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Jeremiah 23:5-8

⁵ “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

⁷ “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ ⁸ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

Matthew 21:1–9

¹ Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” ⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵ “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘
Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. ⁸ Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!”

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Exodus, when God led His people out of slavery in Egypt, was the main event of salvation in the Old Testament. The slaughter of the Passover lamb whose blood protected God’s people from the angel of death. The parting of the sea to release God’s people from the land of slavery on dry ground. The guidance of cloud by day. The protection of the pillar of fire by night. And the culmination when God gave of the Law on Mt. Sinai saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex. 20:2). All those actions were the main celebration of the people of God. So, when God’s people called upon Him, they would name Him, “the God who brought us out of land of Egypt.”

But in today’s Old Testament text (Jeremiah 23:5-8), God declares through Jeremiah that He will be called by a new name, “the Lord is our righteousness.” God would no longer be known as the one who brought His people out of the land of Egypt because greater things were coming. God would bring about a better, more lasting deliverance. The days were coming when God would raise up for David a righteous branch. This offspring of David would reign as king. He would cause God’s people to be saved, and under Him they would dwell securely.

Our Gospel text today (Matthew 21:1-9), is the beginning of that great event. Jesus rides into Jerusalem, into the royal city. He rides toward the cross – for you.

Jesus is your Lord. He is your righteousness. He rules not over a political kingdom, but over an eternal kingdom. Jesus is the Savior that the all great events of the Exodus were pointing forward to. He is your Passover Lamb; faith points toward Him and the angel of death passes over you. He is the pillar of fire who lights your way through the darkness. He is the cloud protecting you from the scorching heat of God’s wrath. He is the one who brings you out of a foreign land full of death and sin.

Jesus’ death and resurrection stands as the central event in the history of the cosmos. The cross and empty tomb is what all of Scripture pointed forward to. God coming and reconciling you back to Himself is the story and the teaching of all the Scriptures (Jn. 5:39).

That is why the Church has its own unique calendar that centers around Jesus’ death and resurrection. Having such a calendar isn’t commanded in Scripture, but it is a helpful tool prepared for us by the saints who have come before us. Today, this first Sunday in Advent, is the beginning of a new Church year.

Advent is not about us getting ready for Christmas to meet baby Jesus in a manger. Instead it is getting us ready for Christ’s coming in glory to judge the living and the dead. And so, we repent. We repent because Jesus will come on the Last Day to judge all mankind, and sadly for most it will be a day of terror.

But not for you, Christian. Jesus, your Savior, is your righteousness. He died to make you His own. Because of what He has done, you are declared righteous. And we, as God’s people prepare for His return by receiving Him as He comes to us in His Word and as He comes here and now in Bread and Wine given to us for the forgiveness of our sins.

And so, we join our voices with those who welcomed Him into Jerusalem, “Hosanna,” which means, “Lord, save us now.” And He does because He is our righteousness. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.