Tag Archives: Second Coming

Coming Soon – Sermon on John 1:19-29 for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

John 1:19–29

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 

24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

My college buddies and I try to get together every year. We typically meet at a lake cabin that belongs to the family of one of the guys in our group. Sometimes, we’ll joke that the only reason we invite him is that we meet at his cabin. (He’s actually a great guy.) The majority of our time is spent sitting around a campfire. Since there are at least three eagle scouts and one borderline pyromaniac in that group, building and maintaining the fire is no problem.

We sit around those huge, burning logs sharing stories late into the night, but over the years, I’ve ended up being one of the first to go to sleep. Because I’m one of the first to bed, I’m also one of the first up and get back to the firepit in the morning. When I look at the place that was a roaring fire when I went to bed, all I can see is a pile of ash. The flames are all gone. But when I get down close to that gray ash heap, I can fell there are still hot embers underneath. All it takes to get the fire going again is a paper plate, a few twigs, and a little blowing.

Throughout the Old Testament, God had made promise after promise that the Messiah and Savior would come. Like a huge bonfire, the prophetic promises burned bright and hot. But then, God stopped sending the prophets, and the flames died down. For some 400 years, there was no word from God. By all appearances, there was nothing more than an ash heap, but under those ashes were glowing embers ready to ignite anything placed on them.

Those hot coals were detected with the old priest, Zechariah. The people of Jerusalem had heard the story of how he had seen a vision while he was serving in the Temple, and after that vision he wasn’t able to speak for nine months. The strange thing is that vision and silence coincided with his old wife, Elizabeth, getting miraculously pregnant and having a son. Zechariah was only able to speak again after his son was named John, which was reportedly the name given to him in that vision (Lk. 1:2-25, 57-80). And this John grew up to be a peculiar fellow. He lived out in the desert eating grasshoppers and wild honey.

Then, the breeze started to blow on the embers. John was out in the wilderness preaching and baptizing. He would say things that others were too shy to speak. John was calling soldiers, tax collectors, and everyone to repent (Lk. 3:7-17). The religious leaders didn’t have a problem with that call to repentance. The curious thing about this call to repent was the reason John gave, “for the kingdom of God is near.” Where did John get that idea?

John’s preaching had gotten the embers glowing from beneath the ashes, and now huge crowds of people were migrating from Jerusalem, Judea, and all around the Jordan to hear this preaching and to be baptized by John (Mt. 3:5-6). Just like sticks thrown on hot embers, flames were starting to flicker once again. And that is what got the attention of the religious big wigs in Jerusalem. So, they sent a delegation to John to ask him, “Who are you?”

John confessed, “I am not the Christ. No, I’m not Elijah. No, I’m not the prophet. I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” And John goes on to say, “There is One standing among you that you don’t know, and I’m not worthy to stoop down and untie His sandals.” The flames were growing higher and hotter.

Now, Scripture doesn’t say this for sure, but I like the idea that Jesus was present in that crowd when John says, “among you stands One you do not know,” because it was the very next day that John points to Jesus and says, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” With that preaching, the log was thrown on the flames and a new bonfire ignited.

That new fire of Jesus’ ministry brought miracles, healing, and powerful teaching. It burned brightly scattering and dispersing the darkness of demons. But after three years of Jesus’ ministry, something happened. It looked like the fire completely collapsed and the flames appeared to go out as Jesus died on the cross, but they ignited again in His glorious resurrection. By His death and resurrection, Jesus, the Lamb of God, has taken away the sin of the world. Everyone quickly check. Are you part of this world? Ok. Then Jesus has taken away your sin.

This same Jesus is now ascended into heaven where He sits at God’s right hand interceding for you and pleading your case before God the Father. There, Christ your Savior continually reminds God the Father that the wrath and punishment you deserve has been fully paid by His holy and precious blood. With His nail-scarred hands, Jesus now points to you who trust in Him and says, “That one’s sins are removed as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12).

Yes, you live some 2,000 years after Jesus died and rose again. Sure, it might look like the light of the fire of Jesus’ ministry has been reduced to nothing more than a pile of ashes. But it’s looked like that before. And our perception can be deceiving. The embers are still there and hot. Christ is not as far away as He may seems to be. He is here. Jesus stands among you. He has promised, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am among them” (Mt. 18:20). He declares to you, believer, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20). 

Jesus has come once – born in a barn in Bethlehem. He is coming again in glory and power. And He is come now. It doesn’t matter how gray the ashes appear to be in this sinful world. The embers are glowing hot and bright underneath, ready to ignite at any moment.

Lord willing (Jam. 4:15), we will gather here again tonight to celebrate and remember the birth of our Savior, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Celebrating the birth of Jesus helps to prepare us for His second coming. Believer, He came meek and humble when He was born in Bethlehem to be the Savior. That is why the angels could sing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Lk. 2:14). That faith prepares you to welcome Him when He comes again in glory on the Last Day.

For those who do not have faith, Jesus’ second coming will be terrifying. There will be no angel to tell you, “Fear not for I bring you tidings of great joy” (Lk. 2:10). Because, when He comes again, He will come to judge the earth (Ps. 96:13, 98:9). You who have faith, you already know the outcome of that judgment. Jesus Himself will be your defense lawyer (1 Jn. 2:1) and judge who will declare you not guilty.

For anyone here who does not have faith in Christ, I love you too much to not tell you that – if you persist in your unbelief and sin – the outcome of your judgment on that day is certain. Jesus will say to you, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:41). So, quit your stubborn, self-centered, self-righteous ways. Repent of your sin, and believe in Jesus. He loves you and wants you for his own.

And for you, dear saints, Jesus is here now, and He is with you always. The day of His return is coming soon. The embers are still hot and ready to ignite. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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

Coming Joy – Sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 for the Third Sunday of Advent

Matthew 11:2–11

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, 
who will prepare your way before you.’

11 “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

What do you do when it appears as though God isn’t interested in what’s happening in the world? What do you do when God doesn’t act the way you expect Him to or just doesn’t seem to care? Today’s Gospel text helps us in the midst of those kinds of questions.

John the Baptizer – that camel hair wearing, locust eating, outspoken prophet in the wilderness – is a combination of a biker gang member, wilderness survivalist, and street-corner preacher. Even before he was born, John was excited about Jesus, leaping in his mother’s womb (Lk. 1:39-44). From the time of his birth, John’s parents knew that he was the one who would prepare the way of the Messiah (Lk. 1:76), and that’s what he did. He pointed people to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He baptized hordes from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan (Mt. 3:5). John comforted with the Gospel, but he also boldly called people to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt. 3:5). He rightly called the religious leaders of his day a brood of vipers (Mt. 3:7). Like a good preacher of God’s Word, John rebuked political leaders like Herod who had married his brother’s wife (Lk. 3:19-20). And that is why John is in prison when we meet him here. For his whole life, John had been a faithful steward of the mysteries of God’s Word (1 Cor. 4:1-2).

In our Gospel reading (Mt. 11:2-22), John will soon be executed. He sits in a dank, dark prison cell. In that solitary, lonely dungeon, the devil does to John what he often does to those in isolation. He whispers lies and tries to cast doubt. John’s mind begins to wonder if his whole life’s work had been a sham. John knew the Scriptures taught that the Messiah would give sight to the blind, mobility to the lame, cleansing to the lepers, hearing to the deaf, and life to the dead, and Jesus certainly was doing that. But John also knew that the Messiah would bring prisoners out from the dungeon (Is. 42:7), that bonds would be loosed (Is. 52:2), that captives would be set free (Is. 49:9).

Because of the devil’s whispering and his current situation John starts to question: “Jesus, You’re checking all of the boxes except the one that matters most to me right now. What gives? Why am I here, stuck in this prison? Do You even know I’m in this situation?” No matter how many times God proves faithful in keeping His promises, it can feel as though God has abandoned you when some of His promises to you still lie in the future.

Instead of letting those questions fester and cause more and more doubt, John does exactly the right thing. He goes to God’s Word. John sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus, who is the Word made flesh (Jn. 1:14). “Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for another?” And Jesus, in typical Jesus fashion, doesn’t give a simple, “Yes,” or, “No.” Instead, Jesus responds: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”

It’s easy for us to fall into the temptation of thinking that God isn’t active in creation when we experience trials and tribulations like John is. Even when God is making good on all of His other promises, if only one of our own boxes is still unchecked, we start to think that something is off. In those moments, it is easy to forget that God is active in and through our suffering. It’s easy to forget that even your suffering has a holy purpose (2 Cor. 1:8-9).

All the evil that the devil and the world tries to throw at you is turned into good by God. You are not at the whim of a god who may or may not care about you. You do not face a devil who is equal in power with God leaving your outcome in question. Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers, told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God used it for good” (Gen. 50:19-20). Just as lifting weights is good exercise and builds up the muscles of your body, the suffering you endure in this world is good for your soul and faith, making it stronger.

The fact that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again is proof that God uses even the wickedness of this world and the suffering caused by evil men for your salvation. I’m not saying that it is an easy thing to believe. What I am saying is that Scripture is clear that suffering is not opposed to the Gospel. When God became a creature, He endured suffering so you can live with Him forever. Jesus saved you through His suffering, and He can and does use your suffering to bring about good because God is still active in His creation.

Jesus is the head of the Church, and you, believer, are His body (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18). Among other things, that means whatever you do in this world, Christ, the Head, is acting through you, His body. When you do what your boss tells you, you are God’s body being active in creation, and God blesses what you do. Kids, when you do your homework, you are God’s body being active in creation and preparing for the tasks God has for you in your future. As you are faithful in the things God puts in front of you to do, God is acting in you and through you to benefit your neighbor and creation. Be faithful in those things. Our Epistle lesson (1 Cor. 4:1-5) is an important reminder that the most important measure of what we do isn’t success or numbers that can be measured by others. We stewards shouldn’t care what others think. We shouldn’t even try to judge our own success. We are simply called to be faithful (1 Cor. 4:2-3).

But even as you are faithful, you will face suffering like John did. So, instead of falling into despair when you face suffering, God would have you rejoice in your suffering because suffering produces endurance, which produces character, which produces hope (Ro. 5:3-5). When you suffer, go back to God’s Word. Hear His promises. Hold on to those because God has not and will not fail in delivering you from suffering in this fallen and broken world.

Jesus is coming. He is not just coming sometime in the future. He is the constantly coming One. He has come once, He is coming still, and He will come again in the future. So, be bold and confident that the coming One is still active in His creation. Believer, you can have joy because Jesus has come and saved you.

Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness and sadness cannot coexist, but joy and sadness can. Joy is not the absence of sadness. Instead, joy is confidence and contentment that God is in control and is taking care of things. Even when everything in this world seems dark and fading, God is in control. He has come. He is coming again. And He comes now to give you His Body and Blood which He gave and shed for the forgiveness of all your sins.

Christian, rejoice in the Lord always. Your Lord is coming. In fact, He is at hand now. Amen.

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

Coming Redemption – Sermon on Luke 21:25-36 for the Second Sunday of Advent

Luke 21:25–36

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

34 “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. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

I love this text. That might sound strange because of all the heavy warnings in it. Our Lord is talking about His second Advent, His second coming, which will be marked by signs in the sun, moon, and stars. Distress of nations in perplexity. The roaring of the sea and waves. People fainting with fear and foreboding as the powers of the heavens are shaken. Then, Jesus says that all of us need to watch ourselves so those signs don’t get us weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the cares of this life. And He urges us to pray that we may have strength to escape all the things that are going to take place.

Now, I don’t love this text because I’m sadistic. I love this text because in the middle of all those signs and warnings, your Savior says, “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” It is so comforting, and the thing that cranks up the volume on that comfort is the distressing things that surround it.

Comfort is for those who are in the midst of pain, peril, and distress. Imagine arriving at a big family reunion and you see your grandma surrounded by her kids, grandkids, nieces, and nephews. She’s talking, laughing, hugging people. She sees you, and her eyes light up. The first thing you say to her isn’t going to be, “Grandma, it’ll be ok,” because that would make her mind start racing wondering what’s happened, what went wrong, who got hurt. You don’t comfort someone who is already happy unless you are about to give them distressing news. Comfort is for the distressed.

That is why Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat the terrible signs that will coincide with His return. If He had, the fact that those signs point to your redemption drawing near wouldn’t be nearly as comforting. So, in the midst of the anarchy, theft, riots, hatred, wars, and natural disasters we see in our day, straighten up and raise your heads because it all points to your coming redemption. And it is coming.

Throughout the week as I was praying, studying the text, and preparing for this sermon, my plan for how I was going to preach it took a really abrupt turn. Jesus spoke these words to the disciples, so in the past, I’ve preached this text in such a way as to get you Christians to focus on v. 28, “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” I still want to do that, but this time I want to take that one step further and talk about what these verses have to say about evangelizing and sharing the Gospel with others.

 2 Cor. 1:4 says, “[The God of comfort] comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the [same] comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” The comfort Jesus gives in this text is for you, Christian. And that comfort is meant to be shared with everyone who is troubled by the cares of this life.

The Advent season is a good time to meditate on the fact that we are waiting for Jesus’ return in glory to judge the living and the dead. What do you do while you wait for things? A lot of the time, what we do when we wait has nothing to do with what we are waiting for. You sit in your car waiting for your kid to come out of school or practice and check your email, send that text message you’ve been avoiding, whatever. (By that way, that isn’t meant to be an indictment. Sometimes, that’s just being efficient with your time.) By the way, I’d suggest using that time of waiting in prayer for your kid. As we consider this text, it is good to ask yourself, “What can I do with my time while I wait for Jesus to return? While I am surrounded by all the evil of this world, what would God have me do?” Dear saints, look around you.

Jesus says that the nations will be in distress and perplexity, fainting with fear and foreboding because of these signs, and He warns against focusing on the cares of this life. How many people do you interact with that are caught up fretting and worrying about the cares of this life? How many of them would be comforted with the fact that all the evil that surrounds them points to Jesus’ return and the day of redemption for those who believe in Him? 

Jesus says that the day of His return will come upon all who dwell on the face of the earth, and for unbelievers, that day will come suddenly like a trap that snaps shut. In other words, the people around you who aren’t Christians either are seeing or will see these signs and rightly fear what is going on in the world. So, believer, use those signs to point others to the fact that Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the Redeemer of all mankind, is coming back to gather His elect sheep to dwell with Him forever (Mt. 25:33-34).

Let me try an analogy on you. And this analogy comes with a warning. All the signs Jesus mentions point you to your redemption. So these signs should cause you to get excited in anticipation of your Savior’s return. But for those who don’t have faith, these signs will cause fear and foreboding. This analogy is meant to encourage you to use that fear and foreboding as a tool to point people to the coming redemption. Here’s the analogy:

Imagine you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean that has struck an iceberg and is sinking. The bow of the ship is already under water. There are fires because the stoves in the kitchen have tipped over. People are running around screaming. The ship and all the passengers are in complete chaos. But you’ve heard the captain on the radio talking with another ship that is coming to rescue every passenger on board. You can even see it off on the horizon. You know it’s coming full speed to save everyone onboard, but you also know that it’s going to be a while before it arrives at your location. Others on your ship either can’t see it, or, if they do see it, they’re convinced that it isn’t coming to rescue them. What would you be doing?

Well, you would do everything you could to encourage everyone, “Just hang on. Our rescue is on its way! They’re coming. Stay calm. Act reasonably.” You’d be helping people into the lifeboats. You’d break things that would float that people could use after your ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Everything you do and say would be driven and motivated by the fact that your rescue is soon to come.

Dear saints, that’s your calling as a Christian. Encouraging people to persevere because the rescue ship is on the way with Jesus, the Savior, at the helm. When someone is weighed down by the cares of this life – whether it’s things they see on the news; problems with their health, family, or job; natural disasters; whatever – all of that is an opportunity to confess your hope and confidence that Jesus is returning, and your redemption is drawing near.

The cares of this life are certainly real and ominous, but they completely pale in comparison to the redemption that is coming and drawing near. The ship of this world is sinking below the waves, and the more you encourage others and point them to Christ, the more firmly you will believe it. And the more firmly you believe it, the more you will tell others too.

Dear saints, in the midst of the evil of this broken world, straighten up. Raise your heads. Your redemption is coming and drawing near. Amen.

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

Coming – Sermon on Matthew 21:1-9 for the First Sunday of Advent

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, 2saying 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!”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear saints, welcome to Advent. ‘Advent’ means ‘coming.’ One of my goals with this sermon and the rest of the sermons leading up to our Christmas Eve service is to deepen your appreciation for the season of Advent and cultivate the attitude Advent gives us. And I want to be clear: I’m not going to chide you if you put up your Christmas tree and decorations immediately after putting the Thanksgiving leftovers in your fridge, and I’m not going to call you to repent if you started watching Hallmark Christmas movies or listening to Christmas music weeks ago. Don’t worry about that.

So, about Advent. Yes, Advent precedes Christmas, but Advent isn’t “pre-Christmas.” The season of Advent isn’t meant to only prepare us to celebrate that Jesus was born. The dominant idea of Advent is the thought of our Lord’s coming in three ways. First, God has come in the flesh of Jesus. Second, God will come again; Jesus will return in His body to judge the living and the dead. And third – and maybe most importantly – God continually comes to us now in grace in His Body and Blood given in Holy Communion, in the preaching and hearing of His Word, and in the fellowship of the Church which is His body (Col. 1:24).

Dear saints, God came, God is coming, and God comes. And this is exceptionally Good News because, as Psalm 16:11 says, “In Your presence there is fullness of joy.” God’s coming brings joy. But too often, we prefer to substitute the joy of God’s presence with other things.

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, “[H]uman history… [is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy” (p. 49). We see this playing out at the beginning of human history. I know you know all of this, but it’s good to hear it again. The devil enticed Adam and the woman to take what God had forbidden. Rather than trusting God’s promise that gaining the knowledge of good and evil would turn out badly, the couple took the fruit and ate. They got the knowledge of evil, but it didn’t make them happy.

Instead, they realized their nakedness and shame, so they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. Their own attempt at finding an answer to their sin and guilt apart from God providing a solution didn’t make them happy either. But something made the first couple even more unhappy. They heard God coming into the Garden. The all-powerful Creator of the universe was coming, and they thought He was coming for their destruction. Rather than running toward God, they ran away from Him. God was coming with power, but He was coming in mercy and grace to give them chance after chance to repent. This is why we need Advent; it helps us see that God’s coming is Good News because He comes to restore sinners unto Himself.

God asks, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). God knew where they were, but God was coming in peace and love, begging them to confess and be forgiven. But Adam responded that he was afraid because he was naked. So, God asks, “Who told you were naked? Have you eaten the forbidden fruit?” (Gen. 3:11). In other words, “Adam, repent.” But Adam starts pointing his finger, “The woman, whom You gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit, and I ate” (Gen. 3:12). Basically, Adam is saying, “God, it’s all Your fault.” So, God turns to the bone of Adam’s bones and the flesh of Adam’s flesh, and asks her, “What did you do?” which is yet another call for repentance. But the woman also passes the buck, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen. 3:13). All of this running from God, passing the blame for our own sin, and blaming God is, sadly, how we sinners naturally react to God’s coming.

In a real sense, the rest of Genesis 3 along with the rest of the Bible is God promising to restore the fullness of joy in His presence (Ps. 16:11). Yet still, we fallen sinners seek happiness apart from God and His coming because we wrongly think that God’s coming means our judgment and condemnation. Now, yes, on the Last Day when Jesus returns that will be true for unbelievers who keep seeking a false, temporary happiness apart from God’s gracious presence. But for you, while you still breathe, God comes in grace and mercy. That is why we read this Gospel text today to open the season of Advent. It occurred on Palm Sunday just days before Jesus’ crucifixion. Look how God comes:

King Jesus comes to His royal city, and there is power in His coming. The cattle on a thousand hills are His (Ps. 50:10), so is the donkey and its colt. If He needs them, they are His to use. This crowd of people welcomes Him as the King without anyone telling them what to do. Yes, His coming is an unstoppable force. But, unlike other kings, He comes humbly. He didn’t ride into the city as a regal conqueror on an impressive war horse. He came riding on a colt. He didn’t come with legions of armies. He came with crowds of lowly, common people crying out, “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us.” He didn’t enter a lavish palace with a high and lofty throne. His battered, beaten, bloodied body hiked up a hill carrying His own cross to the place where He gave His life for sinners. Even when Jesus came as King, He came to give His life for sinners to bring them back into the joy of His presence (Ps. 16:11).

And this kind of humble coming marked His entire life. During His ministry, Jesus dined and associated with tax collectors and sinners (Lk. 15:1-2, 7:39). He surrounded Himself with an entourage of fishermen. And, of course, His arrival in the flesh was also meek, lowly, and gracious. Conceived by a young fiancée of a carpenter from Nazareth, born in a barn, and laid in a feeding trough, God came in the flesh of a swaddled infant.

Until He comes again in glory, God comes to forgive, redeem, and purchase you from all your sins and trespasses against Him. God comes to you to restore you back into a right relationship with Himself.

Believer, in a sense, you have always been living in Advent. Until Jesus returns, you are always looking, waiting, and watching for His coming even as He comes to You now in His Word and Sacrament. Yes, He always comes in power, but He humbly uses His power to forgive, redeem, restore, and save you.

Christ came, He is coming, and Christ comes now inviting you to His table where He will show you His steadfast love and grant you His salvation (Ps. 85:7). Dear saints, Christ doesn’t to judge you. He comes to bring you forgiveness, life, salvation, and the joy of His presence. Amen.

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

Ready Now; Ready Later – Sermon on Matthew 25:1-13 for the Last Sunday of the Church Year

Matthew 25:1–13

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The older I get, the more realize the truth that time is relative. Don’t get me wrong. There are still 60 seconds in a minute; 60 minutes in an hour; 24 hours in a day; and 365 days in a year. That doesn’t change. But sixty minutes is nothing when you are doing something you enjoy compared to sixty minutes of something you don’t. One day at work could fly by, while the next might seem to drag on for an eternity even though you clocked in at 9 AM and out at 5 PM both days.

Our Gospel text today is about Jesus’ return, and Jesus plainly tells you what your attitude and approach to His return should be, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Jesus is returning on the Last Day, but we don’t know when the Last Day is.

We do know that Scripture teaches that we are – currently, right now – in the last days. At Pentecost, Peter preaches that humanity is living in the last days (Act. 2:17). The many signs that Jesus says will mark His return are seen in our time (2 Tim. 3:1-9; Heb. 1:1-2; 2 Pet. 3:3). The Bible says that the end of all things and Jesus’ return is at hand (Jam. 5:8; 1 Pet 4:7). The Apostle John even says that we are living in “the last hour” in his first letter, which was written before 100 AD (1 Jn. 2:18). On top of this, Jesus repeatedly tells us that He is coming ‘soon’ (Rev. 22:7, 12, 20). Soon. What does He mean by ‘soon’? ‘Soon’ is a bit vague especially when with the Lord a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day (1 Pet. 3:8). Come on, Jesus, can’t You give us a little better timeline than that? But His only response is, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Jesus could come today – even before I’m done preaching this sermon. He could come before your Thanksgiving leftovers go bad or need to be frozen. Christ could return before you need to do your Christmas shopping and wrapping. Wouldn’t that be great! But Jesus could also come in twenty years, five-hundred years, or thousands of years from now. We only know two things about Christ’s return: 1) He is coming again soon so we need to be ready now, and 2) because we don’t how soon ‘soon’ is, we need to be ready if He delays and comes later.

That is why Jesus wants us to have the wisdom of the five wise virgins who go into the marriage feast. They are doubly ready. By being at the door of the banquet hall, they are ready if the bridegroom comes now. And by having enough oil to light their lamps, they are ready if the bridegroom comes later. 

We should be excited and ready for Jesus to come now. If you are, that’s good. But we also need to be ready to wait. We can’t be so obsessed with what is happening right now that we do not plant and build up God’s kingdom for the next generation and the one after that and the one after that and the one fifty generations from now. In other words, we need to have enough oil for later.

But Jesus doesn’t tell us what the oil is. Is the oil God’s Word, faith, grace, the Holy Spirit, or the Sacraments? Jesus doesn’t say. But the Scriptures teach that we can think of the oil as all of those. My guess is that Jesus doesn’t tell us exactly what the oil is so that we seek after all those things because each of them – the Bible, faith, grace, absolution, and the Sacraments – are kingdom of heaven things. And Christ tells us to, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Mt. 6:33).

Here, today, right now, you are storing up oil. You don’t have to save up your money, go to the marketplace, and find the best deal on oil. It’s given away here for free. In this place, you hear God’s Word, are absolved of all your sins, and receive Christ’s risen Body and Blood. In this place, you are supported by your brothers and sisters in Christ, and your presence ministers to them. Here, you unite in prayer making intercessions for yourselves and others, for our nation and this world. This is how faith is given, sustained, and strengthened.

But also, don’t be a fool and think that a couple hours at church each week (or two to three times each month) is enough. You need more. And parents, listen up: your children can’t share your oil and can’t walk in the light of your lamp. Each one needs his or her own lamp lit. So, if it hasn’t been your family’s practice in the past, make the reading of Scripture, prayer, and fellowship around God’s Word together as a family your top priority each day. Start today. Fathers, God calls you to take the lead on this. Wives, if he doesn’t do it on his own, pester and nag him until he does.

Family time in the Bible doesn’t need to be complicated or fancy. Start simple. Start with the Gospel of John and read one paragraph each day. After you read, pray for your friends and family. It can be as simple as, “Bless grandma and help uncle Phil. Amen.” Then, pray the Lord’s Prayer. That will take five minutes. You can do that. You have the time to do that.

If you don’t have enough time, eliminate something from your schedule. If your job makes it impossible, quit. Find a new career – even if it means a pay cut and you have to get a smaller, cheaper house. This is eternally serious. Your salvation and the salvation of your children, grandchildren, and great-great-great-great-grandchildren depends on it. If you miss a day, don’t give up. Start again the next. Make it a habit for you and your kids to pray together on the way to school or practice or wherever. All of this will fill your oil reserves and make God’s Word part of your regular conversations as you watch and remain ready for His return. It will help make you ready now and later.

Then, as soon as you have worked yourself into a tizzy about the dire urgency of Christ’s return, step back, take a breath, and remember: Christ’s return is not something scary or horrific that you need to fear. No, Jesus’ return means that you will be in eternal bliss, happiness, contentment, and joy. There will be no more pain, tears, or sorrow. Christ’s return is something to anticipate – more than a child anticipates the arrival of her favorite aunt and cousins. That excited expectation is what Jesus is highlighting with this parable.

Yes, this parable is a warning. Our lamps can run dry. Faith must be continually fed by God’s Word and the Sacraments. Repent. Believe. Have faith in Christ. Sure, Scripture teaches that as the end draws near the signs of Jesus’ return become more and more alarming (1 Th. 5:1-11). There will be wars and rumors of wars, nation rising up against nation, earthquakes, persecution, hatred, false teaching, and love growing cold (Mt. 24:4-12).

But, when you see those things, remember what that means for you. Christ says it means your redemption is drawing near (Lk. 21:28). The bridegroom is coming, and you are His bride without spot, wrinkle, or blemish (Eph. 5:27).

Dear saints, this world is ending. Good riddance. You have Christ. Your redemption is secure and your eternity certain. So, look forward to that day. Stay awake. Keep eagerly anticipating and looking for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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

At the Last – Sermon on Matthew 25:31-46 for Midweek Advent 2 2020

Listen here.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Your Savior, whose first coming was humble and lowly yet announced by the angels, is coming again in glory, and every eye will behold Him. His swaddling clothes will be exchanged for royal robes, and instead of lying in a manger, He will sit on His glorious throne.

Your Redeemer, whose birth was celebrated by the shepherds, is coming again for you as your Good Shepherd.

Growing up, I remember fearing the day of Christ’s return and standing before Him to be judged. I think it started as a dream, but I would often replay the scene in my head. In my mind, the final judgment consisted of Christ setting up a tent (I don’t know why it was a tent) on 8th Ave. East in Williston, North Dakota. I pictured myself waiting in line to go in that tent which opened right in front of our mailbox situated on a wagon wheel.

In my mind, I entered that tent and there was a makeshift projector screen on one of the walls. Jesus invited me in and began to replay my life on that screen, and the replay lasted just over one second. Afterward, Jesus peppered me with hundreds of questions about my conduct and actions – especially regarding my sinful behavior. Sadly, I had no answer, no excuse to offer for my sins, iniquities, and shortcomings. Sadly, the end result of this was that I was terrified of the return of my Redeemer.

God be praised, that is not how Scripture depicts Christ’s return! There will be no replay of your life, no grand inquisition, no need to offer excuses. In fact, the only thing that I can’t disprove of my imagining of the final judgment is that it won’t take place on 8th Ave. East in Williston.

Our Gospel text tonight is typically known as “The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.” However, there is no indication that this is a parable. The way Jesus talks here, we can expect that this is exactly how it will happen.

Christ will return in His glory. All the angels will be with Him. He will sit on His glorious throne. All people will be gathered before Him, and He will separate people as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. Sheep to the right. Goats to the left.

Christian, you will hear the sweetest, kindest, most merciful and beautiful words your ears have ever heard. “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Then, Christ will divulge before all people your good works and honor you for what you have done. Jesus will confess that you have been merciful even as God Himself is merciful. Christ will declare that you have given as you have received.

Now, we need to be clear. None of these works are the cause of God’s love for you. In fact, God loved and chose you from before the foundation of the world before you had done any good works. In His love for you, God prepared a place for you before you were born. You do not earn salvation and a place in His kingdom by works. Entrance into the kingdom is not a wage that is paid; instead, it is an invitation to be an heir.

The works that God will honor at the final judgment are simply the proof of your faith. 

God does reward good works in this life. He uses those rewards to strengthen and encourage you to continue to put off your sinful flesh. But most of His rewards are dispensed in the life to come so that you don’t grow complacent and lazy. But know this: even when God defers and delays His rewards, God takes notice of the good works because they are good and God loves them.

Dear saints, the infant Jesus who came to save you from your sins is the same King who does not and will not count your sins against you on the Last Day.

At the last, Christ will say to you, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” What a day that will be. Amen.

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

Signs to Stand – Sermon on Luke 21:25-36 for the Second Sunday of Advent

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Luke 21:25-36

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

34 “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. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Imagine being in a castle at night. Everything is quiet until suddenly all the guards and soldiers start running to the fortified walls. They take their battle positions because an army marching to attack. The boots of the advancing army stop tramping, and you hear the shouts of commanders telling the troops to load the catapults and advance with the battering ram. Then you hear it. BOOM! The battering ram hits the castle doors, and the walls shake. BOOM! A rock launched from a catapult hits its target and a couple of windows break and dust falls from the ceiling. Again and again and again BOOM!

Normally, you would be terrified in a situation like that. But not now. Now, you stand with confidence and hope because you are being held captive in the prison of that castle, and the general storming the castle is Jesus coming to save you.

Knowing that, every crash, every clang, every shout of battle, every wall that crumbles around you means that your release is closer. And you know that a new day is dawning, and it is the day of your deliverance.

That is precisely how Jesus wants us to consider the signs He mentions at the beginning of the text. Normally, those signs might make you want to crawl under a table for cover, but Jesus says that should not be our reaction. We should not fear. Every sign of the world coming to an end should give you hope, Christian, because it is an indication that Jesus is coming soon. Yes, that seems counter-intuitive, but remember Christ commands us, “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because (pay attention and notice the word Jesus uses here) your redemption is drawing near. Your redemption is drawing near.”

You might be thinking, “Now, wait a minute! I thought Jesus already brought redemption.” As long as we’ve been Christians, we have been taught that Jesus has redeemed us, bought and freed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy and precious blood and with His innocent sufferings and death. 1 Pet. 1:18-19 says that Christ is the Lamb without blemish or spot who has redeemed us. The book of Hebrews 9:[12] says that Jesus entered once into the Holy Place by means of His own blood and secured for us an eternal redemption. Redemption is done. Nothing is left to do. It’s completed. Jesus said so Himself on the cross, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30). Christ has made full satisfaction for all our sins. So, why does Jesus, when He is talking about the end of the world, why does He talk about our redemption being something in the future by saying, “Your redemption is drawing near”?

Christ does so to comfort and teach you that in His second coming, everything that He has already accomplished for you in His first coming will be fully yours. Yes, your redemption is complete. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, left to be done. Now, you are simply waiting in this veil of sorrow and tears for the result and goal of that redemption.

All of this means, dear saints, that when we celebrate Christmas now, we are not just celebrating something that happened in the past. Christmas has deeply meaningful and joyful implications on both our present and our future. The Good News of Christ’s birth which has happened is also Good News of what will happen. We can’t rightly worship the Christ child in the manger without talking about the end and eternity.

The best way to celebrate Christmas is to do what Jesus says, lift up your heads because your redemption drawing near. And the best reaction to all the fearful signs that Jesus mentions at the beginning of this lesson – signs in the sun, moon, and stars; distress of nations; roaring of the sea and waves; people fainting with fear and foreboding; even when the powers of the heavens are shaken – when you see these things, you should not, should not, be afraid. Instead, you are to straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. Amen?

But, then in v. 34, Jesus gives another sign of His return. Jesus 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 like a trap.” Those are the signs that should concern us.

Now, I can hear you saying, “Pastor, there aren’t any signs there. None of that is anything compared to the signs Jesus mentions first.” Well, I think the devil has played his old trick on all of us. Satan has whispered in our ears, “Did God really say you should not be afraid?” The devil wants us to be concerned about all the stuff at the beginning of this text even though Jesus says we should not be concerned. And Satan wants us to be unconcerned about what Jesus says here in v. 34 though Jesus says we should be. Don’t fall for the trap.

The sign that Jesus mentions here is that most people won’t be taking things seriously. 1 Thess. 5:2-3 echoes this warning, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them… and they will not escape.” 

Let’s briefly go through these things that Jesus warns can weigh down our hearts. First, ‘dissipation.’ In the Greek, this means consuming to excess in a crazy way. This probably doesn’t mean getting drunk because that is what Jesus mentions next. Instead, ‘dissipation’ means overly consuming anything that can be used to excess. And, in that excess, you are oblivious of what is going on around you. Gluttony would be included in this, but it can be anything – anything that would distract us and weigh us down. It could be news, politics, social media, entertainment, amusement, even sports. We can get ourselves so wrapped up in these things that we get weighed down. Watch yourselves so you aren’t weighed down with dissipation.

Second, Jesus mentions drunkenness. You can get drunk on alcohol but also on all sorts of other substances. And all of that is on the rise during this pandemic. Watch yourselves so you aren’t weighed down with that either.

But if you think you aren’t really in danger when it comes to either of those, Jesus gives you a wake-up call. The third thing, Jesus mentions is the ‘cares’ or ‘anxieties of this life.’ The root of the word Jesus uses there is the same root for our word ‘biology.’ It means anything pertaining to life. In other words, it’s expansive and means all sorts of things. That’s your mortgage or rent. Your job, your business, and your homework. It’s the cleaning you have to do. It could even be the Christmas shopping you have to do. Literally, the cares of this life are anything you might be anxious about.

One of the worst cares of this life right now is COVID – but not the virus itself. Instead, it’s having your heart weighed down by fear of the virus. I’ve been noticing a tendency to an unhealthy fear. In fact, it seems like there are some who enjoy and prefer living in fear and don’t want to hear any good news or hopeful outlook that might challenge their reasons for being fearful. It seems like some have an attitude that the best good work today is a certain level of fear of the virus and the worst sin is not sharing that fear. Now, don’t misunderstand me. None of this is to say you shouldn’t be careful when it comes to COVID. By all means, be careful and care for others. But don’t let your heart get weighed down. Then, on the other hand, there are those who might wrongly think that any precautions or regulations are a government conspiracy to control us. That attitude can just as easily lead you to be weighed down by the cares of this life too. Don’t let your heart get weighed down.

I sincerely hope and pray that, whatever your attitude is regarding the virus, you examine yourself to see if you are being weighed down by the cares of this life. This is not my warning. This is Jesus’ warning. I’m just applying it to a specific care of this life.

When these things weigh down your heart and make you numb to the return of your Redeemer, things are not right. Don’t let it be that one of the signs of Jesus’ return is your own weighed down, unsuspecting heart. Don’t be lulled to sleep. The day of Christ’s return could come upon you like a trap. Stay awake. Be watchful in prayer so that you may have the strength to escape all the things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man. Don’t imagine that you cannot fall and be unprepared for Christ’s return. 

In 1 Cor. 10[:6-13], Paul reminds us of God’s people in the wilderness. They were eating and drinking and going about their life. Then, they grumbled against God for their lack of food, so God sent the serpents to destroy them. Then Paul brings the warning, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” If you think that you can stand on your own, you are in the greatest danger of being weighed down and falling. Repent.

The day will come when everyone will take Jesus’ return seriously. May it be that we take it seriously now, before He comes and not after.

But don’t be confused about what Jesus is saying here. Take your Lord’s warning seriously, but then remember with joy that your redemption is drawing near. The signs that Jesus speaks about are the signs that you should stand firm in your faith. Because the God who has promised that you are completely justified, righteous, and innocent because of the blood of Jesus, that God is faithful. Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s promises to you will not ever pass away.

You are a sinner who has a Redeemer who has died for you. He is coming to rescue from the dungeon of this world.

This world is ending. Good riddance. Every sign pointing to the end of this world is a sign of your rescue. All of them are signs pointing you to the return of your Deliverer, your King, your Savior. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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