Category: Advent 2

The Signs of Jesus’ Coming

12/9/2020

The Triumph Of Christianity Over Paganism, Gustave Doré, 1868, Public Domain

Advent 2
Luke 21:35-36
December 13, 2020

“Now when you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Our Lord Jesus tells us that there are appointed signs for the coming of the Son of Man in glory. For those who listen and believe Jesus’ word, these signs are a great comfort, reminding us that our redemption is coming near. Yet, for those who reject Jesus’ word, these signs are ignored and explained away or, as is often the case, they cause great distress and anxiety in the world. Jesus wants us to pay attention to the signs. But he does not want us to speculate as to their meaning. Rather, he wants us to turn to his holy Word with its promises for their sure interpretation.
It is par for the course that people ignore, misinterpret, and scoff at the signs God gives us. Take the rainbow for example. The rainbow is one of the most beautiful representations of God’s love and forgiveness. After violently destroying the world and killing everything on it with a catastrophic deluge, God fixed his bow in the sky as a sign of his covenant with all flesh that he would never again destroy the earth and kill all living things with a flood. Now, when we Christians see the rainbow, we are reminded that rather than destroying sin by killing all sinners with a flood, God washes away all sin in us through Baptism, through which we also are placed safely into the holy ark of the Christian Church. The rainbow, not only beautiful, is a sign of God’s love, patience, and forgiveness.
Yet, the world scoffs at this meaning of the rainbow. They think because they can explain the natural process by which a rainbow is formed, that light reflecting and refracting as it hits raindrops in the sky forms a spectrum of multicolored light, that God must not have created it. As if He who created light and wrote the laws of nature could not use those same laws to perform a sign. What’s even worse, the rainbow, the oldest sign of God’s covenantal love, has been hijacked to be a symbol celebrating carnal lust, sodomy, sexual perversion, and the destruction of God’s ordained distinctions between man and woman. The rainbow, which should be used by Christian parents to teach their children of God’s love and forgiveness, is now used by radicals to push the acceptance of abnormal sexual behavior and dangerous sexual philosophies upon our little children by means of public libraries, schools, and popular children shows and movies.
And so, the signs of the end times are treated no differently by the unbelieving world. Jesus says that there will be signs in sun and moon and stars. Many falsely interpret this to believe that there will be sudden supernatural signs in the sky directly before Christ’s return, so that all will know that Christ is coming. Yet, Jesus also tells us that he will come as a thief in the night and that people will continue as in the days of Noah, eating and drinking, marrying and giving into marriage. Rather, there will be and have been since the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem signs in the sky that Jesus is coming soon. Now it is certainly possible that some of these signs will have no natural explanation, as when God caused the sky to go dark in the middle of the day during Jesus’ crucifixion when there could not have been a solar eclipse at that time. Yet, many of these signs will have natural explanations, just as the rainbow does. Nevertheless, they remain signs fixed by God of the impending return of Christ.
Solar and lunar eclipses, red harvest moons, meteor shows and giant comets that light up the sky, these all have natural explanations for their occurrence, yet they remain signs of Christ’s coming. They’re dismissed by those who think natural processes determine the purpose of natural phenomena. Yet, our Lord Jesus determines their purpose. Their purpose is to alert his Christians to lift up their heads and pay attention, because their Redeemer is coming soon.
Some of the signs will cause great anxiety and perplexity: wild hurricanes, destructive tsunamis, earth quakes, wild fires, and the list of destructive natural disasters go on, so much so, that there are many in power who desire to upend our entire economy in order to get ahold of the reigns of the climate which causes many of these natural calamities. There have been and will be wars and rumors of wars, genocides, nations rising and falling, governments becoming destabilized. All these events will cause swooning and anxiety. Yet, without the revelation of Scripture, they will not cause people to pay attention to Jesus’ return. Rather, quite the opposite. Those who do not believe Jesus’ word will become even more enraptured by the things of this world. They’ll be so preoccupied with the cares of this life that they will not notice even the most obvious sign of Jesus’ coming or the clearest sermon of Jesus’ grace and forgiveness. Unless you listen to the words of Jesus, Satan will only use these signs of the end times to further distract you from Christ.
But we who have been enlightened by the Gospel and sanctified by the gifts of the Holy Spirit should look at these signs as continued reminders of God’s grace and forgiveness and of the necessity to repent of our sins every day. Jesus compares it to the fig tree and all the trees pushing out their leaves, so that you know that summer is coming. That is what these signs are. It is quite remarkable. The same signs that cause people to fret and faint, fear and stress out, are the same signs that bring calm and comfort to us. Why? Because Christ comes with healing in his wings. Jesus says that our redemption is drawing near.
Now, what does redemption mean? Well, it means that we were bought with a price, the very precious blood and innocent suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. God became man! That’s what we’re preparing to celebrate on Christmas. The eternal God, who has no body, but is an infinite Spirit, who cannot be contained by heaven or the heaven of heavens, took on our flesh and bone, assumed a human soul, and was laid in a manger by his virgin mother. He nursed at her breast and slept in her lap, nodding off to the sweet sound of her lullabies. How beautiful! How mysteriously mild! And he did this in the fulness of time in order to prepare himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Christ Jesus fulfilled the Law in our place, in our flesh and blood, and he was punished in our stead. He is our ransom, our scapegoat. He paid the price for our sins by himself being the payment. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
That is the Gospel. That is the Good News we confess and hold dear. And that is why we are not troubled by signs of the coming of Christ, because we know why he is coming. He is coming to claim his prize. Jesus, the Godman, will return in the same body that was born of the Virgin Mary, that was laid in a manger, that touched lepers and cleansed them, that carried his cross on his back, that was nailed to that cross and laid in the tomb, which truly rose again from the dead on the third day. That same body we will see upon the clouds. We will gaze upon those scars on his hands and feet, which were formed when nails were driven into them. They will remain as receipts of purchase. Christ Jesus has paid for us. We are his. That is what it means that our redemption is coming. It means that our Lord is coming to bring us to himself to live with him forever. It means we will enjoy eternal salvation.
Has a season ever snuck up on you? It has for me. This past year I was still thinking it was winter when suddenly it was summer. Of course, it was not sudden. There were lots of signs. I was just distracted. I wasn’t paying attention. My children aren’t that way. They notice the buds on the trees becoming tender and turning green, the return of seasonal birds, that it’s warm enough outside to ride a bike. This is how we should be with the signs of Jesus’ coming. We should notice these things taking place, and we should be filled with joyful anticipation that Jesus will fulfill his promise to us.
Jesus warns us to watch ourselves lest we too be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and the day of his return come upon us like a trap. This is a real danger. We are not of the world, but we are in the world. It’s easy to become distracted, to get anxious, to think that the cares of this world are more pressing than the things of God’s kingdom. And this is common among Christians on earth. What do people find more important? Working for money or going to church to hear the Gospel? Well, you need money to pay your bills, to eat, and to live! Okay. What’s more important? Going to church to hear the Gospel or playing some game? Well, the team depends on us and we’ve made a commitment. Alright. And so, the choice to come and hearing the Gospel always seems to lose. It’s not that big of a deal though, right?
It is a very big deal. This is exactly what Jesus warns about. The cares of this life, no matter how important or trivial they may be are constantly used to distract you and your children from God’s Word and promise. And when they consistently win, eventually God’s word and promise is forgotten. You don’t know when Christ will return. There are signs that he will come soon. But again, if you are not listening to Jesus, then the signs won’t do you any good anyway.
Watch and pray Jesus teaches us. You watch by listening to God’s word, so that you can recognize the signs for what they are. And you pray according to God’s Word and promise. Whatever you ask for in faith, God will give you. To ask in faith means to ask according to God’s promise. This means that we should pray for what Jesus tells us to pray for. He tells us to pray that we will have strength to escape these things that are going to take place, so that we may stand before the Son of Man. What Jesus means is that we should pray that the distractions of this world would not cause us to lose our faith, but that we would continue to repent of our sins and believe in God’s forgiveness for Christ’s sake, so that when Christ comes, we will stand with a good conscience without fear. It is God who will strengthen us to withstand temptation and stand on that day. And he will strengthen us by the power of the Gospel of Christ. So, stay awake and keep watch. Listen to Jesus’ voice. Repent of your sins and believe that God forgives you. Pray to God for increased faith and endurance. And when you see these signs, take heart, because your redemption is coming near. Amen.

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Behold, Your Redemption Is Drawing Near

12/8/2019

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The Triumph Of Christianity Over Paganism(1868?), Gustave Dore, This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Triumph_Of_Christianity_Over_Paganism.Gustave_Dor%C3%A9.jpg

Luke 21:25-36
December 8, 2019

Jesus speaks again today about his return in judgment. Christ Jesus will return in a cloud with power and great might. And it is clear that when Jesus comes, not everyone will be saved. Our Old Testament lesson from Malachi also points this out, saying that the day will burn like an oven and all the arrogant and evil doers will be stubble. This is an unpopular teaching; it is an uncomfortable teaching. And it is a teaching that is more and more ignored and even rejected. Yet, ignoring something doesn’t mean it’s not there. And rejecting what Jesus says does not make what he says untrue.
Universalism is a teaching that all people will be saved; that God will not condemn anyone. It’s a popular teaching, because no one wants to think about hell or anyone going there. How nice it would be if everyone were saved. Yet, universalism is a false religion that makes obsolete Jesus and his work of salvation. Universalism fails to deal with the problem of sin and evil in the world. Universalism fails to warn people of their own sin and need to repent. Universalism robs people of Jesus and his salvation.
Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. Satan will finally be banished forever in hell. All sinning will be put to an end. And we will be freed. Yes, we will be freed. The final judgment is a scary thought. Jesus himself says that the signs that accompany his coming will be terrifying. In fact, Jesus says that people will faint with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world. And for this reason, many do not want Jesus to return. They don’t want to see that day. They don’t want to face condemnation. Yet, we should want to see that day. We should look forward to that day. In fact, we should pray every day that that day would come.
The day should not terrify us, because Jesus will not come to deal with us according to our sins, but according to his mercy. Jesus say, “When you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Our redemption is drawing near. Christ Jesus himself redeemed us, that is, he purchased and won us from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. In Jesus’ return, he comes to retrieve that which he purchased with his own blood. Our redemption is drawing near means that He who redeemed us comes to rescue us from this valley of sorrow to take us to himself in heaven!
And, so that final day will be received very differently between those who will receive judgment and condemnation and those who will receive redemption from this sinful world. The big difference is faith. When the waters of the deep broke forth and the rain began to fall for forty days and forty nights, it signaled God’s judgment on the wicked world. The world-wide flood killed all people upon the earth. Yet, for Noah and his family, the waters were a sign of salvation as God kept them safe in the ark along with the animals.
And the flood remains a sign of salvation to you Christians today. Jesus says that his return and the final judgment will come just as the flood did in the days of Noah, people will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving into marriage, that is, people will not expect Jesus’ return to judgment, just as the sinful world did not expect the flood to come. Yet, Scripture also says that Baptism, which corresponds to the flood, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Christ Jesus. (1 Peter 3:21) So, when the end does come, we who are baptized into Christ have good reason to raise our heads, because our consciences have been made clean through Christ. Just as Noah and his family saw in the flood their salvation, so we who have been baptized into Christ see Christ’s return as our salvation.
Likewise, the ten plagues were terrible signs to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Water turned to blood, they were infested with frogs, flies, gnats, hail, and locusts. Their cattle died. Yet, God made a distinction between the Egyptians and the children of Israel. These plagues were indeed signs of God’s judgment upon the Egyptians, but they were signs of Israel’s redemption from slavery. Finally, on the night of the first Passover, the children of Israel slaughtered their lambs and smeared the blood on their doorposts. As the angel of death went through Egypt striking down the firstborn of both man and beast, the children of Israel feasted safely behind the blood-stained doors. And so, we too have confidence that God’s judgment and condemnation will pass over us, who have the blood of the Lamb Christ Jesus painted on our hearts.
This is why we do not need to be afraid. We have faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood sets us free from sin and condemnation. We do not expect the return of any other Christ than he who died to take away our sins, and who upon his rising from the dead proclaimed peace from God the Father. We are waiting for the return of him, who permitted himself to be born of the Virgin Mary and laid in a manger for our sake. We are waiting for the return of him who out of love for us laid down his life, so that he might give us eternal life. We are expecting the return of our great Friend, our Savior, our eternal Brother. We await our Redemption from our only Redeemer.
This is why Jesus gives us Christians such a beautiful picture of the last days by comparing it to trees pushing out their leaves. Are you afraid when you smell the sweet air of spring and see the leaves push forth on the trees? No! Rather, your heart is glad, because the long winter is now over and summer is near. And so, we Christians, when we see the signs of the end times, the turmoil in high places, the roaring of the seas, fear and panic among the masses, we do not lose our hope. Rather, we wait with eagerness for our long-expected Jesus.
It is important for us to understand that we are not at home here on this earth. Jesus more than once calls Satan the ruler of this world. He prowls around like a roaring lion. He puts his hands into all sorts of business to wreak havoc in the church, at home, and in the government. We are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but our citizenship is in heaven from which we await a great reward to be given to us by the merits of Christ.
Imagine for a moment that you have been captured by terrorists and held hostage. You are locked up in the inner room of a building. But then, you start to hear commotion outside. Gunfire, explosions, doors banging down, your captors screaming in fear. Such cacophony is sure to set you on edge a bit, but overall you would be filled with hope, knowing that the good guys are coming. You’re being rescued. You wait for the door to be opened and your rescuers to come in telling you that all the bad guys are gone.
This is what we are waiting for. We Christians recognize that Satan for a moment is the ruler of this world. Sin reigns for a while. Yet, we hate our sins. We do not want to sin any more. We don’t want to be separated from God. We don’t want to be estranged from those we should love. So, we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly.” We pray for summer to come. We look forward to the arrival of our Redemption.
And this is indeed what we pray for whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer. “Thy kingdom come.” We indeed pray that God would send us his Holy Spirit now, so that we would believe God’s holy word and live godly lives according to it. Yet, we also pray that Christ Jesus would come with our redemption. That he would rescue us from our present misery.
And it is important that we do continue to pray this petition and that we continue to hear God’s Word and believe in the redemption he has won for us in Christ Jesus. There is a strange phenomenon that happens to those captured against their will. It is not that uncommon for those held captive to develop a sympathy for their captors. It is called Stockholm syndrome. Captives suffering from Stockholm syndrome develop a bond with their captors and in some cases try to help them. They don’t want to be rescued, but want to remain with those who kidnapped them.
Jesus warns against a similar thing when he says, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” Jesus is saying, “Don’t get so comfortable in this sinful world that you stop waiting for my return.” Yet, this is what happens to many. Christians become more comfortable in the world than they do in the Church. They think and behave more like the world does than how God teaches us in Scripture. They don’t repent of their sins. They don’t gladly hear God’s Word. They don’t keep their focus on the cross of Christ and the forgiveness he won for them. Rather, the cares of this life, what and where they eat, what they wear, where they live, their work, their friends, their hobbies, and so forth until all these cares blur out their faith, so that they don’t keep watch. They become like the wicked masses, who paid no attention to Noah’s warnings. They do not wait for their redemption to come.
So, Jesus warns us now. Stay awake. Watch yourself. Recognize the situation you are now in. You are not yet in paradise. You are in a foreign land; a sinful land ruled by the Evil One. Yet, Jesus promises to return with salvation and deliverance. So, keep watch. Keep the faith. Repent of your sins, so that you are not caught unprepared. Hear the words of Jesus and trust in his sacrifice for your sins. Paint Jesus’ blood on the doorpost of your heart, so that the destruction passes over your head on that great day. Eat today Christ’s living body and blood, which were given and shed for you, so that you can await with eagerness the return of him who gives you his own self to eat and drink.
And pray. Pray that God’s kingdom come. Pray that he would keep you in the ark of the Church. Pray that your heart would be prepared for that wonderful day. And pray for others as well, that we would all turn from our sins and trust in Jesus who saves. And encourage one another with such words. Then, though the earth gives way and the mountains be thrown into the depths of the sea, and the sun, moon, and starts turn black, and all structures in our life crumble and fall, then we will stand on solid ground and look to our Redeemer with great hope. Amen.

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Advent 2: The Holy Spirit Encourages Us through Scripture

12/10/2018

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Luke 21:25-36
Pastor James Preus
Trinity Lutheran Church
December 9, 2018

The Christmas season started over a month before the first day of Christmas this year, way back on November 23rd as Black Friday inaugurated the Christmas rush. Christmas songs have already been playing on the radio for nearly three weeks now, and before the turkey was cleared out of most people’s refrigerators, “Merry Christmas” became the customary greeting. The season of Advent has been completely forgotten. And I’m not just bothered that Christmas is being celebrated at the wrong time. We should rejoice at Jesus’ birth all year round! That God became a little baby for us in order to save us is a wonder at which we should never tire of marveling.
But that’s not even what’s happening. We don’t have a premature celebration of Christmas, but a month-long caricature of the Christmas season. The Christmas Spirit has been replaced with materialism. And I’m not just complaining like Charlie Brown that everyone’s gone commercial. There is something much more sinister going on. This fake Christmas season is exactly what Jesus warns us against in our Gospel lesson, “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.”
Advent is about the coming of Christ. Today we heed Jesus’ words to be prepared for his second coming in judgment. Yet, in the name of Christmas nearly everyone is doing the exact opposite. Instead of watching for the coming of Christ, we are overwhelmed by the cares and pleasures of this life. Jesus warns us against being weighed down with dissipation; that is dizziness, staggering like someone who is drunk or hungover. And that is how so many of us are as we rush to get everything done. And literal drunkenness has become customary in the new-Christmas season with drinking parties that only intensify feelings of anxiety and depression. We are so weighed down by the cares of this life, the coming of the Lord certainly could fall upon us like a trap. In fact, the Lord wouldn’t need such stealth. Indeed, this new-Christmas season is a time of cultivating thorn bushes to choke out the word of God from our hearts.
And it’s not even that enjoyable. Recent polls find that 88% of Americans find the holidays stressful. This makes sense with all the rushing around buying gifts they can’t afford, traveling distances they don’t have time to travel to visit family and friends and rushing back before they can relax. Something like a quarter of consumers still haven’t paid off their bills from last Christmas. And people even find visiting their loved ones stressful. And half of those polled say that religion is a topic to avoid over the holidays with family and friends! Imagine that! Don’t talk religion when celebrating holy days!
And this really is the center of the problem with this new season of anxiety dressed up with lace and flashing green and red lights: It is all a distraction from getting prepared for the coming of Christ Jesus. And how do you get prepared for Christ’s coming? How do you keep watch? By paying attention to the Holy Scriptures and the preaching of God’s Word.
Yet, for many already weighed down with dissipation and anxiety, the command to pay attention to the Scriptures is yet another stress heaped on the chest. Most pastors feel guilty for not spending as much time as they should reading the Bible, let alone many Bible-believing Christians. You should read your Bible every day. Do you? Does it make you feel guilty that you don’t? Is pointing this out helping to relieve your anxiety during the busiest time of the year? I didn’t think so!
But reading the Scriptures and hearing the preaching of God’s Word should not cause you stress. Listen to the words of St. Paul from our Epistle lesson, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” We find hope through the encouragement of Scripture. What is this hope? Jesus tells us in our Gospel lesson! “Now when all these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
That’s right! When all the world is falling apart, when those in power become powerless and the rich lose everything they have, when nature itself becomes unsettled and the end is near, Jesus tells you that summer has arrived. You are going to be released from the sorrows of this world like a calf leaping and dancing out of its stall. Though the earth go up in flames, you will be cool and collected. This is Christ’s promise. And why will you be so cool, collected, and victorious? Because your redemption is coming near.
What is your redemption? To redeem means to purchase or buyback. All of us were conceived and born slaves of sin, bound to death, and under the dominion of the devil. Yet, Scripture teaches us that we were redeemed from this bondage, not with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). It was God himself, who set this price. Our sin is an offense against Him. God must be reconciled to us because of our transgressions against him.
Our sin is a corruption of our nature, which God made to be perfect. It’s a behavioral problem. Not only does sin separate us from God and warrant our death, but it is harmful to others. The reason you have anxiety and are overburdened during this stressful time of year is because of your sin. Sin causes you to not trust in God. That means that you take on an unnecessary burden by trusting in yourself. Sin causes you to be selfish. That makes serving others more difficult. Sin makes it difficult to spend time with others and for them to spend time with you, navigating around unsafe and awkward conversations. Sin is not freedom. It is slavery. You are not capable of doing the good that you want to do. Even if your spirit is willing, your flesh is weak. And the wages of sin are death and hell.
You are a sinner. You need to be redeemed from your sins or you will go to hell for all eternity. And Jesus is coming to judge the living and the dead. Yet, Scripture encourages you to have hope, because Christ Jesus has redeemed you from your sin with his precious blood. Hebrews chapter nine states, “So Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (9:28)
Scripture is encouraging, because it reveals to you your Savior, Jesus Christ, who has redeemed you from sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. To be redeemed means that God has forgiven you. Ephesians 1:7 states, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Forgiveness is the sweetest word in the ear of a sinner. Psalm 32 states, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the one against whom the LORD counts no iniquity.” And this is why the name of Jesus is the sweetest sound in the ears of a Christian, because it is Jesus, who has forgiven us our sins. 1 Timothy 1:15 states, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
Yes, Scripture calls sin, sin. And Scripture calls you a sinner, even to say that if you deny that you are a sinner, you are a liar and the truth is not in you! (1 John 1:8) Yet, Scripture promises that if you confess your sins, God will graciously forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness through Jesus’ blood (1 John 1:9, 7). And Scripture is trustworthy. St. Paul tells us that it is breathed out by God. (2 Timothy 3:16) St. Peter tells us that men of God wrote the Scriptures as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21). St. Paul joins the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures together so closely, that he does not distinguish between the work of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Scriptures. On the one hand he says “through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” and nine verses later he says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:4, 13) God the Holy Spirit works through the Scriptures to create saving faith and encourage you through that faith your entire life.
The Scriptures are the words of Christ. And by the words of Christ the Holy Spirit creates saving faith in your hearts (Romans 10:17). So, not only should you read the Holy Scriptures and learn them yourself, for your own encouragement, but you should speak these words of Jesus as you gather with your family and friends this holiday season. Don’t be part of that 50%, who avoids talking about religion. Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24) So, talk about Jesus with your loved ones! Pray with them. Have devotions with them as you gather to celebrate Jesus’ birth! Share with them the words that will prepare you to lift up your head and welcome your Redemption, as he comes to you on the clouds! And invite them to come and hear these sweet words of Jesus.
By truly observing Advent, that is by hearing and believing the holy Scriptures, you not only will enjoy the true meaning of Christmas when it comes, but you will be prepared to enjoy the return of that Christ, who came to us so lowly in the manger. May the words of our dear Savior be in our ears, mouth, and heart until he comes. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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Advent 2: Populus Zion: Lift up your heads for your redemption is coming near.

12/11/2017

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Luke 21:25-36

December 10, 2017

Last Sunday we heard how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This procession to the cheers of children and illiterate adults demonstrates how Jesus comes to us lowly, in humility. That is how he first joined our human race, in the womb of the Virgin, born in a stable and laid in rough straw, visited by unkempt shepherds, a helpless baby of no threat to anyone. And so, lowly Jesus processed into Jerusalem, where he would eat his last Passover before he would be betrayed, scourged, and nailed to a cross. He doesn't even lift a finger in his own defense. And lowly, Jesus comes to us now. Through the words of an ordinary man, in ordinary water, bread, and wine, as Pastor Rothchild taught us last week.

But our Gospel lesson today does not present a humble and lowly Jesus. Rather, Christ tells us that he will return in a cloud of power and glory. Malachi says that his coming will be like a hot oven, which will set the arrogant and evildoers ablaze. This is the final Judgment Day, where God will condemn all unbelievers and save all, who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. No one will be able to ignore this final coming. We will all see him. And there will be no doubt, who has the power and authority then.

The wise and arrogant of this world despised Jesus' humble arrival as a baby and his humiliating march to the cross, and his lowly and strange coming in Word and Sacrament, because Christ did not come with pomp and circumstance as they would expect a lord to come. Today they despise God's preaching and word, they despise the washing of baptism and the forgiveness offered through Christ. Now, they might object to me saying that they despise Jesus and his preaching and word. They might say they have nothing against Jesus. Well, they're disinterested. They don't care. They aren't impressed by Jesus. So, yes, they despise him. They won't accept him as their Lord. And Jesus said, "Whoever is not with me is against me." (Luke 11:23)

Yet, the same unbelieving generation that despised Jesus's coming for his lack of grandeur, now despise his final powerful and glorious coming in judgment. They either balk at the idea that Jesus would dare judge them. Or they laugh at the concept of a final judgment and the end of the world, as St. Peter writes, "They will say, 'Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:4)

But their scoffing will not prevent the coming of the Lord and his judgment any more than will denying you have cancer save you from dying. Christ will return in victory, just as he conquered sin, death, and hell for us on the cross and just as he rose victoriously from the grave. All the dead will be raised bodily and all will give an account of their deeds. Some will enter into everlasting life. Others will enter into everlasting punishment. This truly will be an awesome day.

But for us, who welcomed Christ's humble arrival, we look forward to Christ's return with hope. Jesus says, "When you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Those who welcomed Jesus' humble arrival will also welcome his coming in glory, because they understand what Jesus' first coming meant. The humble baby lying in a manger was promised by God through the prophets to save his people from their sins. Jesus humbly went to the cross to pay the price for our sins. We do not despise his lowliness, but with thankful hearts we cherish it, because with such humility Christ won our salvation. And we are not scandalized that our exalted Lord is hidden behind ordinary means of preaching the Gospel. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we know that these words of forgiveness spoken on behalf of Christ are truly the words of eternal life, which our souls need. Truly, if you do not receive Christ in humility through faith, then you will not be able to stand when he comes in glory on the Last Day.

Talking about signs can get you sidetracked quickly. Many people claim this or that geopolitical event is another step before Jesus will come and set up an earthly kingdom or something like that. I'm sure may Millenialists are busy prophesying about the meaning of the United States recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. But signs do exist and they do have a meaning. The changes in the sun, moon, and stars; nations rising against nations, wars and rumors of wars, false teachers and prophets rising and dividing the church; these are signs of Christ's coming and the end of the age.

True, these signs will not tell us when Christ will come. But they do tell us Christ is coming. Be ready. Don't get distracted or caught up with the anxieties of the world when you see these things take place. Rather, as you look at the trees pushing out leaves and know that summer is near, so when you see these signs in the sky, sea, and land, know that Christ is near with healing in his wings! The answer to your prayer, "Thy kingdom come," and "Deliver us from evil," is coming to fruition.

And how do you lift up your head? How do you respond to these signs, which we are witnessing even today? You must always live as if Christ will return at any moment. Jesus says, "`But watch yourselves lest your heart be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap." So, what does this mean? Must we seclude ourselves from the world; spend every waking hour in church praying? Should we live like the Amish, away from temptations of this world and shun all people, who are not Christians? Will that even work? How can we shun the world? As St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world." (vss. 9-10)

No, we can't go out of this world! We must live in this world, even among unbelievers. Yet as we live in this world, we must not be of this world. For God has called us out of this world. (John 15:19) You must go to work, interact with people, do your civil and domestic duties. But these tasks must not rob Jesus from your heart. Even as your left hand is busy with your daily tasks, your right hand must grasp onto Jesus and his promise of forgiveness and salvation.

God intends for you work to earn your bread. He does not intend for you to worship money and trust in earthly wealth instead of him. Jesus says, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' Or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:31-33) Striving after earthly pleasure and needs certainly can choke out faith, as Jesus warns, "As for what was sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." (Matthew 13:22)

Don't keep your eyes to the ground. Lift them up. See your redemption is drawing near! Receive your daily bread with thanksgiving and trust in the Lord to provide you with all you need. Do not think that your own labor alone has given you all you need or ever could. God provides you with all you need, so that you can be watchful for Christ's return.

Being watchful doesn't mean gazing into the sky. Being watchful means recognizing that you are a child of God and clinging to God's Word. Do not join in with the sins of this world, even as you must live here and endure much evil. What is socially acceptable is often not what is right. Being watchful means repenting of your sins daily and trusting in God's forgiveness for Christ's sake.

Being watchful involves recognizing Christ as he comes to you lowly. It is recognizing that the baby in the manger is not just a children's story, but God's work of salvation for you. Being watchful is not despising the blood Christ shed for you, but holding it as the most precious treasure within your heart. Being watchful means not despising God's holy Word, but gladly hearing and learning it. Being watchful means receiving your risen Christ now veiled under bread and wine with the certain hope that your eyes will behold him in his full glory. Being watchful is seeing with faith, so that you may stand when your eyes see the King of Glory coming near.

Dear Christians, you believe the Gospel. You believe that Jesus died for you, that God's love for you is greater than your sins. You come to church, because you believe that here God shows his mercy to you. God's attitude toward you will not change on that Final Day. The Jesus, who has come to forgive your sins a thousand times and more through his Word and Sacraments will come to rescue you once and for all in power and glory. Oh, what a blessed day that will be.

Let us pray. Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly. Amen.

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Advent 2: Lift Up Your Heads Your Redemption Is Drawing Near

12/5/2016

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Luke 21:25-36
Romans 15:4-13

The church historian Eusebius of Caesarea (260-339) wrote that before Rome destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, killing hundreds of thousands of people, the Christian population fled the city and avoided the massacre. According to tradition the church in Jerusalem received an oracle to flee and because Jesus' warned about the destruction of Jerusalem, those who believed in Jesus fled.

Our Gospel lesson is really just half of a talk Jesus had with his disciples. Jesus also warned them of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. For this reason many find it difficult to figure out when Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman troops and when he speaks about the destruction of the world when Christ comes in judgment. Well, this is intentional. Christ purposefully parallels these two events. Those who believed Christ's warning concerning Jerusalem saw the signs and fled to the mountains. And those who believe Christ's warning concerning Christ's return in a cloud with power and great glory will be prepared to lift their heads to receive their redemption.

"There will be signs in sun and moon and stars," Jesus says. You must be able to read the signs or you will not be ready. The Christians read the signs and avoided destruction in Jerusalem. So you too must be able to interpret the signs lest you be found unprepared.
What are these signs? Many make claims about solar eclipses, red moons, and other such nonsense as if gawking up in the sky will prepare you for Christ's return. While Jesus isn't encouraging us to study astrology, he does tell us that we will witness signs of the end times. Rulers both in state and church will rise and fall. The masses will be unsettled. There will be destructive wars and pestilence. Satan and his demonic hordes will quake in anticipation and fear of Christ's coming and will cause many to fall away.

These are warning signs! Christ warns that if you do not watch and pay attention to these signs then that day of judgment will catch you like a trap, just as the hundreds of thousands of victims were caught trapped within the walls of Jerusalem when the Roman legions enclosed on them.

Jesus warns that if you do not keep watch your heart will be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life. What does Jesus mean by this? He means that you should repent of your sins. Put away you filthy gods that will pass away and profit you nothing on that day. Stop avoiding church and hearing God's word. Stop showing disrespect to your parents and other authorities. Stop hating other people. And stop lying to yourself about your own hatred. Stop fornicating and looking at smut. Stop stealing what isn't yours. Stop being lazy. Stop gossiping and hurting your neighbor's reputation. Stop obsessing over what you don't have and wanting what isn't yours. Jesus warns against being stuck in the muck of your own sin. Examine yourself. If you do any of these things, repent. Stop doing them and ask God for forgiveness.

Sin kills faith. It causes you to hate instead of love, both God and your neighbor. It causes you to doubt instead of trust in God. It distracts you from the message God wants you to hear. Jesus' warning is a call to repentance for all.

The signs are abundant. The earth is in turmoil. Nations are perplexed. Wars, unrest, plague, scandal... just as the Bible predicted the world is falling apart. So you Christians must take heed of these signs. Yet, while it is good to recognize the groaning of the creation as a sign of Christ's imminent return, our Lord does not intend for us to dwell on the unrest in the Middle East, the elections in France or the US, or changes in the Vatican. These do not tell you how to interpret the signs.

How do you interpret the signs? Through Scripture. The Bible. The word of God. St. Paul writes, "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Rom. 15:4) The Christian doesn't gawk at the sky or worry about events out of his control. The Christian looks to God's Word!

Jesus says, "when you see these things beginning to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Well these things are beginning to take place. So we must all straighten up and raise our heads. We do this not by looking to the sky, but looking to Scripture. Scripture was written for our learning, but not simply for us to obtain knowledge, but to give us hope. It is Scripture that records the promise to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Scripture promised Christ in the Old Testament and revealed him in the New. And as Scripture predicted, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; Rejoice, O Gentiles with his people; Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope," the Gentiles would hope in Christ Jesus. The Gentiles are the non-Jewish nations, that is all people, you and me. Scripture claimed that we would hope in Christ and it is Scripture that gives us this hope in Christ.

We find hope in the Scriptures, because they are able to make us wise unto salvation. They teach us of Jesus, who died for our sins, who gives us life that lasts forever. St. Paul writes, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Rom. 15:13) The Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:15-16). That means that you tap into the power of the Holy Spirit by reading the Holy Scriptures. Not just reading them, but praying them, singing them, and listening to them. Listen to preaching that explains the wonderful hope found in Scripture.
It is in Scripture that we find the Gospel, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. Scripture is the basis for every God-pleasing sermon. It is your assurance that what you receive in church truly forgives your sins.

The coming of Christ is one event. But it will be received in two very different ways. For those who do not pay attention to the Scriptures, who refuse to hear God's Word and to believe in Jesus as he is proclaimed in the Gospel, that day will be a terror. It will come as a trap. But for those who know Christ from Scripture it will be a wonderful day, a day of Redemption.

If you know Christ from the Scriptures you look forward to Christ coming in a cloud with power and glory. Why? Well, just look at how he comes to you now. In Baptism Christ came in a cloud of water and word and he made you God's child. He forgave every sin you have or ever will commit. He comes liberally and generously to heal your wounds of a guilty conscience, he covers your shame as if to cover your nakedness. He constantly shows you God's grace and mercy. Jesus is your friend, your advocate to God the Father. He even feeds you the food of immortality, his own body and blood, crucified and risen for you and gives you fellowship with God and the whole Christian Church in heaven and on earth. So for you, who believe this, who rejoice in Christ's coming to you today as you have learned through Scripture, you are more than happy to meet him when he comes in a cloud with power and glory.

What does it mean that your redemption is drawing near? It means Jesus is coming to save you. But, I thought I was already saved! I just heard my sins forgiven. I learned in my Catechism, "I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins from, death, and from the power of the devil..."

Yes this is true. Christ has redeemed you with his suffering and death. You are forgiven and yet, you still sin. The Pastor preaches forgiveness of all your sins for the sake of Christ's suffering and death, yet you still go back and sin against God, even committing the same transgression you repented of, promising you'd never do it again! You receive the Sacrament that gives eternal life, yet you get sick. And Christians die everyday. Although you are in communion with Christ and the whole Christian Church, you find yourself in conflict with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

You're surrounded by sin. The devil, whom Christ defeated, still seems to know where all the holes in your armor are. You're sick, dying, and you're still a sinner. So, yes, you are redeemed, and yet, not yet.

"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen," so says the author to the Hebrews under inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Scripture gives you lots of hope, faith that your sins are forgiven, assurance that you will live forever, but until that awesome day, you won't see it.

That's why we look forward to that Day. I want to stop sinning! I want the devil to leave me alone for good! I don't want to hear about millions of abortions, sexual assaults, wars, scandals, and genocides. I don't want my kids to get sick. I don't want my parents to die. I don't want to die! That's why I look forward to Christ's return, so that he can take what he purchased, redeem me and take me from this veil of tears to be in joy and peace with him in heaven. This is my hope!

What is your redemption? Redemption means to pay back or to purchase. It requires a ransom payment. St. Peter tells us that we were ransomed not with gold or silver, but with Christ's precious blood. (1 Peter 1:18-19) So the redemption Christ speaks about will be when we finally get to see the benefit of Christ's ransom for us. St. Paul writes, "In [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace," yet our trespasses still haunt us. On the Last Day when our Redemption comes near our trespasses will be forgotten. We won't sin anymore. We won't even be tempted. We'll have no sinful desires, no shame, no regrets. We won't get sick. We will not die. The confidence we have in the unseen will turn into the assurance of Salvation seen and experienced.

Our Introit proclaims from Isaiah 62, "Behold, your salvation comes," and we sang, "Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" For us who have our hope founded on the promises of Scripture, the coming of Christ is a welcomed event. I love Christ. In the verse before the start of our Epistle lesson St. Paul writes, "For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.'" (Rom. 15:3) The reproach, the shame, the insult that I did against God does not fall on me. Rather they fell on Christ. Christ was put to shame, because I shamed my Father in heaven. And Christ did this to redeem me from eternal shame. Jesus reminds me of this everytime I hear the Gospel and receive the Sacrament. So I love Jesus, because he bore my reproach. I want him to return. I want to be with him and live with him for all eternity. So I pray with you and with the whole Christian Church, "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen."

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

The Signs of Jesus’ Coming

Behold, Your Redemption Is Drawing Near

Advent 2: The Holy Spirit Encourages Us through Scripture

Advent 2: Populus Zion: Lift up your heads for your redemption is coming near.

Advent 2: Lift Up Your Heads Your Redemption Is Drawing Near

Rev. James Preus

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