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The sermon for December 9 was based on Luke 21:25-36. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. God's Word is clear: there is a Day coming when those who are unprepared will wish that the mountains had fallen upon them. There is a Day coming when those who are unprepared will think it a blessing to be buried alive. Furthermore, St. Peter predicts, "The heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." [2Pe 3:10] Today's Gospel declares:
For this reason your Lord warns you in Mark 13: "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. . . . And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" [33,37] He repeats this warning here today, lest you miss the message: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." [36] It is an unknown hour for which you wait. The Church has taught this throughout history. You know that the Son of Man "will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead," [Nicene Creed] but you do not know when. As Jesus says, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." [Mk 13:32] I am not preaching "fire-and-brimstone" to frighten you. Jesus does not speak these warnings to scare you into good behavior. He does not tell you to watch and pray in order to make you cower in fear or doubt your salvation. Not at all! It is unbelief that causes "men's hearts [to fail] them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth." [26] Doubt and mistrust are what cause the heart to "be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life." [34] Fear of judgment is what makes a person uncertain whether he "may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." [36] Today's lesson does require that you ask yourself some important questions. Are you prepared? Are you keeping watch for the return of the Son of Man as you ought? Has your heart indeed become "weighed down with carousing," filled mostly by self-motivation, self-indulgence, self-service, rather than love for God and love for neighbor? This warning seems tailored to the pre-Christmas frenzy that swirls around you these days. Have you become a victim of the thoughts and desires of the world around you? Have the worship God and the study of His Word become for you just another one of the many activities in your already busy life? Upon which do you meditate: the "cares of this life" or the Creator and Redeemer who is all powerful and has overcome the cares of this life? Do not be overcome! Do not allow the "cares of this life" to make you unprepared for the Last Day. These are earthly things. These are temporary things. These, with all "Heaven and earth will pass away, but [Christ's] words will by no means pass away." [33] There is but one way for you to be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man - one way to watch, one way to wait, one way to do the work that He has given you to do while it is still day. Jesus tells you in John chapter six, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." [29] So, when Jesus says in today's Gospel, "Watch therefore," [36] He is telling you to remain firm and unwavering in the one true Faith, the Faith which you have been given by the power of the Holy Ghost. "Take heed!" Jesus says [Mk 13:33]. In other words, "be on guard," or, as St. Paul says, "Watch, stand fast in the faith." [1Co 16:13] So, Jesus calls upon you in today's Gospel to be prepared - to watch, and to wait until the day of His coming. For those who are not watching, who are not waiting, while the Master of the House delays His return, for those "that Day [will] come . . . unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare." [34-35] Judgment will fall immediately upon the unprepared, and their punishment will consume them as swiftly as a snare. As a Christian, then, you watch and pray in hope, not in fear. For you are not a son of unbelief, or of doubt and mistrust, or of fear. You are a Baptized son of God! By that Baptism you have been given the precious gift of faith and trust in Jesus, the Coming Son of Man! By this same gift of the Holy Ghost, you do not cower "because of unbelief . . . you stand by faith." [Rom 11:20] You most certainly will "escape all these things that will come to pass, and . . . be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man." [36] because you are now embraced by the perfect love of your Lord Jesus Christ, and "perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." [1Jo 4:18] Jesus has already carried in His body the full torment and punishment for your sins on the cross. Therefore, "God has not given [you] a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." [2Ti 1:7] By this God-given Spirit, you fear nothing in these last days. When Jesus calls upon you to watch and to wait, He does not simply make the demand. Rather, His words also carry promise and assurance and hope. The command to watch for His return comes also with the promise that Jesus truly shall return for you. You earnestly watch for that day because you know He comes in order to bring to completion all that He began for you in His suffering and death. You have heard before the good and faithful promise from the Scriptures: "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." [Phi 1:6] Therefore, the command to watch is more than just a demand - it carries with it the promise of your redemption. You earnestly wait for that day because you know the Son of Man comes in order to raise you up out of your suffering and your grief and your pain. He comes to erase all the cares of this life. He comes in order to make fully known to you your own resurrection. The Christian prays with the voice of the Psalms:
Jesus does not leave you unprepared for His coming. He Himself has prepared you for His return. You have been called into the one true Faith by the gift of God. By God's grace, you have been made a full participant in the blessings of eternal life. The Son of Man's return does not cause you fear. Yes, it will come unexpectedly. Yes, "you do not know when the time is," [Mk 13:33] but it really doesn't matter when the time is. You are a baptized son of God. You have already been given eternal life. You have already been given the gift of the Holy Ghost, and in Him you lack nothing [1Co 1:7]. God is faithful. All of your watching and waiting, inspired by the Holy Spirit, will most assuredly find its fulfillment in the return of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Because of the grace He has given you, because of the Faith He has planted in you, when He comes He shall not find you unprepared. Rather, because of His work for you upon the cross, He shall count you worthy to stand before Him on the Last Day. This is His promise to you. Preparation for the Last Day is no different than the way you prepare to come and receive the Lord's Supper. The Small Catechism explains in a simple way how it is that you are prepared - prepared not only to receive Holy Communion worthily, but also prepared to meet the Son of Man whenever He comes. "Fasting and bodily preparation are indeed a fine outward training; but he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words, 'Given and shed for you for the remission of sins.'" [SC VI] God has given you this Faith; therefore, He has prepared you for His return. The Son of Man has given His Body for you. He has shed His Blood for the forgiveness of your sins. By this, He counts you worthy to stand before Him. Therefore, you do not fear His return on the Last Day. Instead, you pray with all the saints: Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen. The Peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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Last Updated: 7/15/2008 |