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December 3, 2006
C-Advent 1
Luke 21:25-36
Pastor Robert Raasch

The Son of Man will Come with Power and Great Glory!

1. Be Watchful
2. Be Joyful
3. Be Careful

As you know, today we enter the season of Advent. You maybe also know that the word "advent" comes from a Latin word that means "to come to" or "to arrive." It's the season of the church year when we eagerly anticipate Jesus' "coming"-his first coming as the Babe of Bethlehem and his second coming as the Judge of the universe. Really, the season of Advent serves that double perspective. We prepare for the anniversary of Jesus' first coming at Christmas and prepare for the reality of his second coming, whenever that may be.

Well, in our text for today, Jesus turns our attention, not to his first coming, but rather, his second coming. He tells his disciples then and his disciples today that:

The Son of Man will Come with Power and Great Glory!

And in light of that fact, his advice to believers is threefold:

1. Be Watchful
2. Be Joyful
3. Be Careful

The words that we have before us were spoken by Jesus on Tuesday of Holy Week, three days before he died. As Jesus walked past the temple in Jerusalem, his disciples remarked what a magnificent building it was-to which Jesus responded, "Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another, every one will be thrown down" (Matt. 24:2). Well, that got the disciples thinking. They came to Jesus a little later and said, in effect, "Jesus, are you serious? God's temple demolished?!? When is that going to happen? Will it be at the end of the world?"

Well, it's that question that prompts Jesus to offer his disciples this whole vision of the end times. He describes a time of famines and earthquakes, lovelessness and persecution-much of which we studied two weeks ago in connection with Daniel's vision of the End.

Well, after speaking about what would occur down through the centuries, Jesus goes on to talk about what will happen right at the end. That's where our text for today picks up. Jesus says, first of all, "There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars." What kind of signs? Well, the prophet Joel gives us a pretty good clue. In Joel 2:30 we read that there will be "wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD."

And what effect will all those signs have on the inhabitants of this world? Jesus tells us, "On the earth nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint in terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken." Can you imagine what that will be like? When I hear those words, I can't help but think of the evens of 9-11. Seeing those people running for their lives in front of a wall of smoke and debris as the World Trade Tower crashed to the ground. You think of the panic in their eyes. The terror in their voices. The cries of "God, what is happening here?" My friends, that is just a glimpse of what the Final Days will be like as men, in Jesus' words, "faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming in the world."

Now, why does Jesus tell us all this? Does he want to get us all stressed out about what's still ahead for Planet Earth? No, actually just the opposite. Jesus tells us these things so that we can I. Be Watchful. What does that mean? It means that Jesus gives us these various signs to watch for, so that when we see them, we know what they mean, so that we know what's coming next. I mean, isn't that the point of Jesus' parable here in our text? Jesus tells his disciples, "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening (namely, the signs in the heavens), then "you know that the kingdom of God is near." Do you see the connection here? The leafing of the trees is a sign that summer is just around the corner. If you know the signs, then in a sense, you know what's coming. Jesus says the same thing is true of the signs in the sky. Know the signs and you'll know what's coming. Or to put it another way, watch for the signs, know what they mean and rather than putting you in a panic with the rest of the world, those signs will tell you that, as Jesus puts it, "the kingdom of God is near."

But now, that raises an even bigger question, namely, is the coming of God's kingdom a good thing or a bad thing? Exactly what is to be the Christian's attitude as he or she sees the fire and smoke and moon turning to blood? Jesus' answer: II. Christian, Be Joyful.

Listen to what Jesus says. "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near." What does that mean: "your redemption is drawing near"? I mean hasn't Jesus already redeemed us by his death on a cross? Hasn't he already bought us back with his blood? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, by his death on the cross, Jesus has freed us from the guilt and punishment that we deserve to receive because of our sins. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we're not going to hell. In that sense our souls have been redeemed.

And yet, even though our souls are free from the guilt of sin, the fact is, our bodies are still infected with the poison of sin. That's why we still get sick, we still experience pain, we still struggle with temptation, and ultimately, we die. And not only are our bodies infected with sin, so is our world. The world is still subject to famines and earthquakes and man-made violence of many kinds. St. Paul writes to the Romans, chapter 8, "the whole creation has been subjected to frustration…and has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

But when Jesus returns in glory, all that will change. St. Paul says that when Jesus returns, "all creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." Not only will creation be set free from the effects of sin. So will all who put their trust in him. Suddenly we will have bodies that are glorified, bodies that are no longer effected by sin, bodies that feel no pain, bodies that never die, bodies that will never decay.

My friends, do you see why Jesus says that for believers, the Last day will be a great day, a glorious day? He says, when you see that day approaching, "stand up and lift up your heads!" I think it's interesting to note that in the original language the word translated as "stand up" can also mean to "be elated." Don't those two things go together? If you've ever been to a game at Lambeau Field, you know that when the Packers score, what happens? Everybody jumps to their feet. The whole place stands up. Why do they do that? Is it because there's a sign on the scoreboard that reads, "Please stand up now"? No, it's just a natural reaction, an expression of joy. You've been waiting and waiting for the team to get over the goal line and so when it finally happens, you jump up and say, "Yes! All right! That's what I've been waiting for!"

Well, multiply that emotion a hundredfold, and you get an idea of what you and I can feel as we see the Lord approaching in glory. While the whole world may be terrified by the thought of "Judgment Day," you and I, dressed in Christ's righteousness, look forward to its coming. For we know what will happen on that day. Through faith in God's Son, we will be set free from sin, death and decay forever.

Martin Luther said it's a little like begin held captive in an enemy fortress. When you first hear gunfire, and shouting and the walls crashing down, you might be terrified-until you realize, "Wait a minute. Those guys are fighting for me. They're coming to rescue me. It's time to stand up and lift my head!" My friends, that's what the future holds for you and me, because Jesus is our Redeemer.

And yet even though we know what's coming, what we don't know is when it's coming. That's why Jesus offers us one last piece of advice, namely, III. Christian, Be Careful. Listen to Jesus' words, "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life." Hmmm. Your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation. What's dissipation? Well, even though dissipation comes before drunkenness in this verse, in real life, dissipation is what comes after drunkenness. Dissipation is the headache, the nausea, the vomiting that comes after you've had too much to drink. Some might call it, "the hang-over."

So what does that have to do with Judgment Day? Well, simply this. Jesus says that if we don't watch for his return, if we think that there will never be a day when we stand before him in Judgment, we're going to think that our lives are all about the here and now. We're going to be tempted to think, "I might as well go out and get drunk, live for myself. Life's all about my pleasure, my fun, yes, my cares, my worries, my aches and pains. Our hearts become weighed down. And before you know it, as Jesus puts it, "that day will close on you unexpectedly, like a trap." There's a fitting illustration for you. Judgment Day will be like a trap. Just as a mouse doesn't know what hit him because he was so focused on the cheese, so also there will be a lot of people in our world who won't know what hit them when Jesus returns in glory. But in both cases, by that time it will be too late.

Now, does Jesus' advice really apply to you and me, I mean, people who are expecting Jesus to return some day? Yes, these words still apply. Why is that? Because we are not immune to the thought, "Judgment Day, that's way off in the future. I don't need to be concerned about something that far in the distance." But that kind of thinking is wrong on two counts. First, because even if Jesus doesn't return for another 500 years, the fact is, your judgment day and mine may come as we're crossing the street this afternoon. And secondly, even if the Lords' return is delayed for the sake of those he still wants to gather into his church, the fact is, he will still hold us accountable for how we spent the time, talents and treasures he has given us today. That's why Jesus says, "Christian, be careful that you don't become weighed down with the things of this world."

My friends, as you think about what Jesus is saying here, as you think about the signs that will accompany the Lord's return, as you think about the end of the world as we know it, it's easy to feel a little uneasy, a little apprehensive about the future. That's why it's so important to go back to the promises that God has made us in the gospel. Remember, God promises that he's not sending his Son to condemn us for our sins. He's already condemned all our sins in his Son. Therefore Jesus is not coming to punish us. He's coming to set us free from the pain and trials of life in this world and instead, take us, body and soul, into glory. That means that Jesus' coming is a good thing. It's something we look forward to in eager anticipation. In fact, as believers we can wake up every morning, look up into the sky and think, "Perhaps, today is the day!" My friends, that's the confident and eager hope that you can have as a redeemed child of God. Because Jesus once came in humility for you, you can be sure he'll come again in glory for you. In fact, that's why you and I can join the whole Christian Church on earth in praying with peace and joy in our hearts: "Come, Lord Jesus. Come." Amen.