. On this Last Sunday, we gather together as Jesus forgives your sins from the cross delivered to the pulpit, to the font, and to the altar.
There will come a day when the Lord Jesus Christ will reveal His Kingdom, and we will gather together with forgiven sinners from all ages, races, and languages. On that Last Sunday, the Lord will welcome us to paradise. Until then, we wait with hope, knowing that all things have been accomplished as Christ our King suffered for our sins and rose again for me and for you. On this Last Sunday, we rejoice because the gates of heaven are also open for us.