In the Name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Lord is coming, and he is coming soon. Today we heard of
the cosmos groaning in anticipation of His return. The sun, moon, and stars
will be darkened. The sea and the waves will roar. The powers of the heavens
will be shaken. St. Paul likens the groaning of the earth to a woman in labor.[1]
Her contractions are increasing in intensity and frequency. The pain is
reaching its peak just before the child comes into the world. So too creation
itself is groaning louder and louder. Pain and suffering are increasing until
the day when the child of the Virgin returns.
When a person grows old, his feet shake. As the world grows
old, the foundation pillars of the earth shake, and we experience earthquakes,
upheavals of the earth. Everything will eventually come crashing down like
poorly constructed buildings. Sometimes fluid builds up in our joints and we
experience painful inflammation. So too do the seas and their waves roar and
roll when the earth is nearing its end.[2]
When God finished creating the entire cosmos, crowned by His
beloved man, He declared everything to be “very good.”[3]
God created the cosmos and everything in the world to love and serve Him by
serving the rest of creation. The trees praise God by providing shade, beauty,
and fruit. The soil praises God by being fertile and aromatic, giving nutrients
to the plants which feed the rest of God’s creation.
In the fall of Adam, creation itself was rent from perfect
service to the creator. Trees are now forced to shade the wicked as well as the
righteous. Their fruit rots. Their branches fall in storms. The soil dries hard
and must be forced into submission before it is willing to give up food.
Because of the Fall, all of creation longs to serve the purpose for which it
was made – to love and serve God by serving the rest of creation.
Creation grows weary in awaiting the return of Christ. So
too, do the hearts of man grow weary. “Men’s hearts fail them from fear and the
expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.”[4]
We grow weary of hearing about wars and rumors of wars. We grow weary from
earthquakes and roaring seas. We grow weary of plagues, pandemics, vaccines,
and death. We grow weary and are tempted to focus our fear, love, and trust on
the passing things of this world, on the creation which is dying.
Repent. Repent of idolatry. Repent of your misplaced fear,
believing the wrath of God against creation is meant for you, His beloved. Fear
causes us to shrink away from action. ‘Things are bad and might get worse if I
do something, so it is best to do nothing.’ ‘If I keep quiet, maybe the
persecution will pass me by.’ Repent and lift up your heads.[5]
When Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father, the
Apostles stood, staring into the heavens after him. Then two angels said to
them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus,
who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw
Him go into heaven.”[6]
The Apostles were focused on counting the signs so they wouldn’t miss the
return of Christ. Yet the Angels admonished them. The return of Christ will be
sudden and a surprise, but no one will miss it. Every eye shall see, and every
knee will bow at the return of Christ.
Place your fear, love, and trust in God alone. He bids you
to lift up your heads on that last day, to see your King descending upon the
clouds. The heavens and the earth, all of creation will be destroyed on that
last day. They will be burned in fire and a new creation will arise.[7]
God will bring forth a new creation, free from the corruption of sin and once
again, declare it “very good.”
This idea of “new creation” has already come to you, beloved
of the Lord.[8]
In Holy Baptism, the Old Adam, the Old Creation, is drowned and dies. He is
buried beneath the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his chariots. From this flood
arises the New Man, the New Creation, a beloved child of God. This child has
nothing to fear from falling stars, darkening suns or moons. This child of God
sees the budding of the fig tree, that is, the signs of the end in creation,
and lifts up her head toward Christ. Surely, heaven and earth will pass away,
but the Word of God will by no means pass away.
The Word of God is the most precious gift given to man. The
Holy Sacraments—Baptism, the Eucharist, and Absolution—are that precious gift
wrapped in physical means. Why would you ever neglect this precious gift of God
for a few extra minutes of sleep? For a few extra minutes of television? For an
extra helping of jell-o salad?
And when you have conquered the Old Adam and brought
yourself into the House of God, why would you ever spend that time distracted
by other people; distracting others, especially children; or thinking of your
tasks for later in the day? Rejoice that you have come into the House of God. I
would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than dwell in the tents of
the wicked.[9]
I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord!’[10]
Lord, I love the habitation of Your House, and the place where Your glory
dwells![11]
Why is the Psalmist so glad to be in the House of the Lord?
Because that is where he receives the Word of God. That is where he dwells with
God. That is where he will be for eternity. Heaven and earth will surely pass
away. Jell-o salad, sleepiness, coloring books, crackers, football, and housecleaning
will pass away. The Word of the Lord endures forever. The Word of the Lord
alone endures forever.[12]
Only those who are sustained by that Word of the Lord will endure forever in
bliss. All others will endure forever in hellish torment.
The enduring Word of God communicates with his people. He is
not silent. This communication is driven by His mercy. The prophecies of Christ
regarding the final judgment are a warning. They are a warning so that you
might be prepared. They are a warning so that you would know to repent of your
sins and seek the Lord where He may be found.
“Behold the days are coming” says the Lord. “[When] I will
send you Elijah the prophet… [who] will turn the hearts of fathers to their
children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike
the land with a decree of utter destruction”[13].
This Elijah, this prophet, is fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came to
prepare the way of the Lord through the preaching of repentance.[14]
This Office of Prophet is now filled by all men called into the Office of the
Holy Ministry. Pastors are called:
To give knowledge of salvation to God’s people
By the remission of your sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high,
[Christ the Light of the World,] has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide your feet into the way of peace.[15]
Because of the enduring Word of God and the proclamation of
the Gospel, the return of Christ for the final judgment is no surprise. But the
precise timing will be a surprise. The Father has reserved knowledge of the day
and hour of Christ’s return for himself.[16]
This is another mercy of God. If we knew when Christ planned to return, we
would wait until the last moment to repent… and we would probably miss it. The
nature of the heart of man is to find a loophole in the law and exploit it.
This never works out well.
So, the Father keeps us from knowing the day and the hour.
God desires that all men would be prepared through repentance and faith. He
sends his messengers before to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins
so that we would always be prepared. Advent is to prepare us for the year when
there is no Christmas; for that day and hour when Christ returns.
In + Jesus’
name. Amen.
[1]
Romans 8:22. Cf. St. John 16:20-22.
[2]
This paragraph is based on Johann Gerhard, Postilla, Vol 1, trans by
Elmer M. Hohle (Malone, TX: The Center for the Study of Lutheran Orthodoxy,
2003), 15-16.
[3]
Genesis 1:31.
[4]
St. Luke 21:26.
[5]
Psalm 24:7; St. Luke 21:28.
[6]
Acts 1:11.
[7]
Isaiah 65:17.
[8]
2 Corinthians 5:17.
[9]
Psalm 84:10.
[10]
Psalm 122:1.
[11]
Psalm 26:8.
[12]
St. Luke 21:33.
[13]
Malachi 4:1, 5-6.
[14]
St. Matthew 11:14.
[15]
The Benedictus, Luke 1:77-79
[16]
St. Matthew 24:36.
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