Advent 2, 2024
Rev. Thomas Van Hemert
St. Luke 21:25-33
Advent 2
December 8, 2024
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Last week, we learned once again about the nature and purpose of our Lord’s first coming. He rode humbly into Jerusalem on a donkey in order that He would lay down His life on the cross for the sins of the world. This week, we hear and learn about the nature and purpose of our Lord’s second coming in glory. “There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great judgment.”
The season of Advent is a season of preparation. During Advent we are preparing. But for what are we preparing? During Advent, we are preparing for our Lord’s second coming in glory. And the Church always prepares in the same way: by repentance; by focusing our lives and our devotion in a more intense way. Generally, we do this by adding extra services, by offering extra opportunities to come and to hear God’s Word and receiving the Sacrament of the Altar with greater intensity and devotion and intent.
There might be somewhat of a misunderstanding among us that by moving through the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent that we’re preparing only for Christmas and Easter. While that may be true in a sense, these great festivals are secondary to the preparation that takes place. To be sure, they do help us focus our lives together on the great earthly acts of Christ—that He came to earth to reconcile us to the Father, by grace, and by His death and resurrection. But Jesus coming to earth by taking up flesh, His dying, and His rising again have already happened. And they should and do affect how we live now as redeemed Christians. But we’re not preparing, first and foremost, for that, necessarily. Of course, it is necessary that we celebrate and find great joy in them because they are the foundation of our faith. If Christ is not raised from the dead then our faith is in vain. But we’re not preparing for Jesus to be born or for Him to die and rise from the dead because these things have already happened. He’s not coming to earth to die again. He’s not coming to earth to be resurrected again. He’s not coming to earth as a baby again. During these seasons of Advent and Lent, the penitential seasons, we are preparing for His second coming in glory. Because that has not happened yet. And so we prepare, by repentance and faith; by renewing our confirmation vows once again and by lifting up our hearts toward heavenly things and setting our minds on things above.
This is the main focus of Advent. The word Advent simply means “coming.” And there are three distinct “advents,” which we celebrate. The first is our Lord’s coming as a baby by being born in Bethlehem. This, has already happened. He comes to us now, still in humility in His Word and Sacraments. This is happening now. And He will come again on the Last Day with power and great glory. What Jesus tells the disciples this morning, He tells them to give them comfort. This differs slightly from the tone of the last few Sundays of the Church Year. We learn from the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats that there will be a judgment and that those who do not do good works, who do not have faith will be cast into hellfire—to a place prepared for the devil and his angels. We learn in the Parable of the Ten Virgins the exhortation to keep watch because we do not know when Jesus, the Bridegroom, will come again. But today, in speaking and teaching this same truth, we hear comfort. The tone is slightly different.
We live in a world full of despair. We live in a world where because there are signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars, because there is distress of nations on the earth, because there are wars and rumors of wars, and because sea and its waves roar, the hearts of men fail from fear because of these things. The powers of the heavens are being shaken. How many times have you had a conversation with someone who is worried about what is happening in our families, the direction of our nation or what is happening in the world? Maybe you worry about those things yourself. But despite these events and precisely because of all these events, “Then,” says Jesus, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” There certainly is perplexity, fear, and foreboding. All who have not learned to love Christ and learn about His love for all men will always dread His appearing. But by this, by these signs, Jesus gives believers comfort. “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Our redemption is drawing near. Our redemption is nearer than when we first believed. All things and everything in this life will pass away. Heaven and earth will pass away, but Christ’s words will by no means pass away. We have the promise! We have what our Lord says to us in Holy Scripture. He is coming again and He is coming again for us! In this, we hope! That which makes unbelievers fear ought to inspire us with eager hope. We trust God in His Word. We know that God is not a liar and what He says is true. He is coming again. This is what we are preparing for! We as Lutherans know we have the assurance of our redemption and our salvation. Jesus came and died for us. He comes to us now in means by which we can receive Him. And He will come again in glory to get us and bring us forever to Himself.
So do not fear. Do not fear for this life or this world, how it rages against you. Do not fear global warming or climate change. Do not fear the result of elections. Do not fear terrorists from overseas or the disfunction within your families, or your health, or whatever it may be that haunts you. God in Christ Jesus has promised that because of sin, bad things happen in this life. But He has also promised that He is with us through all of it and that He is coming soon. We have that certainty of Christian hope—hope that trusts in the promises of God and that He will make all things new, even if this world takes our life, goods, fame, child, or wife. Even though if these all be gone, we trust and we hope and we know that our victory has been won. We see the trees and know that when they begin to bud, we know, without fail that spring and summer are near. Every generation has found this to be true. In the same way, when we see all the terrible and horrible events taking place all around us and it seems as though our world is crashing down around us and we are the only faithful ones left, the kingdom of God is near. Again, nearer than when we first believed.
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve you with pure minds.
In +Jesus’ name.
