Luke 23:33-43 (NRSV)
Read Luke 23:33-43 on biblegateway.com
Verse 33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Verse 34Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. Verse 35And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" Verse 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, Verse 37and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" Verse 38There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." Verse 39One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" Verse 40But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? Verse 41And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Verse 42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Verse 43He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Devotion
King of Kings, the church I serve, was founded in 1965. We are approaching our 50th Anniversary. I have searched church records for reasons why the initial members chose this name and I have not found any clear direction. I remember when the Billy Graham Crusade came to our town in 1988, one of the Pentecostal pastors on the planning team would regularly tell me how much he loved the name of our congregation. I remain suspicious that his reasoning was based in a theology of glory, not on the image of a suffering Messiah as shown in Luke's gospel story.
When our church relocated in 1991, the congregation commissioned a local artist at Syracuse University to design six small stained glass windows. We asked him to reflect upon the full context of Jesus being King of Kings through both cross and resurrection. The windows and his explanations can be found on our http://www.kingofkings-ny.org/stained-glass-windows/ [website]
Prayer
In these stained glass windows we are reminded, once again, that Christ is King (Sovereign) through his death on the cross.