The first and second readings give us an indication as to the sort of king that Jesus would turn out to be.  In the  passage from Samuel, God declares King David to be a shepherd as well as a leader of the people. And we see Paul telling the Colossians how the kingdom of Christ transcends time and space but also how Jesus will make the ultimate sacrifice for the world and for the human race.

Jesus would indeed be a good shepherd, caring for the guiding the whole flock but rejoicing especially in finding of one lost sheep. And he would make the ultimate sacrifice, out of love for the world and its people. A few short weeks before we will celebrate once again the birth of Christ we see in the gospel how he was king that was born to die, as indeed we all are. Many  people, including those close to him, who have been expecting a great and powerful king who would vanquish the occupying force and place his followers in position of greatness. Jesus, through his in glorious death on the cross, having been tortured and mocked and surrounded by criminals and abandoned by his disciples, offers us liberation of a different sort: liberation from everything that prevents us from living life in all its richness and fullness. And just as he invites the criminal on the cross beside him, so does he invite all of us to a place in paradise.

Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe: how our world needs such a king at the current time.