Between the prophet Malachi and our Lord Jesus today we've got some pretty scary stuff. The Day of Lord, a day of burning! Signs in the sun and moon and stars. Terrors on the earth. Fear and fright! Is this stuff supposed to scare us? Are we supposed to be terrified by these words? On the one hand, we have these awful descriptions of the Lord's return for judgment. On the other hand we have such teaching of Malachi that the Lord will bring “healing in His wings.” Jesus says that we are to lift up our heads because our salvation draws near. So which is it? Are we supposed to be paralyzed with fear or full of joy and anticipation? The preachers of this world love to get on the topic of the End Times. They love to try to read the signs. They love to think they know when the time of our Lord's coming will be. They write book after book and novels that sell millions, all with the purpose of scaring people into believing. But faith doesn't come to us that way! In our Epistle, we hear St. Paul say that everything written in the Scriptures is written for our COMFORT. That, along with Jesus words that His Words will never pass away, tip the balance in favor of COMFORT. When we hear all of these prophecies of terrible things leading up to the End of Time and the Return of our Lord, we are to rejoice and be ready!
For the unbelieving world, the Second Coming of Christ will be a terrifying and horrible day. Those who have despised Jesus and who have lived for themselves and given no thought to heeding the words of their Creator will pass away with the heavens and the earth on that day! Here is our Advent repentance, dear Christians, that we don't get weighed down and caught up with the world in all that it's got going on, so that we aren't ready when the Lord returns. It's easy to find our lives filling up with the cares of this world. It's easy to become weighed down with the carefree lifestyle the world says we should have. Never mind all that religion and doctrine and stuff. Just have a belief in “God” and show up to church once in a while. Try to live a good life and it'll all work out in the end. On the one hand, the world is trying to lure us to its easy way of living that takes account only of ourselves and doesn't really care about God or neighbor. Then, on the other side you have the false preachers painting a picture of Jesus the horrible Judge who lives only to cast people into hell. This is why Advent is a good time to hear these words of Malachi and Jesus: so that we learn to fear the Judgment of the Lord against our sins, but learn to trust that His Judgment has fallen upon Jesus. While the world goes insane trying to outdo itself for anther big “holiday season,” Advent is a time for us to watch and be ready. To repent of our selfishness and to exercise ourselves in good works toward our neighbor. It's a time to remember that the Son of God who has come into this world has come to save us from our sins and to make us into something useful for our neighbor. Therefore repent of not paying attention first of all to the promises of the Gospel and the forgiveness of sins as the source of our life. And repent also of not paying attention to what your neighbor needs and how you can be a blessing to them.
Jesus warns His disciples about the End Times. He tells them to look at the signs and to be ready and watching. But He does not say those things as if He expects us to have the strength to do it ourselves! He comforts us with the promise through Malachi that He brings healing in His wings. He reminds us that when that Day comes, we are to lift up our heads because our salvation draws near. Brothers and sisters in Christ, take comfort in THAT Jesus. Not the Jesus who says, “I know when you're awake and sleeping and if you've been bad or good!” (That's the Law-based Santa's line!) The Jesus who comforts us is the One who comes on that Last Day wearing nail marks in His hands and feet and a spear scar in His side. That is, the Jesus who comes on the Last Day is no different than the Jesus who is born in Bethlehem. He is the Son of God in the flesh whose arrival is for the purpose of saving sinners! When Jesus comes again, he won't come to condemn you. He can't! Because your sins have already been judged. Already condemned. Already had sentence passed upon them. Already been paid for. By this Jesus. On the cross. By His broken body and His spilled blood. This Jesus whom the world pays no attention to, He is the Savior. That is why even before He was born He was given the name “Jesus” which means “the Lord saves” because, as the angel told Joseph, “He will save His people from their sins.”
But brothers and sisters, it's a long way from Calvary to the Second Coming! In this time in between in which we live, it is hard to be pressed by the dying world on one side and the Jesus-is-going-to-condemn-you false prophets on the other side! That is why Jesus says plainly and simply: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Words shall surely never pass away.” There it is! Our comfort, our hope, our confidence, our joy, our peace, our life, our salvation are in HIS Words. Word and water given in Baptism. That means your Baptism is good forever. Heaven and earth will pass away but your baptism won't. Jesus' words of the Gospel: forgiveness of sins for His sake. They cannot pass away. So the pronouncement that your sins are forgiven, that cannot pass away. Heaven and earth will pass away but the forgiveness bestowed upon you shall never expire. The Words of Jesus that bring us His body and blood. Not only will Jesus' words not pass away, but He can't pass away! He has already died and conquered death. Do you see, dear Christian? Heaven and earth will pass away but Jesus' words will never pass away. And you have been made new through Jesus' words. Even though you will pass away for a time, you will be raised imperishable in Christ. But let's make sure we understand: our Christian hope is not that we get to stick around. What good are we? What good am I in and of myself? None! Our hope and joy is that Jesus' words don't pass away. That means we will have life, but not as our selfish and sinful selves, but as a new creation in Christ. So cling to Jesus' words, dear Christians, because they will never pass away!
And because His Words never pass away, you can stand before the Son of Man. Jesus says to pray for that. Pray that you will have victory over all these things and stand before Jesus on the Last Day. Many people, many Christians even don't want to stand before Jesus on the Last Day. The Purpose-Driven-Best-Life preachers out there will tell you that even if you are a Christian, even if you are going to heaven, you still have to face God on the Last Day and if you haven't done everything He wanted you to do, you will still have shame and disappointment on that day! Those preachers will try to convince you that even though you will stand before the Lord as “saved” you must still give account of your sins for all the world to see. Lies! Listen carefully: The Jesus who came as an itty-bitty baby and died despised on the cross for sinners will NOT come on the Last Day to accuse you and read a list of all your sins before grudgingly letting you through the pearly gates! The Jesus who goes through cross and grave, who washes and absolves and feeds you—that Jesus doesn't then tell you to stand before Him so He can get a twisted delight in condemning you. No, dear Christian, when Jesus tells you to pray that you might stand before Him, it is to stand before Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness.
Dear Christians, pay attention! Watch! Be ready! In this Advent season, learn the repentance of turning your back on the world's way of living and instead exercising yourself in faith by hearing the Lord's Word and receiving His gifts. Exercise yourself also in love toward your neighbor. We all know people who are going crazy at this time of year: give them a hand; help them out; do something to put a smile on their faces! And when you hear now or anytime of the year, anything about the Coming of Christ that is not comforting, flee from such talk and preaching. Learn what your Baptism says. Hear what Absolution bestows. Eat and drink the forgiveness that Jesus' body and blood bring. And when that Day comes, when the heavens begin to fall apart and the earth is in turmoil, then don't be afraid! Rather, lift up your head in joy and confidence that your Lord is on the way back to bring His church to her eternal dwelling with Him. Wait! Watch! And know that you are ready for Jesus' return because He Himself has made you ready. Amen.