December 14, 2025 Text: John 18:36-37
Dear Friends in Christ,
Have you ever met a king? A real blue blood, noble, aristocratic. In America it would be rare. In Europe not so much. That is where blue blood originated. Probably in Spain with the noble Castile family. They were all quite pale and you could see their veins. These people were “sangre azul” or “blue blood.” They tried to marry with in the family so that this blue-blooded group of people could continue without getting mixed in with the commoner.
Now to be sure, there have been used car kings, monarchs of the movies and sovereigns of the playing fields. Over ten years ago now, we had a homecoming king living under our roof. Thankfully he was humble and never lorded it over us! None of these folks are true Blue Bloods. There has been only one real, genuine, completely authentic King – not a pretender, but a bona fide Blue Blood. Our series “Advent Blues” arrives at another part of who Jesus is this morning . . .
“BLUE BLOOD – JESUS AS KING”
Jesus as King reigns from no golden throne and wears no diamond-encrusted crown. His kingdom is not one of boundaries or border agents. His people are not those united by language or race or ethnicity. They are united by faith and prayer and the sacraments – by God’s word and Christ’s church. His rule extends over the universe, but he has no embassies. He has a palace of hope, where He dwells and lives.
This is the One we know as Christ the King. This is the infant who drew Wise Men over the desert miles from the east seeking the birthplace of history’s most important King. This is the one who Isaiah wrote, “He will reign on David’s throne…forever.” (Is. 9:7)
Born in no palace. A crown of thorns and a reed for a scepter. His regal cloak was faded and gambled on by his captors. He didn’t rule an army from the back of a stallion, he rode a donkey into death. He touched the sick with healing hands and absolved the repentant of their awful deeds. He was a King to save people from their sins. He rose from the dead to rule with love and grace. He dispenses forgiveness and not retribution. Welcomes everyone into his eternal Kingdom. He was and is the most unpretentious Blue Blood this world will ever know.
Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince almost describes our King Jesus – regal Blue Blood, who is also a regular, ordinary friend. In the story, the people who lived in the prince’s kingdom, wanted to remember this always happy ruler with a marvelous statue. It was brightened with gold leaf, sapphires for eyes, a ruby in its sword, the neck decorated with precious stones and pearls. Whenever they looked at this statue of the Happy Prince, they became happy, too.
Late one fall, a swallow perched on the Happy Prince to spend the night. A drop of water landed on this weary bird. How could it rain on a cloudless night? He looked up and saw the Happy Prince was not happy at all – he was crying.
He told his new friend he had been happy behind palace walls, but now he saw the condition of his people. Poor and struggling. Enduring pain and heartache.
The prince enlisted the bird to fly the ruby to a poor widow caring for a sick child. The Happy Prince was still sad, so he had the bird fly the jewels to another family evicted from their home. The prince asked for more tasks before the bird headed south. He dropped the gold into the cups of beggars. He took one sapphire to an orphan selling matches. The other went to a student destitute and hungry.
By now the bird had delayed his journey so long, that he would not go south. He would stay and be the eyes for the Happy Prince. To tell him about the happiness spreading among his people because of the prince’s love for his people.
The Happy Prince is a legend. The King of Kings is genuine. He gave not gold and jewels but his life for those he created. He brought joy to the world not with glistening sapphires, but the sparkling gifts of salvation and love.
He came to be King of our hearts, so we can love as He loves. He came to be King of our heads, so that we can think of others as he does. He came to be King of our souls, so that we can live as he lives – forever.
Jesus is our joyous King, the happy Prince of Peace. This King’s blood was so royal that it was shed for all his subjects to redeem them eternally. His Royal Highness – Jesus as King – a true Blue Blood.
Amen.