He was raised for our Justification.
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GOD WILLING THE AUDIO OF THIS SERMON WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER IT IS PREACHED on this wedsite.
Advent II, December 08, 2019 W.H.
Text: Luke 21:25-36
In the name of Jesus who prepares us to meet Him in glory,
Dear Fellow Redeemed:
Is your life a disaster movie or a Hallmark Christmas special?
Maybe your life more resembles the ordinary, dull Walter Middy whose excitement was his dreams. As I age, my life resembles that movie technique to demonstrate the passing of time where we see the page of a calendar whiz from one year to another faster than the mind can comprehend.
Today, Jesus prophesies of a time when the world is turned
upside down and we consider the theme:
WHAT TO DO WHEN EVERYTHING IS FALLING APART.
Jesus describes those whose:
hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.
It would seem the most natural reaction when everything is falling apart. But Jesus tells us, it is inside knowledge, that when
such things, disasters, trials, tribulation, invade it is a sign…
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Jesus gives us perspective. He helps us see what is in front of us. Our nature self would see something we don’t want to happen to us. Jesus speaks to our spiritual self, the self, recreated by water and the Word, the self, born again by the power of God’s Spirit through the water of baptism.
Jesus help us see what is really happening. It is like Palm Sunday when He triumphantly entered the holy city. He was acclaimed the Savior. The people cheered. They treated Him like a King. But Jesus saw His betrayal, arrest, torture, conviction and execution. It was His mission.
Because He accomplished His mission through pain and turmoil, it is possible for Him to tell us, when everything is falling
apart, that we should…
when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.
Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. And St. Paul brought this promise from Jesus (I Thess. 4:16):
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
God’s promise is clear. Disaster and turmoil point to His return.
It may be very soon. The signs are complete. We read:
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars. More specifically:
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.
Jesus is so eager for us to be prepared for His return, He goes out of His way to help see and understand.
Jesus gives sign after sign to help us prepare. We read:
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Here, God shows us His heart. Before He returns, the gospel will be preached in all the world. God wait so all can know and believe in God’s loving forgiveness.
God told folks in Thessalonica who were confused. They
knew God’s kingdom was near but didn’t know what to do.
Let no one deceive you by any means; for the Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
Evil will entrench itself in every aspect of human life. The world, our leaders, our neighbors will oppose God’s kingdom. Morality will be turned upside down. And those who oppose God will set
themselves up in God’s Church. It is as if Jesus tells us to read
the newspapers. He added this sign. Matthew 24:6-8:
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Jesus tells us how people will react. Matt. 24:37-39:
As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Everything will seem normal. The world will be oblivious. People, hardened in sin, will no longer fear God and His wrath. People will be so brazen they will mock God and those who
believe. St. Peter wrote II Peter 3:3-4:
knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.
God tells us we know better. It is no different than knowing
the changing of the seasons. Luke 21:29-31, Look at the fig
tree, and all trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
This is what we do when everything is falling apart. We read
the signs. The Kingdom of God is near.
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
No one will be able to refuse Him. He said (Mt. 25):
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him…He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
He brings with Him the Kingdom. He will come in glory to
judge all people living and dead. We have a deadline. He said:
Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. Rev. 16:15
You need not in despair. You believe in Jesus. You believe Jesus suffered for all your sins, big ones, little ones, even the ones you can’t remember. You know you can do nothing to make God happy but that Jesus did that for you. You know that Jesus has removed all God’s anger from you. Jesus has covered you with His holiness. Jesus has given you forgiveness. God loves
you as His children. Jesus tells us what to do:
Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.
We will be counted worthy to escape because your God died for you. God has already pronounced you “Not guilty” because of
Jesus’ cross and resurrection. Again and again, God assures us:
Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. Is. 1:18
We wait and we prepare. We have been baptized. We are clean in His blood. We are clean and pure and holy and innocent.
This is why, in the midst of turmoil, it will be as He said:
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.
When everything is falling apart, we are waiting for the Savior who with through it all for us all so we are ready. We are His
people. St. Paul wrote:
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. Philippians 3:20-21
We sing it in the hymn:
Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on, when we shall be forever with the Lord, when disappointment, grief and fear are gone, sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. Be still my soul; when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Even so Lord Jesus, come.
Soli Deo Gloria!
December 3, 2006, W.H.
Matthew 21:1-9
In the name of our Lord Jesus who once came in humility, returns in glory,
Dear Fellow Redeemed:
Today is the 1st Sunday in the Church year, the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is a season of preparation and anticipation. The Gospel tells us of the announcement that inspires our
preparation and anticipation. We explore this theme:
MEET YOUR KING WHO COMES TO YOU.
Here, St. Matthew quotes the prophecy of God:
All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you.
It is one of hundreds of prophecies telling us our King is coming. The entire purpose of the Old Testament is to prepare the world for the coming of the Savior, Jesus, the Christ.
It began just after creation. As soon as humanity needed a Savior, God promised Jesus. As soon as Adam broke God’s law, God promised the One who would accomplish forgiveness for all Adam’s children. Adam turned his back on God. God began
to call Adam back. Just as soon as he sinned, God promised:
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
They heard God’s promise in these words. It was clear to them.
Satan tempted them from God. Satan is the enemy. God promised the seed or child of the woman would crush the evil snake’s head. The child of a virgin woman would save us. Eve understood. She was eager to bear the Savior.
Sadly, Cain, her first-born was a far cry from the Savior. Like his father, Cain proved his sin with deeds, with fratricide.
So God added to His promises. Moses prophesied:
The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear. Deut. 18:15
The promises continued. Through Isaiah pointed to a virgin:
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Luther told us to find Jesus in every verse of the Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments proclaim Jesus. There are hundreds of prophesies and proclamations about the King.
They all help us recognize the King as He comes to us. God doesn’t want us to be fooled. The King comes in different ways but all those ways are the ways God promised. The first Jesus came in humility. He didn’t look like a king. It is not the way we would expect a King to make a visit. And today we read:
Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.
This is unbelievably strange. Try to imagine the fanfare famous leaders, kings, popes, celebrities come to us. With limousines, and dressed to the nines, they proudly present themselves. Their entrances are anything but humble.
And here comes God’s Son, born in humility into the family of poor folks. The Almighty God was born. A manger, a feed box for cattle was His cradle. And soon and evil king sent soldiers to kill. It didn’t get better. During His life He was treated more like a beggar, a criminal than the King. And this is our King coming us to save. This is how God promised our King would come.
It is as He wants. He lowered Himself to step into our shoes. He took our place as our substitute to do what needed to be done to bring us back to the Father. He was baptized, tempted. He was abased. He was shamed with our sin.
Isaiah wrote of it:
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, There is no beauty
that we should desire Him. Isaiah 53:2
He is our King who died for us. He is God. We read one
Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of
them,' and immediately he will send them.
People give way and obey the King. St. John the Baptist
preached about His coming, Matt. 3:3:
Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.
His follows were led to recognize Him. Nathaniel said.
"Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" John 1:49 St. Peter confessed:
You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Even the Centurion in charge of His execution admitted:
Truly this was the Son of God. Matt. 27:54
People don’t always understand what kind of King He is. Israel wanted a warrior like David to fight Rome for them.
Jesus defeated the greater enemy. He crushed Satan’s head.
Pilate couldn’t figure Jesus out.
"Are You the King of the Jews?" John 18:33.
Jesus explained the truth.
"My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." John 18:36-37
As we begin this new year, it is a fitting for us analyze our
lives and admit our sin. To help us God gave the Ten Commandments. But more, God gave us His promises from
which we learn to whom the King and why. They sang:
"Hosanna to the Son of David!' Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!" Jesus went on to the cross so God can say.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). Eph. 2:4-5
He did all things well. And we get the credit. He suffered
and we rejoice. The Bible states.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference. Rm 3:21-22
We could never imagine it. We can only believe.
And it is true. After His cross, after His grave, on a bright Sunday morning, Jesus rose. He had been nailed to a cross and with Him our sins. He had been placed in a grave, our grave. And He rose. He stepped out of the grave proclaiming forgiveness accomplished. And we shall live with Him forever.
The King says to His subjects, those who believe:
You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not
obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. I Peter 2:9-11
Finally, the King will return in glory with all His angels. Today, we are mortal. Death lurks in our future. And yet, according to His word, we are already members of His kingdom, His eternal kingdom. We finish our days on earth as His children and enjoy all God’s earthly gifts. We can even love life without shame. God gave it to us to enjoy.
And we have something to which to look forward. When He returns, He brings with Him the Kingdom unstained by sin and to take us home to heaven. There will be no more evil or pain
or tears, or death. St. John wrote of it:
These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Rev.7: 14-17
This is the Church Triumphant in triumph, the Kingdom of heaven. We are its citizens. Receive Him as the humble King in glory.
Amen. Soli Deo Gloria!
Copyright 2009 Resurrection Lutheran Church - Winter Haven. All rights reserved.
4620 Cypress Gardens Road
Winter Haven, FL 33884
ph: 863-324-7263
alt: 863-221-8893
cjohnk