Jeremiah 1:4-19 & Revelation 19:6-16

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Through this Advent sermon series, we have seen Jesus, the eternal Son of God, in the Old Testament before He became Yahweh incarnate. The first week, we saw how Jesus appeared to Moses in the burning bush as the Angel/Messenger of Yahweh calling Moses to deliver His people out of slavery in Egypt. Last week, we heard how Yahweh defines His name, “I am,” to Moses through the book of Exodus. Tonight, we are fast-forwarding just over 800 years (806 to be exact) to the call of Jeremiah where we see how Jesus, the Word of Yahweh, is active in and through His people.

In that Old Testament reading tonight (Jer. 1:4-19), Jeremiah recounts God calling him to be a prophet. Jeremiah tells us, “The Word of Yahweh came to me” (Jer. 1:4). Now, right off the bat, we don’t want to get the wrong impression about this encounter. When Jeremiah says, “the Word of Yahweh came to me,” it isn’t just some voice in Jeremiah’s head or even something Jeremiah merely hears with his ears. No. Look at v. 9. The Word of Yahweh that comes to Jeremiah has a hand that reaches out and touches Jeremiah’s mouth.

Lord willing (Jam. 4:15), we will gather again this Sunday night and hear from Jn. 1:14 that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. In other words, the God who created all things took upon Himself a body. Now, because of Christmas, being human is part of God’s identity. But here, long before Jesus was born, this Word of Yahweh comes to Jeremiah, stretches out His hand, and touches Jeremiah’s mouth because had a plan for Jeremiah. A plan which had been in place for a long, long time.

The Word of Yahweh didn’t wait for the right person to come along, get all the right education, and amass five years of experience before calling him. Nope! Even before Jeremiah was born or formed in the womb, Yahweh had appointed Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations (Jer. 1:5). But Jeremiah isn’t too keen on the idea because he’s only a youth (probably under 20 years old), so Yahweh gives Jeremiah this wonderful calling and promise, “Wherever I send you, go. Whatever I command you, speak. You don’t need to be afraid. I’ll be with you.” And that with divine hand, the Word of Yahweh reaches out and places His words in Jeremiah’s mouth. And those words set Jeremiah over nations and kingdoms to pluck up, break down, destroy, and overthrow. And those words also enable Jeremiah to build and plant. In other words, God is going to use Jeremiah to speak His words of Law and Gospel.

Jeremiah served in the twilight of his nation, Judah. Jeremiah’s culture, like our culture today, had drifted far from God’s Commandments. That is why four stated purposes of his preaching are related to judgment – to pluck up, to tear down, to destroy, and to overthrow.

But Jeremiah will also build and plant by preaching beautiful Gospel. He would preach about healing and restoration (Jer. 3:22, 30:17). Jeremiah would preach that even though the people would go into exile, a remnant would return (Jer. 23:3, 50:20). He announced that Yahweh would raise up for David the righteous Branch and make His people righteous (Jer. 23:5-6). Through Jeremiah, God foretold the New Covenant Jesus would institute in Holy Communion where Yahweh would forgive iniquity and remember sin no more (Jer. 31:31-34).

In our text, the Word of Yahweh comes to Jeremiah two more times with these visions of an almond branch and boiling pot. For the sake of brevity, I’m not going to go into too much detail about the significance of why God shows those two particular things to Jeremiah. But we should notice the comfort those visions bring. In the vision of the almond branch, the Word of Yahweh promises that He is watching over His Word to perform it. Through the Word of Yahweh, God announces what is going to do (Am. 3:7), and He follows through. God says what He does, and He does what He says.

And with the vision of the boiling pot, the Word of Yahweh declares that His judgment is about to boil over against the sin of His people. That’s why Jeremiah is to dress himself for work and not hold back the preaching of the Law (Jer. 1:16-17). Even though Jeremiah’s audience isn’t going to like what God says through him, the Word of Yahweh promises that He will make Jeremiah a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls (Jer. 1:18). And even though everyone fights against Jeremiah, God promises to be with him to deliver him (Jer. 1:19). And if God promises to do that for Jeremiah, He can also do it for and to you.

But, we need to change gears here because you and I are not Jeremiah. And yet Jesus, the Word of Yahweh, has called us to proclaim His Word to the people He puts in our lives. The world needs to hear what God has to say. In Mt. 10:27, Christ says, “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” That, at times is a daunting call. But dear saints, we cannot shrink back from saying what God has clearly said in His Word. The world has turned upside down because we who bear Christ’s name have been either afraid or ashamed to simply say what the Bible says. Repent.

In Mk. 8:38, Jesus warns, “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father.” The opinions of evil, sinful men do not change the truth of what God says. Don’t ever be ashamed or afraid of confessing what God has said in His Word. You, like Jeremiah, can speak the Word of Yahweh before kings and not be put to shame (Ps. 119:46). God is with you and will strengthen you like forged metal upon which the forces of this world will break. Jesus promises that when you are dragged before the authorities of this world to bear witness, you don’t need to be anxious or worried about what to say because the Holy Spirit will give you the very words that need to be spoken, and God will speak through you (Mt. 10:18-20). So speak.

I want to close these Advent sermons with the picture we were given in our Epistle reading (Rev. 19:6-16). There, John sees Jesus, the Word of Yahweh, riding on a white horse. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and He wears many crowns on His head. The armies of heaven follow Him, and from His mouth comes a sharp sword which will strike down the nations that He will rule over with a rod of iron.

That picture is how your Savior is today. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18). Throughout human history, earthly rulers have and will continue to be in rebellion against Christ, and their treachery has brought harm to creation. But, ultimately, those authorities have no power. Jesus, the Word of Yahweh, has more power than all the forces of the world and all their machines of war combined. This Jesus has come once, and He is coming again.

But there is more to that picture. The first half of that reading shows you – the Church and Bride of Christ. You, believer, are part of that great multitude singing the praises of Christ. Because Jesus came in your flesh, suffered, bled, died, and rose again for you, God has granted you to be clothed in fine, bright, and pure clothes. You stand, clothed in the good works and righteous deeds that God has prepared beforehand for you to walk in (Eph 2:10).

Christ – the Lamb and Bridegroom, the Word of Yahweh – has come. This fact brings terror to the faithless, but that isn’t you. You are His beloved. And He is coming to bring you to to Himself and to eternal life, joy, and peace. Hallelujah! Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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