The Second Sunday in Advent – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: St. Luke 21:25-36

In Christ Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of the Father, and who shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, dear fellow redeemed:

Jesus’ triumphal entry in Jerusalem marked the beginning of what we call Holy Week. Some people, identified as “Greeks” who saw or at least heard about Jesus’ arrival, approached His disciple Philip that week. They were probably Greek-speaking Gentiles who had been instructed from the Scriptures. They came to Philip and said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (Joh. 12:21).

Why do you suppose they wanted to see Jesus? There were likely many reasons. The whole city was buzzing about Jesus’ coming. Word had spread about how He had recently raised Lazarus from the dead. There were reports about Him healing many who were sick and diseased, making paralyzed people walk, giving sight to the blind, and casting out demons. He gave attention to children and even non-Jewish people, the Gentiles. This may be what gave the Greeks confidence to approach Jesus.

We imagine what it would have been like to be in their position, to live at that time, to see Jesus perform miracles, to hear Him teach. We imagine Him looking into our eyes, knowing our struggles and pains, and taking them all away. We would never want to leave Him. We would follow Him wherever He went.

That was Jesus at His first coming. But His second coming will be different. All creation will be stirred up. The sun and moon will go dark, “and the stars will fall from heaven” (Mat. 24:29). Our reading says the nations will be distressed while the sea and waves are roaring, “people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

The “Son of Man” is Jesus. He will not come in lowliness then. No Bethlehem manger then, no lowly donkey for His entry to Jerusalem, no crown of thorns, no cross, no grave. On the Last Day, Judgment Day, He will come with “power and great glory”—the power and glory of the God who made all things and who single-handedly conquered sin, death, and the devil. That powerful Lord may not be how we typically picture Jesus. We picture Him gently serving those around Him and willingly suffering for sinners. We wish to see that Jesus, but what about the Jesus who comes on the Last Day? Do you wish to see Him?

The thought of Judgment Day makes us nervous. We read passages like 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” If you were judged by what you have done or said or thought, how would it go for you? You might try to take the “big picture” approach. Overall if your life was one big scale, perhaps you feel that there would be more on the good side than on the bad side. Some hope to be judged by how hard they tried to do right, or how much better they were than others. None of that is enough; God demands perfection. If you are judged by what you have done, you will come up short, and you know it.

But Jesus does not tell you to be afraid of that day. He says that when He comes to judge the world, you should not try to run and hide. That’s what the unbelievers will do. They will want to crawl in some deep, dark caves to get away from Him; they will beg the mountains and hills to cover them up, so they don’t have to face the wrath of the Lord they rejected (Rev. 6:15-17). On the other hand, Jesus says to His people who trust in Him, to you and me: “when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

When the Son of Man comes on the Last Day, that is your redemption drawing near. That is the day of your ultimate deliverance from the evils of this world and from death. He already purchased you with His holy blood and won eternal life for you. On the Last Day, you will experience this in all its fullness. You will join Him in His glory, your body whole and perfected. You will join Him in the air when He comes and will go with Him to His heavenly kingdom.

So you do not need to be afraid of His coming, but you do need to be ready for it. Wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, the persecution of the Church, the rise of false prophets, the increase of lawlessness—all of these are signs that our Lord is coming. The more we see these signs, the more we should prepare.

It’s like the approach of Christmas. You are surrounded by signs that Christmas is coming. People’s homes are decorated with colorful lights, Christmas trees appear in living room windows, Christmas music plays over the radio and in stores that offer holiday specials at every turn. The closer we get to Christmas, the more the anticipation and excitement build. We don’t become lazier, less and less interested in decorating, gift-buying, and party planning as Christmas comes. We get more focused, active, making sure that everything is ready to the smallest detail.

That is how we should prepare for our Lord’s return. Jesus warns us about getting distracted by the world and being complacent in our faith. He says, “watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life.” “Dissipation” is the loss of sense and control that comes from drinking too much. It is like a drunk person stumbling around, saying whatever he wants, doing whatever he wants, not caring how others are affected. That is the mentality of many who are so focused on self-indulgence and self-fulfillment that they ignore their responsibility to love God and serve their neighbors.

When we let “dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life” overcome us and distract us, then we are not prepared like we should be for Jesus’ return. Then we may be found without faith when He arrives and calls the faithful to come to Him. Jesus says, “watch yourselves lest… that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.”

A good test of preparedness is to ask what in your life demands the most of your attention. What would you have the hardest time giving up? Would it be your work, your home, your money, your smartphone, or your computer? Would it be your friends, even the members of your family? Jesus says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mat. 10:37).

There are many things vying for our attention, many of them good things. But none of them should take the place of our Savior. None of the things of this life can save us. Only Jesus can. None of the things of this life can prepare us for His return. Only Jesus can prepare us. And He does it through His Word. It’s not just His warnings about what is coming. It is the grace He applies to us that makes us fit to stand before Him.

Every time we encounter Jesus through His Word and Sacraments, a transaction takes place. We cannot see Him as He visits us today, but He is present with His eternal blessings. We confess our sins, and He imparts His forgiveness. We put off our burden of guilt, and He places His holiness on us. We repent of our weaknesses, and He gives His strength. We divulge our worries and fears, and He gives us courage and peace. All of these are gifts of His grace. We do not earn them; He gives them freely out of love.

What we are doing every time we gather together is a preparation or a rehearsal for what is coming. By listening and learning, by receiving the gifts of Jesus through His Word, we are getting ready for the main event, for Jesus’ triumphant return. His Word is true. He is not playing a joke on us or tricking us when He tells us what is coming. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” He says, “but My words will not pass away.”

So He tells us to “stay awake at all times.” This means staying awake and alert spiritually. We do this by staying connected to His living and active Word, not just through attendance at church but also through reading and studying His Word in our homes and even listening to it while we are out and about. Hearing what He says to us moves us to speak to Him in prayer. These go together: Word and prayer, receiving and responding, listening and speaking. This is a holy conversation that we get to participate in as children of God.

Jesus says, “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.” You will stand before the Son of Man as all people will. Those who have denied Him through unrepentance and unbelief and trusted in their own righteousness, will tremble before Him and be condemned. But you do not need to fear that day.

You will not experience the wrath of the Son of Man. You will instead see His gracious countenance, His smiling face. He will have no words of judgment for you because He shed His holy blood to cleanse you from your sins, and He completely covers you with His righteousness. So You Do Wish to See Jesus when He comes again in His glory. Now is the time to get ready and stay ready. For He has promised, “Surely I am coming soon.” And we joyfully reply, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.

+ + +

(picture from Jerico Lutheran Church stained glass)