"Mary's Song" Sermon: Luke 1:46-55

“Mary’s Song”

[Luke 1:46-55]

December 23, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            Mary sang a song – which is this morning’s Scripture.  It is called “The Magnificat” after the Latin rendering of the first phrase.  It is a song of Mary’s faith in the God of Israel – the One True God.

            We will remember that Elizabeth, Mary’s elder sister, was the wife of Zachariah, who was serving as high priest that year.  Zachariah and Elizabeth had wanted children, but she was barren.  And when an angel told Zachariah that they would bear a son, he laughed and became mute until the birth of the child, who became John the Baptist.

            In the latter months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, her virgin sister, who was engaged to Joseph, and was recently pregnant by a miraculous Work of God, went to visit Elizabeth and support her as she neared the birth of her child.

            When Mary arrived at the home of Zachariah and Elizabeth, the baby inside Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and jumped for joy in the womb, recognizing the Child that Mary was carrying.  And Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with loud joy:  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:42-45, ESV).

            Elizabeth confirmed what Mary and Joseph had been told by the angels:  Mary was blessed by God; the Baby in her womb was blessed by God.  And we don’t see it in the English, but Elizabeth asks why she has been granted the blessing of this visit from the mother of her Lord – the mother of the Kurios – the mother of God.  Mary was to give birth to the Incarnate God.

            And again, Elizabeth confirmed the blessing by telling Mary that her unborn child recognized God in the flesh growing within her and jumped for joy in her womb.  And Elizabeth blessed Mary for believing that the Word of the Lord would be fulfilled – Mary was a woman of faith – and the song she sang was a song of faith.

            First, let us notice that Mary gave thanksgiving to God for His Mercy to her:

“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.  For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

            Mary begins by praising God – by drawing attention to Him – and recognizing Him as her only Savior.  She cries out that He Alone is the One to rejoice in for this blessing that she has received.  And this salvation enables her to rejoice and give thanks to her Savior.  Why?  Because she recognized that she was not chosen to be the mother of our Lord because of who she was or what she did.  Mary recognized that she was a humble virgin, that she was – in the eyes of the world – lowly – she was a nobody, she recognized that God chose her for God’s Reasons and not because she merited special treatment from Him.

            Mary does not contradict herself is saying that all the world from then on would know her and call her blessed – because God has used her to His Glory.  God has used her to bring salvation to God’s people.  Because God showed kindness to her in this way, she rejoiced and gave thanks to God for Who He is and what He has done – not because she deserved to be the mother of our Lord.

            Here, we see that Mary is our teacher in humility.  Mary had a realistic understanding of who she was before God.  She knew that she was not any great person in the grand scheme of humanity and, more than that, she recognized that she was a sinner – underserving of God’s Mercy – surely underserving of being chosen to be the mother of our Lord.

            And yet, she is right and humble in her assertion that from that day forward everyone would call her blessed.  She was not blessed for who she was, per se, but for how God used her to save His people.  That does not mean that we should look down on Mary or dismiss her – no, God tells us in His Word that we should hold Mary in high esteem, because she understood herself and submitted to God in faithfulness and rejoiced and gave thanks to be used by Him.

            How humble are we?  Would we, like Mary, hear the Word of the Lord and say, “Yes, Lord”?  Would we submit to whatever God calls us to do – not matter what it is – if it glorified God?  Do we think too highly of ourselves – even at times – do we know we are better than so and so – more holy than so and so – do we try to avoid certainly people because they are beneath us?  Would we have scoffed and walked away, shaking our heads, if a young virgin, engaged to a carpenter, told us that God had blessed her by entering her womb to bring about the salvation of His people?

            In verse 48, Mary calls herself “humble” and a “servant.”  She is using these words in amazement that God would choose to use a poor woman – women were – at best – second class citizens at that time – they could not be trusted, they could not testify in court.  She was engaged to a carpenter, not a prince or a governor.  She would have been seen as a “maidservant.”  She was a nobody in the world.  She was a sinner deserving God’s Wrath.  She was a faithful Jewess, who believed the Word of God and submitted to Him when He called, saying, “Here I am, Lord, do with Your servant as You will.”  It caused her great joy and thanksgiving to be used by God for His purposes.  Are we joy-filled and thankful to God for the way He has chosen to use us?

            Paul explains in Romans that God, our Creator, choses to save out of humanity those He wills to save, based on His Own Will and not based on anything anyone does or does not do – we cannot merit salvation – it is the gift of God.  And then Paul answers an objection:  “You will say to me then, ‘Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?’ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:19-24, ESV).

            Paul explains that God is a potter Who molds people and uses them according to His Will and for His Glory.  Mary recognized that she was a lump of clay in her God’s Hands – and she rejoiced and gave thanks for the way God chose to use her.  And we ought to look to her and thank God for her – that God used her to bring salvation to His people – and we ought to consider our own lives with humble seriousness and find reason to give thanks in loud joy to God for what He has and is doing with us.

            Second, Mary acknowledges that God is Holy and exercises Sovereign Power and Judgment over all of Creation:

            ‘and holy is his name.  And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;         he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

            The God Mary knew and believed in is Holy – He is Purity above Pure.  He is the God Who cannot have sin in His Presence, which is one reason He promised to send a Savior – that all those who believe in Him would be forgiven for all of their sins and made righteous and holy through God’s Own Work, that we – and all those who ever believe – could stand before Him sinless and holy.  This is the God Who is incomparably Great and infinitely Exalted.

            God is the God of Mercy to all those who humble themselves before Him in true, faithful belief.  Those who fear Him – who are awestruck by Who He is – are taken by God to be His Own.  And this is not just for Mary’s day – but for all those who have believed since the Creation and for every generation that passes until Jesus returns to restore the Creation.  This God has shown Himself throughout history to be the God of Power and Strength – which is what the reference to His Arm means – He has fought on the side of His people and He has victoriously won over the Creation that turned against Him through the sending of this Baby – God Incarnate – Who lived a holy life under God’s Law, died for the sins of everyone who would ever believe, and then physically rose from the dead – victorious over sin and death and hell – to resume His Reign at the Right Hand of God.  All we who believe have a True Man, Who is also God, sitting on His Throne, Almighty, Unconquerable, the Great God of Mercy Who understands us and makes the Way for us to come before Him as children before their Father through this Baby Whose birth we celebrate.

            But not all believe.  Some do not fear God, but shake their fists at Him in cosmic rebellion.  They say that they will not have God as their Sovereign – in their pride they believe they are the masters of their own fates.  These God will scatter and bring to judgment and punish according to their crime – infinite rebellion against their God and Creator.  These have said in their hearts that they have no need of a Savior – and on the last day, they will find that they do not have one.

            Some who have ascended to power and authority think they are above God, but God will bring them down from their thrones, because every person who has power and authority has the power and authority they have because God has given it to them to steward and use to His Glory.  Paul reminds us:  “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1, ESV).  President Bush was put in power by God, and President Obama was put in power by God, and everyone who has any authority was put there by God, and they will be judged.

            We see this truth in Daniel’s prayer of thanksgiving to God for allowing him to interpret the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon:  “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.  He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.  To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter” (Daniel 2:20b-23, ESV).

            And King Nebuchadnezzar, after God had humbled him for his sin, came to the same confession:  “At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’” (Daniel 4:34-35, ESV).

            Yet, as Mary sang, those who humble themselves before God – those who recognize His Sovereignty over Creation and take faith in the Savior He sent for everyone who will ever believe – those God exalts because they are made righteous by His Son.  He provides for all of the needs of those who seek Him as their Heavenly and Merciful Father.  God cares for and provides for His people with spiritual and physical care.  All of our needs are met.

            Do we recognize God’s Sovereignty?  Do we come before Him humbly and with thanksgiving for all He has done?  Do we recognize that each of us has our needs met by Him?  Do we believe it?  Or do we believe we have pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps?  Do we believe that we have earned our place in the world and God has done little or nothing for us?  Do we look at the Baby Jesus and wonder what God has done for us lately?

Third, Mary rejoices in God for His Faithfulness in bringing to pass the Promised Salvation:

            ‘He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’”

            After thanking God for His Mercy and acknowledging God as the Sovereign Judge over all of Creation, she ends her song by thanking God, specifically, for what He was doing in and through her – keeping His Promise to bring the Savior for Israel and all believers throughout the world.

            Our God is a promise-keeping God.  He never fails us.  He always does exactly what He says He will do.  Our God does not change or make mistakes.  As James reminds us:  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17, ESV).  God does not and cannot change, so He can be trusted to keep every word He has uttered.

            After the Fall in the Garden, God promised in His Curse to the serpent – the devil:  “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15, ESV).  God promised war and hatred between the children of God and those who choose to follow the devil.  God would allow the devil to deceive and work his evil amongst humanity and in the Creation for a time – and within the boundaries that God set (cf. Job 1).  And God promised that the day would come when one of the Sons of Eve – even though He would be bruised, even to death – death on a cross, He would trample on the head of the serpent, saving the people of God and banishing the devil and all those who follow him to eternal hell.

            And God met with Abram and made him an unconditional promise – that the Savior would come through his line and bless all the nations of the world – not just Israel:  “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice”

(Genesis 22:18, ESV).

            God is trustworthy and He fulfilled His Promise to bring a Savior for all those who would believe.  That Savior – that Baby – is God Himself, born of the Virgin Mary.

            What do we most enjoy – treasure – about this time of year?  Friends and family?  Music?  The tree and the lights?  Presents?  Special food?  Are we amazed – and do we rejoice – in the fact that God kept His Promise and sent a Savior for every one of us who will believe?

            Mary was in a very difficult situation – one that could have had her put to death:  she was engaged, a virgin, yet she was with child.  She did not have money and was not engaged to be married into money.  Even if Joseph consented to be her husband, now that she was with child – prior to marriage – and still claiming never to have been with a man – there would always be people who would snicker and made rude comments – there were likely people who never believed her story – just as many don’t today.

            But Mary was a faithful believer.  She knew the Word of God and the Promise that God would one day send a Savior.  She also knew that she was a nobody in the eyes of the world.  So, when the angel announced to her and God confirmed through the word of her sister that she was bearing God in the flesh – the Savior Who had come for His people – and their salvation – Mary gave thanks to God for His Mercy.  Mary acknowledged that God is the Sovereign Judge of the Creation.  And she rejoiced in the fact that God cannot but keep His Promise, because God is God – the One True God.

            Let us humbly rejoice and give thanks before our God and Savior – let us pray:

            Almighty God, help us in this season of fun, friends, and family, to thank You for Your Mercy, to recognize You as Sovereign, and to give thanks to You for keeping Your Promise to send the Savior.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

"What Shall We Do?" Sermon: Luke 3:7-18

“What Shall We Do?”

[Luke 3:7-18]

December 16, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            Last week, we began looking at John's baptizing of Jews with the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. We saw that this means that forgiveness – salvation from God's Wrath – the wages of sin – is based on a true belief and confession that results in change.

            “He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’”

            John speaks a harsh word to the people who've come to him – indicating that they had not come with a response to the Scripture, but in response to seeing the crowds gathered around John.  Matthew specifies that the Pharisees and Sadducees (cf. Matthew 3:7) had come to John for the wrong reasons – thinking that the baptism itself would save them.

            John explained to them that coming and confessing itself and claiming Abraham as their father was not enough for salvation. He warned them that this alone would lead to the ax being laid at the root of the tree – that they would fall and die and suffer the hellfire if they did not actually believe and repent and change their ways.

            If you have come this morning believing the historical facts of the Gospel, but not changing your life – not receiving the Work of the Holy Spirit in your life –  you have not truly believed. And you will suffer the same hellfire that John warned the Pharisees and Sadducees of – merely reciting the facts of the Gospel is not enough – it must change your life. And if you're not changed by the facts of the Gospel, then you have not truly believed – and you are not saved.

            Paul explains: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6, ESV).

            “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:9, ESV).

            “and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10, ESV).

            “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:7-9, ESV).

            The point Paul is making is that the Wrath of God is indeed against those who do not repent and believe – and repentance includes turning around – changing – becoming a new creation. Belief in the words alone is not enough – yes, we are saved by faith alone, but it is not a faith that is alone – as the reformers would tell us. Belief in the Gospel must lead to a change of life – we must flee from temptation and we must repent of our sins. Otherwise, we have not been saved.

            There are plenty of people who hear the words of the Gospel and think it sounds all very well, who even believe the facts of the history of Jesus Christ, but do not truly repent and change their lives. That is not saying that we are saved by works – we are saved by faith alone – but that faith leads to growth – to the production of fruit – we prove our faith by living as God has called us to live – and if we do not, then we prove that we are not really saved.

            Do we understand the point that the John is making? The Pharisees and the Sadducees were coming – they were saying they were descendents of Abraham – they were saying that they had done the good works of the Law – but they had not truly believed. John says – the Scripture says – that belief leads to good works – belief leads to the proof of belief by good works. Good works alone –  biology alone – is not enough. Jesus did not merely come to save people who are of a certain race. Jesus did not merely come to save those who do what is good in the eyes of humanity. Jesus came to save those who believe in the historical facts of the Gospel and change their lives because of it – because God uses the facts of the Gospel to cause belief, people change their lives as proof of the belief that they have – that is salvation.

            John says that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from the stones. Now, whether John meant this literally – referring back to the Creation, when Adam and Eve were created from the dirt and a rib – or whether he was referring to the fact that God takes our heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh when we are caused to believe in the Gospel – the result is the same.

            If we do not believe the Gsoepl and change our lives – repent and do the good works that God has set before us – we have ot truly believed and the eternal fires of hell are still awaiting us.

            “And the crowds asked him, ‘What then shall we do?’ And he answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’ Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than you are authorized to do.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.’

            Three types of people approached John with true repentance and asked what they should do: people in general, tax collectors, and soldiers.

            John told the people in general that they should love their neighbors. They should show generosity and love – not that everyone should be equal and have an equal amount of money and things – but if someone was in need, and they had the ability to meet that need, they ought to meet that need.

            To the tax collectors, John told them that they ought not to overcharge – they ought to be honest in their work and in the authority that they had been given. They should collect only what they needed to collect and not abuse their authority so they could profit by it.

            To the soldiers, John told them that they ought not to shake people down – they ought not to torture slaves to get them to lie about their masters hiding money – they ought to treat people with respect and to get true answers about the money they received in the taxes that were due to be paid.

            For all of the people:  John told them to be content with what they had. God is Sovereign over all things and He has given each one of us different things, different jobs, different gifts, and we ought to be joyful with that and thank God for that and be pleased for the way that God has chosen to show Himself and provide for us.

            Overall, John was telling the people to love their neighbors – not to lie, not to cheat, not to embezzle, not to work the system to their benefit. Rather, John told them that they ought to love their neighbors, to seek the best for them, and for each person – no matter what God has given them – no matter what God has given us – to be satisfied – to truly give thanks to God for what we have received – and to learn how to steward that – how to manage that well, to the Glory of God.

            Are you satisfied with what you have? I suspect the general American answer would be, “no.” We are not satisfied. We think we deserve more. No matter how much we accumulate – no matter how much we have, and have received – we are not truly thankful. Am I wrong? Are you truly thankful for what you have? Are you using what you have to the Glory of God? Are you believing the Gospel, doing the good works that God has set before you, and being thankful for what you have – no, “but this” or “that”?

            Generally, the people sought to build up for themselves – to collect more for themselves – they were not satisfied. The tax collectors where not satisfied with their wages, but they sought to overcharge the people they were charged with collecting taxes from. And the soldiers sought to torture people into false confessions so they could receive more money. Have you been honest in the position that God has given you? Are you satisfied with what God has given you? Are you using everything you have to the Glory of God?

            Paul wrote:  “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need” (Ephesians 4:28, ESV).

            Don't be confused by what Paul has said, just because you are not a thief – per se – does not mean that you have not stolen. If you have abused your position in any way to get something that does not belong to you, you have stolen – we talked about that last week. God has given each one of us enough – and called us to work that we might provide for our needs – and that we would have enough to share with someone else.

            Have you helpped anyone this week? Are you prepared to give sacrificially in  thanksgiving this morning to God? John asked the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who warned them – why they were there – and I ask us the same question, why are we here? Are we here to get something? Or are we here to worship God? To feel a true sense of satisfaction in God and in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or are welooking for one more thing we don't deserve?

            John told the people to be careful – to truly believe and then to follow God by doing the good works that He is calling us to do. Stop cheating. Stop being selfish. Stop being covetous. Stop lusting. Stop being unsatisfied with what God knows you need. Stop using your position to abuse other people. To hear what John is saying? Or are you being prepared for the hellfire?

            As James wrote:  “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17, ESV).

            And John wrote: “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17, ESV).

            Don't misunderstand what they are saying: they are not saying that salvation is by works – by the good works that we do – good works are a fruit – they are a sign of true belief in the Gospel. But if we don't care – if we don't do anything – if you don't seek to make the Gospel known through every means that you have to make it known, do you really believe? And don't say you don't have the means to make it known, because if you made it here this morning, you have the means to make it known. If nothing else – and we are the richest country in the world – if nothing else, have you opened your mouth this week?

            The time is grown short. We don't have time to play games in church any more. Jesus Christ has called us to faithfulness – and believing the Gospel – truly with all our hearts – the historical facts of what happened – and living it out by good works that other people would see that we truly believe that Jesus Christ is God the Savior.

In 1979, my pastor said – and I believe he was right –“we don't have much time” – how much time then might we have in 2012? 

Examine your hearts. Ask yourself if you truly believe the facts of the Gospel. Ask yourself if you have truly repented of your sin. Ask yourself if you are truly seeking to follow God, and all the good works that He has called you to do. If you are, may Christ be praised. If you are not, know you're not safe. The Wrath of God is against all unbelievers – and our only hope is to faith in Jesus Christ Alone. And once our hearts have been changed, God causes us to do good works to His Glory.

Are you a Pharisee or a Sadducees, or are you one of the people that asked John, “what shall we do?”– People who asked in true heart repentance how they might live in a way that is pleasing to God. I am truly afraid for most people who call themselves Christians – because they think that being a Christian is being a good person – and you and I are not good enough.

            The people were impressed with the way that John was speaking. They wondered if he might be the Messiah – the Savior – the Christ:

            “As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’

            John explained to them that he is not the Christ – the Messiah – the Savior – he was merely one calling the people to repentance and washing them with water to symbolically wash away their sin. The Savior who would come – Jesus Christ – the birth of Whom we especially remember in these coming weeks – He is the Almighty God – and John had the good sense to understand that he was not worthy to untie the dirty sandals of His feet.  John understood that Jesus came to save through His life and death and to give them in indwelling of God the Holy Spirit, Who would work in them and lead them in holy living – in becoming more like Jesus Himself.

            John explained to them that when the Christ came, He would separate the people with the winnowing fork – that He would clear the threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn. And I doubt many of us have done that. In the days of Jesus and John wheat was brought into a barn, and it was beaten on the ground – on the threshing floor until the heads of wheat broke loose from the stems onto the ground. And then the farmer would take his winnowing fork and throw the grains of wheat into the air and the chaff – the papery covering of the wheat would separate from the seed itself, which would could be made into bread. The chaff – that papery covering which seem to be part of the wheat, but was actually useless in the making of bread –  would be separated and taken and burned in the fire. Whereas the seed itself would be ground into flour and made into bread.

            The point that John was making is that Jesus knows the difference between people who look like Christians and people who are Christians. And in the end, Jesus will separate those people who thought they were good enough – to have the right heritage – who had good works behind them – but did not truly believe the historical facts which make up the Gospel – and He will throw them into the fire. The wheat – the true seeds – He will grind into flour and make into holy bread – those who truly believe in the facts of the Gospel and who have changed lives because of it – Jesus will make like Him and welcome them into His Eternal Kingdom.

            “So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.”

            And so John preach the Good News – let us not mistakenly read this passage to say that the Good News is to do good works, and we will be saved – because that is a lie. The Good News is that God came to earth in the person of Jesus, lived a perfect life under God's law, died for the sins of everyone would ever believe, and physically rose from the dead and ascended back to His throne. All those who believe these facts of the Gospel are indwelled by God the Holy Spirit, and we are motivated by the Spirit to do good works – to follow the Law of God – not for our salvation – but to show that we have been saved by Christ Alone.

            Do you believe the Gospel, or are you here for some other reason?

            John is not saying that we are saved by our works, he is saying that good works are result of being saved by Jesus Alone – by the Gospel. Your good works cannot save you.

            What shall we do? Believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

            Then what shall we do? Live in a way that is pleasing and glorify to Jesus Christ – obey what He has told us to obey, repent of your sin – truly turn away and fight temptation to sin – be honestly satisfied with where God has placed you and steward what God has given you to His Glory.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, it often seems to us that we should be able to earn our way to heaven. Convinces us of our sin – of our desperate need of Jesus Christ Alone for salvation – cause us to believe His Gospel, to long for His salvation, to seek to follow him in every way that He has taught us, and cause us to be satisfied with what He sees is right for each of us – and then cause us to steward – to give – to live our lives in such a way that show that You are God – our Only Hope – the Savior Whose Grace we receive through the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper – for it is in Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Community Lunch

We are thankful to report that we had our third community lunch on Saturday.  About thirty people came and enjoyed wonderful homemade chili, cornbread, and garlic bread.  Plan to join us on January 19th at noon for our next free community lunch!

"The Voice" Sermon: Luke 3:1-6

“The Voice”

[Luke 3:1-6]

December 9, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            Have you ever been in the supermarket when a voice came over the loudspeaker and said, “Attention such and such customers, we want to draw your attention to such and such a product which is on sale today and will be the greatest thing for your life”?  Have you ever been waiting for a train or subway and heard a voice come over the loudspeaker that said, “Attention such and such riders, it is important that we let you know that you wa wa wa wa wa wa wa. Thank you for riding”?

            On this second Sunday of Advent, Luke introduces us to one he identifies as “the voice”– an announcer – someone who has a message that needs to be heard because it points to something important – in fact, it points to Someone important.

            If you have read the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – you'll notice that each one has a very particular style. You'll notice that each one places different emphases in their chronicling of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And you'll notice that the events are not all recorded in the same order.

            Matthew, Mark, and John were Jewish writers – and in the Jewish style of writing it was more important to make the point then to give a linear – chronological – report of history. Luke was a Greek believer, and for the sake of those – and one, Theophilus, in particular – who were more accustom to the Greek style of linear – chronological – reporting of history, Luke wrote a linear account – the type of historical, chronological account of history that we are used to today in the Western world.

            At the beginning of Luke's Gospel, he announces that this is one of the important and different features of his recording of the history of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4, ESV).

            Luke wrote in a chronological fashion, noting many key events and persons, so that the readers of his Gospel could check the records and be assured of the truth of the Gospel and the events contained in. That is why the first two verses of our text are a list of people:

            “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,”

A person reading this list of names, could put together the historical boundaries of when these events took place – leaving Caesar until last – we know the Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea from 26 A.D. to 37 A.D., Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, Philip was tetrarch of the regions named, and Lysanias was tetrarch from about 4 A.D. to 34 A.D., Annas was high priest from 6 A.D. to 15 A.D., and his grandson, Caiaphas, was high priest from 18 A.D. to 36 A.D.  All of these overlap as far as the ranges of when these people served in government. Luke specifically says “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” – and we know that Tiberius Caesar reigned from 14 A.D. to 37 A.D.  , so it seems simple enough to add fourteen and fifteen and get 29 A.D. for the introduction of  “the voice.”  There's only one problem: those are the years that Tiberius Caesar ruled as a solo monarch, prior to that, he ruled for a time as co-regent.  We don't know if Luke was referring to the fifteenth year of Tiberius's reign altogether or if he was referring to the fifteenth year of his solo reign.

            Who cares? In a sense it doesn't matter, because we know within a few years – one way or the other – when this occurred. The point that we should notice is that Luke was being very careful to box this event in historically using a number of different political and religious leaders so there would be no doubt that these events happen – they could be traced back and identified within this small window of time.

            After placing the event within this window of time that anyone can go and check – knowing that all of these figures did rule – and we know fairly well when they ruled, Luke turns to telling us about John, the son of Zechariah, also called the Baptist – the older cousin of Jesus:

            “the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.”

            Luke uses the Old Testament phrase “the word of God came” to make it clear to his readers that John is a prophet – the Divine call had come upon John. The role of the prophet was one of receiving the Word of God from God, and then to deliver it to the people. John had been chosen – as the final Old Testament prophet – to deliver the Word of God.

            And as the prophets often did, John came on the scene after a time of preparation – John had spent years in the wilderness preparing for this day. Luke tells us, “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel” (Luke 1:80, ESV). John had likely been in the wilderness for more than 20 years being prepared by God for this moment.

            The day came when John came out of the wilderness, and Luke tells us, “And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

            When the time was right – when his preparation was finished – John came out of the wilderness, looking and acting very much part of the prophet: “Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey”

(Matthew 3:4, ESV).

            And John went all up and down and around the Jordan River – on both sides – baptizing. And we might wonder about that – why was John baptizing? The fact of the matter is that baptisms were actually common in Judaism: as part of the conversion ritual of a Gentile to Judaism – to faith in the God of Israel, of the Savior that He would send – Gentiles were baptized with water to symbolize their repentance and belief in the God of Israel and His Savior. What is somewhat shocking – what would've been shocking to people at that time – was that John was baptizing Jews. Why was John baptizing Jews?

            Because he was “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John was announcing to the Jews that their biological discent from Abraham was not enough to save them. John was preaching that even the Jews had to convert to faith alone in God and the Savior that He would send. And that conversion that he was preaching was one, first. of repentance – of confessing one's sins, asking for forgiveness, and vowing not to sin again. And second, of fruit bearing – those who truly believe in God and the Savior that He would send – those who repented of their sins and turn away from them intending not to commit them again would also bear fruit. That is, they would live lives that showed that they had truly repented – they would fight against temptation and sin less and less, and they would do the good works that God had called them to do. John made it quite clear that it was not just the Gentiles who had to repent and believe in bear fruit to be the children of God, but the Jews, as well.

            And then Luke tells us that John fulfilled prophecy spoken by Isaiah:  “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,” – again, this is a sign of God's Divine call on John and his ministry.

            “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:”

            Luke tells us that John is “the voice”– he is the one that God sent to make an announcement – and not just any announcement, but the announcement that the Messiah – the Christ – the Savior had come. And this announcement was not just made in a normal tone, but the use of the word “crying” indicates that John was shouting his preaching – he was yelling his message – he was making sure that no one would miss the Word of the God that he has been sent to announce.

            And what was the Word of God that “the voice” was shouting?

            ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’

            First, he tells them to prepare. He tells them “by means of a genuine conversion make it possible for the Lord to make a straight path to your heart with his salvation” [Hendriksen, 203]. He told them that they had an obstacle that needed to be removed – there is no salvation through biology – there is no salvation merely by being a descendent of Abraham. The Lord will only come to those who have made a genuine conversion – those who have repented of their sin, believed in the Savior that God would send, and bear fruit showing that their conversion was real.

            This is nothing new to any of us who truly believe, as Paul wrote:  “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, ESV). There is no salvation based on who we are or where we go to church or the good works we've done. Salvation only comes to those who truly believe the Gospel – the God came to earth in the person of Jesus, lived a perfect life under God's Law, died for the sins of everyone who would ever believe, and physically rose from the dead – and if that belief is true, then it leads to a changed life – we are not the people that we were born – instead we seek to follow God with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength.

‘Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low,’

Second, John called the people to a true humility that every attitude of pride and arrogance would be removed – and if it is not, when Jesus returns, he will remove it [Hendrikson, 203]. John was not preaching about an architectural change of the landscape, but about a true humbling of the self to the One and Only God. As Moses recorded God's Word in the first two commandments:  “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:2-6, ESV).

John Calvin wrote, “Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols” [http://www.finestquotes.com/quote_with-keyword-Idols-page-0.htm#ixzz2EU3ELkUN].  And if you doubt that, ask yourself if you have ever sinned. If you have ever sinned, you have placed your will and your desires above God – you have committed idolatry. Even if we don't have little statues in our homes, we place people and things and ideas above God – that is idolatry. And John preached all around the Jordan what God had said from the beginning: He will not tolerate anyone taking His place.

When Jesus returns, anyone who has not thrown away their idols and submitted to Jesus as God and Savior will be forced to acknowledge Him as God and Savior.   As the author of Hebrews noted:  “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet” (Hebrews 10:12-13, ESV).

What are you holding onto today? What are you telling God, “not now,” “not yet.” ”You just don't understand,” “that was then and this is now,” “I'll do what I want”? Whatever is not in line with God's Character and God's Will must end.

Similarly, John continues, ‘and the crooked shall become straight,’ “sly, perverse, deceitful habits must be and will be broken” [Hendriksen, 203]. Lord willing, we'll see John address some of those habits in next week's text.

But just as a preview – there are other sins besides idolatry:  We can be disrespectful of our parents in life and after their death – and that is sin. We are to respect our parents as our parents even if we haven't always agreed with them – even if they are non-Christians – we are to show them respect as being parents.

We are not to murder – and that includes not hating or abusing people or being angry with them unrighteously. Instead, we are called to love our neighbor – and that means to do everything we can for them – especially in making sure that they hear the Gospel truly proclaimed.

We are not to commit adultery – and not does not merely mean having sexual relations with someone who is not your husband or wife – adultery is found in lewd and sinful thoughts about other people – in treating people as objects rather than those created in the Image of God – it's hard to turn on the Internet without easy access to adultery. Instead, we are to show our belief in the value and the purpose of the marriage relationship, and we are to show respect for other people in treating them as being bearers of the Image of God – we ought to look for God reflected in people rather than obsessing about their parts.

We are not to steal – not does not merely mean that we are not to steal high-end things. The people who have walked out of this church without paying for things on the Women's Association table without permission have stolen. Whoever is pocketing the toilet paper has stolen. If you take pens or paperclips are thumbtacks home which you have not been given to you, you have stolen.  You have stolen if you “sample” food in the supermarket that is not on the sampling table. If you take anything that you have not been given permission to take – or that you have not bought – you have stolen – and that includes stealing people's ideas, art, anything that does not truly belong to you. And when we do that we are telling God that we are not satisfied – that He hasn't given us enough. Instead, we are to work at whatever job we can work – or, if we are retired and can live off of our retirement income and savings, we are to do that – and we are to be satisfied with what God has given us.

We are not to bear false witness against our neighbor – and that's not just a matter of the courts. We are not to say things or suggest things about other people that are not true. We are not to gossip and spread rumors and hint about things which are not true. We are not to purposefully say things in such a way that other people get the wrong idea about others. Instead, we are to do everything we can to promote what is true about our neighbor – about other people – that they might be better for it.

We are not to covet something that belongs to someone else. We don't use the word “covet” very much – it's stronger than lusting for something and it's a step below actually stealing. Coveting is seen what someone else has something and you say in your heart that you believe that you deserve it more than they do. If you look at someone and disparage them and say in your heart, “They don't deserve that car, that job, that family, that income” – whatever – “but I do” – that is coveting. To make the crooked roads straight, we ought instead to encourage each other to use the blessings that God has given us wisely and to be thankful for all of the blessings that God has given to each of us.

‘and the rough places shall become level ways,’

Fourth, “the voice” – John the Baptist – called people to “genuine interest and accessibility” [Hendriksen 203]. The people of God are called to put away ”indifference, unconcern, and waywardness” [Hendrikson, 203]. Paul describes the church – all believers – as a body – not a business. Through Christ we are interconnected – all the parts of the body are necessary.

It may well be that there are people in this congregation who wish that parts of their bodies’ were different – that they would change; I know there are parts of my body that I would like to change. And there may be people in this congregation that you wish were different – and there may be people in this congregation that wish you were different. I certainly hope I am changing and becoming more into the Image of Christ, and I hope you are changing and becoming more into the Image of Christ.

As I've said many times before: there is no call in the Scripture for us to like each other all the same – not all of us have to be best friends. However, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we must love one another and work to smooth out those rough patches in love.

 ‘and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

            John – “the voice” – concludes this part of his message by announcing that all flesh – Jews and Gentiles and all people throughout time and space will see the Salvation of God Who is Jesus. He concludes by saying that all types of people – not merely the Jews – will hear the Word of God preached – announced – shouted, and all types of people will truly repent and believe in their heart confessing Jesus is God and Savior, repenting their sin – turning away from it, and bearing fruit – good works – which prove true belief along with their verbal confession.

            As we remember John the Baptist coming out of the wilderness – taking his place as “the voice” – announcing that now is the time of repentance – now is the time to ask for forgiveness and to turn around and to do what is right in God's sight – and to live lives of obedience and faith, where are you this morning?

            Have you heard “the voice,” and said, “who cares”? Have you heard “the voice” and said, “it's not for me”? Have you heard “the voice” and said, “I'm too far gone”?

            Not long after John journeyed out of the wilderness, he was arrested, and “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14b-15, ESV).

            How have you answered “the voice” crying in the wilderness?

Let us pray:

Almighty and Merciful God, You could have blotted humans off the face of the earth after our first sin, but You chose to send Your Only Begotten Son to save all those who would ever believe. The prophets spoke and told of His Coming, and John announced that He is here. There are many here who have not believed in their hearts in You and we ask that You would change their hearts and cause them to believe to confess with their mouths that Jesus is God the Savior. For those of us who have repented and believed, we ask that You would continue to change us, and make us into the Image of Your Son – may the paths be straight, the valleys filled, the mountains made low, and the rough places level, and fill us with joy as we look with great expectation to the day when all flesh shall see the Salvation of our God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

"The Apostle's Creed" Study

We will, D.V., conitnue our study this evening at 7 PM.  Please join us.

"Look at the Fig Tree" Sermon: Luke 21:25-36

“Look at the Fig Tree”

[Luke 21:25-36]

December 2, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            After Jesus watched the poor widow put her offering in the offering box and explained to His disciples that she had given more than all the others combined, Jesus and the disciples walked outside of the Temple, and Jesus said that there would be a day when not one stone of the Temple would rest upon another. And the disciples asked when that day would be – and what the signs of Jesus' Second Coming would be.

            This morning's text comes in the midst of the answer that Jesus gave to them – an answer which many have speculated on given the specific item of the Temple being destroyed and then the general items of war, hatred, and cosmic upheaval described.

            The mistake many well-meaning Christians, heretics, and cult leaders have made in this is in forgetting that Jesus said that He would not – could not – give the date of His Return. Jesus said, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36, ESV).

            Jesus largely gave them generalities – there is no way that anyone can calculate Jesus' Return from the Bible – only that He will return. And so we wonder what the point of all of this is – why did Jesus say all these things if they would not be helpful in pointing to an exact date?

            “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 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. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

            The first thing that we see in this morning’s Scripture is that Jesus said that in the time before He returns, the Creation will react violently – the heavens will be shaken. And that is been happening since the Garden. When God meted out punishment on our first parents, God said to Adam,        “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field” (Genesis 3:17-18, ESV).

And Paul wrote, “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:19-22, ESV).

Jesus’ point in reminding them of the instability of the Creation was to remind them of the reason for the Creation being unstable – that is: our sin. When Jesus talked about these generalities about the change and the destruction and the falling apart of the created order He was not talking about a single event, but something that will progress until the end. He was telling the disciples – and us – to open our eyes and look at the destruction our sin has and continues to cause throughout the Creation.

In the beginning, God gave humanity the charge of dominion over the Creation – He gave us the responsibility to steward – to care – for it. With the exception of, perhaps, major weather events, do we ever look at the Creation? Do we watch it? Do we ever notice that something is wrong? Have we ever looked at the trouble of Creation, and considered it, as one commentator put it, “a tribunal of judgment until the end “? Does it ever inspire us to point to the Creation and tell others it is wrong – broken – and to tell them the Only Way to be right?

During Hurricane Sandy, there were undoubtedly people who claimed that the hurricane hit us because of this person or that person's sin. There were undoubtedly people who said that this is an obvious sign of the near arrival of Christ. Did the hurricane make us think of the Gospel and the need to tell others?

Jesus does say something specific in our reading: when the suffering of the Creation is completed, Jesus – the Son of Man will come in the clouds with great power and glory – and the whole world will see Him at once. As Jesus said, “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27, ESV).

Last week we saw that Daniel wrote: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.  And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14, ESV).  When Jesus returns, everyone will know His Return, and everyone will know that everything is His.

He did not say that to scare those of us who do believe in Him – all we would do believe in the Gospel – in Jesus Alone for salvation – will be received by Him in the Kingdom and that is why Jesus tells them that when they see Him – when we believers see Him – coming through the clouds – our redemption will be drawing near.

Purification and the restoration of the Creation – which will terrify the rest of the world, as they see Jesus return – will be an assurance to us. It will be the true perfect complete redemption of the people of God – the elect that He has chosen.

And He tells them to look ready – to straighten up – to raise their heads –to stand proud for the sake of the Gospel when they begin to see these things happening in the world – as they recognize that these things are happening due to sin and the Only Hope is Jesus Christ – we must stand up and not only take notice but be noticed the sake of the Gospel.

            “And he told them a parable: ‘Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’”

            Until that day, Jesus told them to watch – and He told them a parable – He told them to look at the fig tree – and to look at all the trees. When the trees have leaves on, you know that summer is near. Likewise, Jesus told them, when they see all the different things that He talked about – wars, rumors of wars, disturbances in the Creation – then they – and we will know that the Kingdom of God is near.

            How does that help?

            In this parable, Jesus is encouraging the Church. During the winter, trees are stiff – their sap has been sucked in, the leaves have fallen off, and their energy is being stored for the coming of summer. When spring arrives, the sap and the nutrients flow again into the tree branches and they become more flexible, and they produce leaves and grow. Jesus knew that great tribulation was coming upon the Church and that the Church was weak and frail, like a tree just beginning to bloom with leaves. But He wanted to encourage them – and all we who follow after them – that the weakness and frailty of the Church is not a sign of failure – because our strength is in Jesus Alone. We will endure through the tribulation, as Paul wrote:  “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16, ESV). Even though we are weak and subject to the ravages of tribulation, in the end our strength is in Christ Alone, and He is renewing us, day by day, and will raise us up indestructible.

            Since the great tribulation began under the Jews and the Romans – and as it continues today throughout the world – though not as visibly in the United States – the Church is brutalized and bloodied and even driven underground. But that is not a sign of the end of the Church– that is a sign that redemption is drawing near!

            And then Jesus told them that this generation will not pass away until all these things take place and He guarantees this promise by saying that heaven and earth will pass away but His Words will never pass away – because He is God – so He cannot lie – and He cannot change.

How are we to understand the phrase, “this generation”?  Was Jesus promising this to the people that He was standing with – that they would not die until they saw all these things? Was Jesus talking about the Jews – that the Jews would not disappear from the earth until all these things came to pass? Or did He mean that humanity would not pass from the face of the earth until all these things came to pass? Or did He mean something else?

One option that we can put aside is that the first century disciples of Jesus lived to see His Second Coming: Jesus has not returned yet, and there is no reason to believe that these several hundred disciples – now over 2000 years old – are living somewhere in the world.

We do know, also, that some of the things that Jesus prophesied did come to pass in the first century: in 70 A.D. Jerusalem was destroyed – the Temple was destroyed – and Israel became a virtual desert. That much of the signs were seen by that first generation – perhaps by all of those to whom Jesus was speaking.

But consider the parable He told – look at the fig tree – when the leaves appear summer is near. In the context of the parable, it seems that Jesus is saying that this generation will not pass away until the signs of the nearness of the coming of the Kingdom came to pass. If we look at the phrase in the context of the parable, then we can interpret it as being about those very people to whom Jesus spoke, because they did see Jesus put to death, physically rise from the dead, and initiate His Kingdom on earth – not to mention the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and even all of Israel.

Of course, the fullness of the promise – of Jesus’ coming again – and the Kingdom coming in all its fullness has not come to pass. And so we are called today – to watch – to look for the signs – not to guess the date, but to recognize the signs of the progression of the Kingdom and to be ready whenever Jesus returns.

How do we do that?

            “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But 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.”

            Jesus told them – and He tells us – not to be satisfied by being numbed with the narcotics of the world – by overloading our senses. Whatever it is that you or I choose to use to escape will never work – Augur wrote, “The leech has two daughters:  Give and Give.  Three things are never satisfied; four never say, ‘Enough’:  Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, ‘Enough’” (Proverbs 30:15-16, ESV). We cannot be fully satisfied with the things of this world because all of them are affected by sin – they are all corrupted – they will all weigh us down.

            Instead Jesus tells us to look – to watch – to meditate – that is to think intensely and try to understand what the heavenly life is. We are to spend our time fixated on the Kingdom that is coming – if we would only take time to look and see the leaves blooming. We ought to be spending time in prayer asking that God's Kingdom would come – that He would return – that we would find comfort in seeing the corruption of the world knowing that it will not always be this way – not merely that we would escape from the trials and tribulations around us but that we would see our God and Savior and that He would be glorified in fulfilling His Will for humanity.

We don't have time to sit back and ignore the signs before us – neither do we have time to point to signs that aren't there…

            As we begin this Advent, let us remember what Jesus told the disciples:

            This world has been corrupted by sin – the whole Creation has been corrupted by sin – and it's only when we understand the bad news – truly understand the bad news – that we can understand and perceive – by the Grace of God – the Good News that the little Baby that came that first Christmas was God Himself in the flesh.

            Sin has been conquered by God in the person of Jesus by His living a righteous life and by dying for all of the sins of everyone who would ever believe, physically rising from the dead, and – one day – returning in great power and glory – bringing the fullness of the Kingdom with Him in the fullness of our redemption – the restoration of Creation and the resurrection of our bodies.

            While we are living on this Earth, we need to recognize the signs, and we must be able to show them to others that they would be able to understand the Gospel – the Only Hope for any human. Corruption is among us – but so is the breaking in of the Kingdom – and we can point to it by telling others the Gospel.

            And we need to take courage – especially in the difficult days – knowing that our salvation is assured, the Kingdom is coming, Jesus is returning – we have every reason to hope and not give up.

            And lastly, we need to be on guard – we need to be alert – we need to watch out. It is so easy to give up – to give in – to think that what we do and what we believe doesn't matter. But our God and Savior has called us – as His sons and daughters – to know what He has said, to believe what He has said, to obey what He has said, and to be ready to stand – because the Son of Man is coming – just look at the fig tree.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, we are so easily caught up in controversies about signs and symbols and how to interpret prophecy, but we neglect the clear Word of Your Scripture. We try to complicate Your Word into some secret code, when You have told us to just open our eyes – to see what is real – to see sin, to repent of it, to hate it, to run from temptation, to stay focused on Your Kingdom, on Your Word, and on Your Second Coming. Lord, open our eyes that we would see as You see – that we would see the inbreaking of Your Kingdom amidst this fallen world and long for it. Keep us from being bogged down with things that lead us into sin and with things that do not matter. Make our mouths open – filled with the Gospel – to Your Glory. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.