First Sunday in Advent - Sermon and Video of Divine Service
Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Luke 19:28-40
Good things are coming soon. As we have made our way to the Thanksgiving holiday, advertising in its myriad forms have reminded us that along with the warm glow of Thanksgiving is the shopping sales available on Black Friday, shop local Saturday and Cyber Monday. Thank goodness for the commercials so that our imaginations are guided to what those good things should be.
Gifts and presents for our hard-working selves and those we care about are good and wonderful things. What a blessing to be able to purchase and share. But, the emphasis in the media is on physical things. In many minds, Christmas has become synonymous with material concerns. The world twists the meaning of Christmas towards its own self-serving impulses. By and large, the primary message is not about the self-emptying of the second person of the Trinity to become God incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth, born of the Virgin Mary. So, Christians rightly insist that Christmas is ultimately about “good things to come.” The good is felt materially, but the message of Christmas is profoundly spiritual. Nothing needs to be purchased to receive God’s good things. The gifts that Jesus bring us are paid for by Jesus and given to us free of charge. The only thing needed is faith directed toward Jesus; the one born and crucified for us.
The texts for today direct our attention to the “good things to come.” The brief reading from Jeremiah is part of what is called the Book of Consolation within Jeremiah’s larger corpus. Before and after chapters 30-33, Jeremiah’s message is filled with judgment. It is harsh and it is repetitive because people will not turn away from their idols. They will not turn away from their self-delusion. The leadership does not seek God’s wisdom as the menacing kingdom of Babylon draws closer and begins to attack Jerusalem. The leadership turns its back on God’s ways and seeks worldly solutions.
Amid Jeremiah’s persistent, thunderous, declarations, we have this little sea of relative calm in the Book of Consolation. From there, Jeremiah looks to the future. Good things are coming. God’s promise will be revealed. The Messiah is coming. The Messiah is the righteous Branch. He is of the lineage of King David. Jeremiah prophecies about Jesus, the Incarnate one, whose gracious rule will bring justice and righteousness into the world.
One of the striking things about the lectionary’s choice for the Gospel lesson is that the church does not automatically direct us into the birth narrative of Jesus. Instead, we are directed to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Why? One part of the answer lies in the fact that the way Jesus enters Jerusalem is the way a triumphant Royal leader will enter. This is not a military entrance. There are no troops leading the way or surrounding Jesus. Jesus’ entrance is not a show of force. Rather, this is an opportunity for those who are seeking the Messiah, the coming King, to see Jesus and recognize him as the King. All of those who have followed Jesus, who have taken an interest in his miraculous healings and in his authoritative teachings, boldly declare him as the coming king. They bear witness through their voices that Jesus is God’s anointed. The Lord God is clearly with Jesus and upon Him. He is the coming King who will inaugurate God’s kingdom in their midst. “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Another part of the answer is that Jesus is fulfilling Scripture. By entering Jerusalem on a donkey that has never been sat on before, he fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. This is one of several Messianic prophecies that contain details that will help us to recognize our Savior.
Third, we know that shortly after this triumphal entry, Jesus is betrayed, arrested, and then crucified. Many thousands of people died on a cross at the hands of the Romans. Why is Jesus’ crucifixion unique? Well, it is how he entered the world. His mother is impregnated by the Holy Spirit. When he is born in Bethlehem, angels announce his birth to the shepherds. Then there is the mysterious arrival of the Magi from the east bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Who is this then? This is God. Jesus is fully human and fully God. He is a king who is, despite appearances, placed upon the appropriate throne. He was, from the beginning, heading to the cross. God incarnate, the righteous branch of David, is born to die for us. Our king dies so that we may enter his eternal kingdom. The enemy that Jesus vanquishes from the cross is sin, death, and the devil. Those enemies, left unrecognized nor addressed through repentance and forgiveness, do far more damage to a people, than weapons ever can. Because sin, death, and the devil eat away at whatever goodness humans have in them and lead us into poor decisions and choices that wreck families and communities.
Our reception into the kingdom that Jesus rules over is not based on where we are born or our language or anything to do with our heritage or intelligence or geography or occupation. Jesus brings us into his everlasting kingdom because of our faith and confession of Him as our Lord and our God. You look at that cross, you trust that Jesus died for you to save you. He saves you by forgiving you.
Before we celebrate Jesus’ birth, we recognize the man for who he is. Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior, who gives us eternal life through his sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus comes for us.
Yes, good things are coming. A celebration of Jesus’ birth is coming. What a blessing to celebrate the gift of God incarnate among friends and family! And some gifts and presents add to the celebration. Advent also points us to the future. That time when we enter into the fullness of Jesus’ kingdom. Now, as St. Paul wrote, we see through a glass darkly. We rejoice that we have Jesus with us in the Word and in the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. We give thanks that we experience the effect of Jesus upon us when we receive His gracious forgiveness. Yet, we also have a promise that we will not always look through a glass darkly, but we will, in God’s good time, see our Lord face to face. That will be a good day indeed. A gift worth waiting for. Good things are coming.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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