Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Daniel 7:13-14 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Daniel

His sovereignty is eternal.

I gazed into the visions of the night.

And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,

one like a son of man.

He came to the one of great age

and was led into his presence.

On him was conferred sovereignty,

glory and kingship,

and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

which shall never pass away,

nor will his empire be destroyed.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Daniel 7:13-14 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of the prophet Daniel

I, Daniel, had a dream and visions as I lay in bed.

As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being

coming with the clouds of heaven.

And he came to the Ancient One

and was presented before him.

To him was given dominion and glory and kingship,

that all peoples, nations and languages

should serve him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not pass away,

and his kingship is one

that shall never be destroyed.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 92:1-2, 5 (JB)

R. The Lord is king;

he is robed in majesty.

The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;

the Lord has robed himself with might,

he has girded himself with power. R.

The world you made firm, not to be moved;

your throne has stood firm from of old.

From all eternity, O Lord, you are. R.

Truly your decrees are to be trusted.

Holiness is fitting to your house,

O Lord, until the end of time. R.

Revelation 1:5-8 (JB)

A reading from the book of the Apocalypse

The ruler of the kings of the earth … made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God.

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. It is he who is coming on the clouds; everyone will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the races of the earth will mourn over him. This is the truth. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Revelation 1:5-8 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Revelation

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness,

the firstborn of the dead,

and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,

and made us to be a kingdom,

priests serving his God and Father;

to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Look! He is coming with the clouds;

every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him;

and on his account all the tribes of the earth will lament.

So it is to be. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,

“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Mark 11:9, 10 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed is he who inherits the kingdom of David our Father;

blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Alleluia!

John 18:33-37 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

You say that I am a king.

‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.’ ‘So you are a king then?’ said Pilate. ‘It is you who say it’ answered Jesus. ‘Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

John 18:33-37 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to John

Pilate asked Jesus,

“Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered,

“Do you ask this on your own,

or did others tell you about me?”

Pilate replied,

“I am not a Jew, am I?

Your own nation and the chief priests

have handed you over to me.

What have you done?”

Jesus answered,

“My kingdom is not from this world.

if my kingdom were from this world,

my followers would be fighting

to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities.

But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

Pilate asked him,

“So you are a king?”

Jesus answered,

“You say that I am a king.

For this I was born,

and for this I came into the world,

to testify to the truth.

Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”<

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.