Sermon for Advent 1: "Without Warning" (Matthew 24:36-44)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

I have a running joke with my wife, which usually comes up each time we go grocery shopping together. I don’t know about you, but when I see random shopping carts scattered around the parking lot, I say, “They couldn’t make it! They’ve been raptured! I know they wanted to return their cart, but there wasn’t enough time.” 

  

On second thought, maybe not everyone is raptured, since I have seen some people nestle their cart on top of a curb – often when the cart corral was just feet away. But for many of those other people, who knows? Maybe it was their time?

 

Now, I’m not here to judge you if you don’t return your cart. Although, it is the right thing to do. So, I guess I am judging. However, today’s Gospel text has much to do with the rapture. In fact, this is one of the so-called “proof texts” of the dispensationalists who believe that some will be “taken” and others will be “left behind.” So, let’s take a look at this claim.

 

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus compares the Last Day – the Day of Judgment – to be like the days of Noah. He says: “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37).

 

For everyone, but Noah and his family, everything appeared to be normal. Jesus says: “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark” (Matthew 24:38). They were unaware. They were just living their lives as they did. They were living out life’s normal patterns of food and drink, forming human families and being formed in those families. They were just following the normal orders of the day.

 

But then, seemingly, without warning, the flood came and swept them all away. Every land creature that was not on Noah’s ark was swept away.

 

I say seemingly without warning, because the people who perished must have noticed the construction of the ark. This must have attracted some attention. It’s not everyday that you see a large boat being built nowhere near a body of water. There must have been some conversation among the people. They couldn’t have been oblivious.

 

When we see construction projects going up and we don’t know what is being constructed, how often do we make guesses on what it could be? Could it be another Kwik Trip? A Chick-fil-a? So, I’m sure a large boat being constructed with no water nearby would have caused some conversation. What is that Noah doing now? Who builds a ship nowhere near water? Why is Noah doing this?

 

All appeared normal for the people. Again, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. They were shopping, they were going out to eat, they were forming families. But then they were swept away. But why? Well, as Scripture says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuously” (Genesis 6:5). 

 

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man, because he had a right relationship with God. He had faith. Now, Noah was just as bad as those other people, but he trusted in the Lord for his redemption. Noah was a sinner who sought forgiveness. Noah trusted the Lord and followed His commands in constructing the ark. The Lord preserved Noah, his family, and two of every living creature as God’s remnant.

 

Jesus then says, this is exactly how the Last Day will be. Everything will appear normal. Nothing unordinary. People will be watching the morning news, reading the newspaper, driving into work. They will be raising their children. They will be preparing supper. But “then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left” (Matthew 24:40-41).

 

Jesus says this is how it will be on the Last Day. But what is to be understood of the one “taken” and the other “left”? Jesus here never specifies to where the one will be taken. Is this a positive or a negative outcome?

 

Again, we have two men working in a field – one taken, one left. We have two women grinding flour at a mill – one taken, one left.

 

Well, for the dispensationalists, they believe that the rapture must take place before Jesus returns. So, they understand those taken are with God. They see the “left behind” as the wicked.

 

But how does Jesus lead into talking about the one taken and one left? He speaks of Noah and the unsuspecting flood. Who was taken and who was left behind in that scenario? 

 

The flood came upon an unsuspecting humanity. Noah went into the ark, while Jesus says, “the flood came and took – or swept – them all away.” Jesus here refers to “taken” as a word of judgment, and not salvation. So, being “left behind” is likely to be understood as an indication of salvation.

 

Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets speak frequently of God’s judgment coming upon Israel in terms of the apostates – those who claim to be followers of God, but actually live their lives not as God’s people, since they have more in common with pagans than fellow “believers” – they were taken away into exile, removed from the land, and others being left behind constituting a remnant. And this remnant would grow into faithful believers in the future.

 

Anyhow, the main point of Jesus’ teaching is the suddenness and the unknowability of that day. That day will come without any sign or warning.

 

We would all like to know when a thief would break into your home, or into your car. We never expect that. And if we would, we would like to be prepared.

 

On May 17, 1987, an Iraqi F-1 Mirage aircraft fired two Exocet missiles at the Navy frigate USS Stark, which was patrolling in the Persian Gulf.

 

The USS Stark was equipped to be prepared for anything with its state-of-the-art radar systems to detect such missiles in the air. In the nerve center of the ship was the electronic warfare operator. So if a missile was fired at the ship, he would be warned in two ways: an audible alarm would sound and a visual symbol would appear on the radar screen. But seemingly without warning, those Iraqi Exocet missiles struck the USS Stark, tearing a ten-foot hole in the ship and killed 37 American sailors.

 

How could this happen? How could a ship that is prepared to detect such missiles just not notice it? Well, after an investigation from the House Armed Services Committee, it was learned that this tragedy was not from equipment failure. It turned out that the audible alarm had been turned off. And the operator appears to have been distracted at the time when the visual signals appeared on the radar screen.

 

That ship was prepared for anything, but it was human error that caused the failure. With many warnings available to protect them, out of their own convenience, they ended up being without any warning.

 

As we begin the season of Advent, we are to be reminded that we must be ready “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). Lo, He comes with clouds descending!

 

So, how are you prepared for the Lord’s Coming on the Last Day? Are you going to be swept away like during those days of Noah? Are you going to turn off the audible alarm?

 

Well, in this time between His First and Second Coming, Jesus does not leave us unprepared. In fact, here you are! Just by being here, in the Lord’s House, Christ is preparing you for His coming!

 

Yes, we wait for the Lord’s return at an hour we do not expect. But we don’t have to wait for His presence! The Kingdom of God is even now in our midst through His Word and Sacrament! You see, each time we meet at His Divine Service, we confess our sins and receive His forgiveness. We remember what Christ alone has done for us. He conquered sin, death, and the devil for you! Through His atoning suffering and death, by faith in Him, we have life! Jesus came in our flesh to give everyone who clings to Him as Lord: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation!

 

As Emmanuel – God with us – Jesus died to the punishment that our sins deserve and rose to life, so we would be restored to His Kingdom!

 

Without warning, on that Last Day, the Son of Man – the Savior from sin – will also be the Son of Man of our salvation! Amen!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Pentecost 23: "The Day Is Surely Drawing Near" (Luke 21:5-28)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

The day is surely drawing near! But what day? We just had election day. For many, that day was circled on the calendar as “the day.” But, that day has come and gone until next year. Could it be planning for Thanksgiving? What about Christmas? No, not any of those days.

 

The day is surely drawing near! The big day. The day we publicly proclaim each time we confess the Creed: “And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end” (Nicene Creed).

 

Yes, that’s the day! That day is surely drawing near! The Last Day. The Day of Christ’s Return. The Second Coming. Judgment Day. That day is surely drawing near! But when? And how will I know? We, like the Twelve disciples, ask these questions. Today, Jesus prepares us for that day that draws near – the day of our redemption.

 

As we come to the end of the Church Year, the themes we hear read on Sunday mornings take a shift. I’m sure you noticed that already. For these final weeks of the Church Year, the Christian Church renews her hopeful yearning for the return of her bridegroom, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the redemption of all things.

 

But along with the joy of the Lord’s return, we must first face various trials, tribulations, pains, persecutions, plagues, and the like. This doesn’t sound at all like what we want, but these events prepare us for Christ’s coming.

 

In our reading today from Luke 21, the disciples were in awe of the Jerusalem Temple, and why wouldn’t they be? The temple was beautiful! It was huge! You see, for about the last 50 years, the temple had been undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion, and it would not be finished for another 30 years – until AD 64. This was the legacy of King Herod the Great. His goal was to put the temple on the map of the Roman Empire. He certainly did that. With its spectacular white stones, its 40-foot marble columns, its tapestries, its golden and bronze doors.

 

The temple was like the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building of its time with its elegance and beauty. Everyone was in awe. Well, everyone but Jesus. “As for these things that you see,” Jesus said, “the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Luke 21:6).

 

You see, the destruction of the temple is intended to be an advanced sample of the end of the world. Man certainly enjoys focusing on its accomplishments. But God is here to constantly humble us by reminding us on who is really in control. We may build fancy buildings, skyscrapers, and stadiums, but God has the power to wipe them completely off the face of the earth.

 

As for the destruction of the temple, it served as a sneak peak of what is to come. In Scripture, the same use is made of the Flood and of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In an instant, the Flood wiped away unrepentant man (Genesis 6). In an instant, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, due to their sexual perversions – their homosexual lust, were destroyed when the Lord reigned on them sulfur and fire (Genesis 19:24). For each event, God gave an advance picture of the final Divine retribution on unrepentant despisers of God’s grace – the coming destruction, and of the glorious deliverance of a small remnant by God’s grace – Noah’s family and Lot.

 

Jesus speaks of Jerusalem and the temple being razed and abandoned. Here, He is foretelling of God’s withdrawal of His grace and His Means of Grace from the Jews hardened in unbelief. Spiritually, they would be left desolate and deserted.

 

This coming destruction of the temple and the city will be a preview of what is to come on the Last Day. In AD 70, Jerusalem and its temple would lay in ruins. They would lay in ruins, because they no longer served any theological purpose, since the Son of God – the Second Person of the Trinity – Jesus the Christ is the embodiment of the true Temple. And Christians were not to remain in Jerusalem, but to spread the good news of salvation to all nations, all peoples, to the ends of the earth. 

 

But then what? When is the end? When is the Last Day?

 

Well, when Jesus returns on earth! But as Jesus says, many will say, “‘I am he!’ and ‘The time is at hand!’” (Luke 21:8). Through history, many have claimed to be Jesus. But would Jesus really reveal Himself to a select few? No! When he returns all will know by sight and sound in an instant! So we must not go after these shallow imitations of the one true God. Jesus is the only one who shares the name of God. He is Yahweh in the flesh. Again, we will all know when Jesus returns. There will be no question. No doubting. We will all know. 

So, this time between His first coming and His second coming, we ought not fall for false teachings that claim to be God-pleasing, since the truth has been fully revealed in Jesus Christ as given us in Scripture.

 

So, don’t go after false teachers! But Jesus says there will be more to come – not just false teachers. There will be wars and tumults, insurrections, but do not be terrified.

 

Jesus says, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Luke 21:10). Our sinful nature and the world are often convinced that humanity can prevent wars and make world peace. But even with the League of Nations, the United Nations, and NATO, what still happens? Wars and rumors of wars. But why? Why can’t we end the prospect of war? We can’t because it proves that the day is surely drawing near.

 

“There will be earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences,” Jesus says. “And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11). Again, our sinful nature and the world don’t see these as signs that the day is drawing near. Instead, we often hear things like: “There is no God!” “We can fix it!” “If we only had this legislation made law.” “If we only vote for this candidate, we can save the earth!” Yes, we are to be good stewards of the earth, but humankind’s actions cannot lead to the end of life on earth. Only God has that power. He is the Creator. We are only mere creatures. Again, these phenomena only prove that the day is drawing near.

 

Jesus then speaks of consequences Christians will face in the latter days. We will be persecuted. We will face religious and civic persecution for confessing the truth that Jesus is Lord. We will face betrayal by our closest loved ones. In the West, we are beginning to see the ramifications of the concept of toleration really meaning affirmation. We are seeing sin praised by the culture. For us Christians, this means that when we publicly confess the one true faith, we must be ready to be ridiculed, or worse, persecuted. This again proves that the day is drawing near.

 

Judgment is coming. The day of vengeance is coming. But for us Christians, we do not fear! We are baptized believers. The Lord has prepared for this day. You see, He died on the cross to pay for our sins and thus take away the judgment. Christ took the judgment on Himself, the very wrath of God against sinners, so that the judgment would not fall upon you!

 

So, we prepare by being in His Word and taking the coming day of judgment very seriously. We heed Christ’s call for repentance and at the same time, we look forward to this great and awesome day as a day of redemption!

 

The unrepentant sinful world, however, has much to fear. But we don’t! The world may be careening out of control. Whether it is politics and governments, or catastrophes and disasters, or terrorism, there’s a lot that could frighten us. But in the middle of it all, God provides His Word.

 

Jesus’ words give us hope and strength and perspective. He says, “This will be your opportunity to bear witness” (Luke 21:13) and “By your endurance you will gain your lives” (Luke 21:19). Jesus says to us: “I have rescued you! You are mine!” You see, God’s Word assures us that He is moving the world toward the goal of that final day.

 

As the unrepentant world lives in fear or wrongly thinks they can solve the world’s ills, we look forward to that great day with confidence in Jesus Christ!

 

The Day is surely drawing near – and God is in control of everything!

 

Yes, we often wrongly believe that we are in charge. But, gone is the Jerusalem temple. Gone is the Roman Empire. We must always be reminded that God is running the show, He controls history. So, every time you read or hear about a war or a disaster, let it remind you that this tired, troubled world is moving toward the goal, the plan, that God has in store for when the Christ returns in glory, when we “will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). On that day, Jesus will set all things right.

 

For the unrepentant that day will be a dreadful day, but for us, Jesus says, that day will be a glorious day. He says, “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise you heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). In other words, don’t give up. We may experience bad things that could weigh us down, but our redemption draws near. Take courage! The Lord is coming! The Lord is coming to redeem you, and this is a promise we can hold on to with fullest confidence. So, we must remember and believe: The day is coming when Jesus will return to redeem His people! Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +