“Christ Will Return to Save His Eagerly-waiting Saints”
In the name of the Triune God—Father, X Son, and Holy Spirit. [Amen.]
Dear fellow saints who are expectantly waiting for Christ’s return,
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. [Amen.]
“The day is surely drawing near When Jesus, God anointed,
In all His power shall appear As judge whom God appointed.
Then fright shall banish idle mirth, And flames on flames shall ravage earth
As Scripture long has warned us.”
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
508:1)
Epistle
Reading...................................................................
Hebrews 9:24-28 (esp. 27-28)
27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes
judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are
eagerly waiting for him.
Prologue: Once again sad and sorrowful tragedy struck our American homeland
as was reported by the following headlines and articles in the Cape
Girardeau Southeast Missourian newspaper this past Friday, November 9, 2018:
“Captain charged in duck boat tragedy” (subtitle: “Kenneth Scott McKee faces
17 counts in sinking that claimed 17 lives near Branson”); “Gunman kills 12
at popular Southern California bar before taking own life” (subtitle:
“Numerous victims were college age; sheriff’s sergeant killed responding to
scene”); and “Jefferson City diocese sexual abuse inquiry names 33 priests,
brothers.”
However, while those are tragic almost beyond description, another
much smaller, seemingly less significant item captured my attention: “Man
asks court to change his birthday.” That “Strange but true” quip reported
that “[Emile] Ratelband said his legal appeal is consistent with other forms
of personal transformation gaining acceptance and government recognition in
the Netherlands and around the world.” In fact, his own personal rationale
was: “With this free(dom) of choice, choice of name, freeness of gender, I
want to have my own age. I want to control myself.” Add to those the
countless weather-related injuries, deaths, damages, and destructions (the
most recent being the California wildfires, due to which “Our Savior
[Missouri Synod] Lutheran Church in Paradise … is likely destroyed, along
with its parsonage”; the continued conflicts and wars around the world; the
ever-increasing amount of murders (including the abortion-killing of unborn
babies, euthanasia-killing of elderly and infirm, and suicide!); and the
hatred and violence that’s running rampant among mankind; and we have an
extremely messy world in which we’re trying to survive.
While suicides are unquestionably tragic, that catastrophe of
self-murder is intensified with the growing assistance of such by medical
personnel who are supposed to be dedicated to preserving life! While all
the countless calamities that are happening in society are truly dreadful,
what’s even more dreadful is that Christians often treat one another in
unkind and evil ways. People who claim to be Believers in Jesus Christ
maliciously hurt and harm other people who claim to be Believers in Jesus
Christ. In fact, that very thing often happens in Bible-reading and
believing families as well as local Christian congregations where people who
profess the love of God through His dear Son turn on and against each other.
Their unkind words and hurtful actions thereby contradict and compromise the
love of God that they speak with their mouths!
Today we begin the final section of the liturgical church year …
the last three Sundays of this non-festival portion of it that not only
complete the present church year but lead up to the start of the new church
year that begins with Advent, four Sunday before Christmas. They’re
designated “The Third-Last, Second-Last, and Last Sundays of the Church
Year” and are a time when we emphasize “eschatology.” That is, they are a
time when we focus on the end times and Christ’s Last-day coming to judge
the living and the dead, His first coming having been His human-flesh birth
of the Virgin Mary to win salvation for mankind. This leads us to the
following question and answers: “149. What do the Scriptures teach about
Christ’s second coming? [They teach that] A. Christ will return visibly and
with great glory on the Last Day. B. Christ will return to judge the
world, not to set up an earthly government. C. Christ will return on a
specific day known by God alone. D. Before Christ returns, there will be
increasing turmoil and distress for the church and the world. [And] E.
The return of Christ is a source of hope and joy for the Christian.” (Luther’s
Small Catechism with Explanation. Copyright © 1986, 1991 Concordia
Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Pages 142-144.)
As we think and talk about Christ’s second coming, we do so
remembering the following three important realities; 1. This material world
that God created without any sin-stained defects will someday be destroyed
because of sin-infestation. 2. Jesus will return visibly as
righteous King and just Judge “to judge the living and the dead” (as we
state in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds). And, 3. We need to be
penitentially prepared at all times for this unquestionable reality.
So, what does it mean to be “penitentially prepared” for Christ’s
visible return? 1. It means that we recognize sin for what it truly is …
transgression of God’s holy Law as summarized by The Ten Commandments for
which we deserve to be consigned to eternal punishment in the unquenchable
fires of hell … separated from God, who is the source of life and, indeed,
is life. 2. It means that we grieve the sorrowful reality that we have
sinned against God. 3. It means that we honestly confess our sins to God,
others, and ourselves (as we do in every Divine Service when we join
together in the common confession of sins). 4. It means that we look to and
receive from almighty God alone His absolution that His pastor-servants
speak to us … the forgiveness of sins that He freely gives for the sake of
Jesus Christ, whose innocent suffering and crucifixion death paid the
penalty for our sins and washed them away with His holy precious blood.
And, 5. it means that we sincerely strive by the power of the Holy Spirit to
amend our lives, that is, change from breaking God’s holy Law to obeying His
holy Law.
In fact, we who are God’s dear children of all ages embrace Jesus
Christ alone for forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life, with the saving
faith the Holy Spirit gave us in the Blessed Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
Because of that we don’t fear and tremble at the anticipation of our Lord’s
return. Rather, we excitedly look forward to that unknown time when, as
today’s Epistle Reading revealed, …
“Christ Will Return to Save His Eagerly-waiting Saints”
In the meantime, we take great comfort in and strength from the
fact that ...
I. He Intercedes for Us with God. (24)
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are
copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God on our behalf.
That prompts us to review the following question and answer: “148.
What comfort do we get from Christ’s ascension to the right hand of God? We
know that the exalted God-man, Christ … B. as our Priest pleads and prays
for us before the Father.” (Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation. Page
148.)
St. Paul wrote: “Christ Jesus … is at the right hand of God, who
indeed is interceding for us” (Rom 8:34 ESV) and St. John testified, “… we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1
ESV) Jesus Himself taught about and gave a great example of praying for
others … especially those who dislike us, harbor hatred against us, and
scorn us. He told His disciples then and us today in His famous Sermon on
the Mount, “… Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you … .”
(St Matt 5:44 ESV) He even exemplified that very instruction when, hanging
and dying on Calvary’s cross for the sins of all mankind, He prayed: “…
Father, forgive them … .” (St Luke 23:34 ESV)
Just as Jesus intercedes and pleads for us, so also it is our joy
and delight to intercede and plead for one another as the following
questions and answers remind us. “193. What privilege and command does God
give to those who believe in Jesus Christ? God commands and invites
believers in Jesus Christ to pray. 201. For whom should we pray? We should
pray for ourselves and for all other people, even for our enemies, but not
for the souls of the dead.” (Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation.
Pages 174 & 178.)
St. Paul wrote: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks
in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
(1 Thess 5:16-18 ESV) and he encouraged the young Pastor Timothy: “First of
all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
thanksgivings be made for all people … .” (1 Tim 2:1 ESV)
Sadly, we often forget, neglect, and even refuse to pray for
others, especially those who are unkind, disrespectful, and even just plain
mean toward us. Thanks and praise to our merciful and gracious God that He
forgives us even our sins of not praying for others, whomever they may be.
Thanks and praise to Jesus Christ that He is always praying for us to His
and our heavenly Father and pleading for our forgiveness, life, and
salvation that He gained with His holy life, innocent suffering, and
crucifixion death, all in victory over sin, the wily foe, and death
itself, … and validated with His triumphant resurrection from the dead.
Because of all that our Savior did for us, we have the blessed assurance of
eternal life in heaven with Him. We have that assurance because in the
Blessed Sacrament of Holy Baptism the Holy Spirit gave us saving faith. In
addition, He renews and strengthens that trust when we properly partake of
the Blessed Sacrament of Holy Communion as well as when we read and hear God’s
Holy Word.
So, fellow saints loved by God, let’s follow our Lord’s example of
praying and pleading for us by faithfully praying and pleading for one
another, especially those who treat us badly with their attitudes, words,
and actions. Let’s do so knowing full well and firmly believing about Jesus
Christ that …
II. He Is Our Substitutionary Atoning Sacrifice. (25-26)
25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy
places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to
suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has
appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself.
What Jesus did for sinful mankind is beautifully captured in the
following question and answer: “138. With what has Christ redeemed you?
Christ has redeemed me, ‘not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious
blood and with His innocent suffering and death.’” (Luther’s Small Catechism
with Explanation. Page 136.) The Old Testament prophet Isaiah declared
about the then-future Messiah: “But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that
brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” (Is 53:5 ESV) Christ’s
own beloved disciple, St. John, comforted his readers then and us today with
the firm pledge that “… the blood of Jesus his [God’s] Son cleanses us from
all sin.” (1 John 1:7 ESV)
What that truly means for you and me is revealed in the following
question and answer: “139. How does this work of redemption benefit you?
Christ was my substitute. He took my place under God’s judgment against
sin. By paying the penalty of my guilt, Christ atoned, or made
satisfaction, for my sins (vicarious atonement).” (Luther’s Small Catechism
with Explanation. Page 136.) Again from the inspired pen of St. Paul we
read: “For our sake he [God] made Him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so
that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21 ESV)
And, the following question and answer instructs us regarding for
whom He did His atoning work: “140. Has Christ redeemed only you? No,
Christ has redeemed me and all people (universal atonement).” (Luther’s
Small Catechism with Explanation. Page 137.) Our Lord’s beloved disciple
passed on to us what Jesus taught him, namely: “He is the atoning sacrifice
for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole
world.” (1 John 2:2 NIV) Today’s Old Testament Reading revealed the blessed
benefit of faith that flows forth from what Jesus did for us: “And Elijah
said to her, ‘Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a
little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for
yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, “The jar
of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until
the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.”’ And she went and did as
Elijah said.” (1 Kings 17:13-15 ESV) And today’s Gospel Reading does
likewise: “And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I
say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are
contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their
abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she
had to live on.’” (St Mark 12:43-44 ESV)
Therefore, knowing and believing that …
“Christ Will Return to Save His Eagerly-waiting Saints”
we gain great comfort and strength during these end times that are filled
with trials, tribulations, heartaches, and despairs. We do so because, as
today’s Introit testified, “He raises up the needy out of affliction and
makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all
wickedness shuts its mouth.” (Ps 107:41-42 ESV) Add to that the fact that
(as we heard last Sunday) we and all Believers in Jesus are among those
about whom it is written in today’s Gradual: “These are the ones coming out
of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev 7:14b ESV)
So be strong and steadfast in the face of all adversities, ever
remembering and firmly trusting about Jesus that …
I. He Intercedes for Us with God. (24) and
II. He Is Our Substitutionary Atoning Sacrifice. (25-26)
Then live daily in the power and strength of His might always
praying what we prayed in today’s Collect: “Grant us so firmly to believe in
Your Son Jesus that our faith may never be found wanting.”
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our holy
Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Triune God—Father, X Son, and Holy Spirit. [Amen.]
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