“Come -- #1”

December 1, 2019, The First Sunday of Advent　

advent one
Matthew 24:36-44
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 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, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 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. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

One of the important teachings of the Christian Church is stated in the words of the Apostles Creed.

I believe in Jesus Christ. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

We believe that Christ will return, but the Bible does not tell us when that will be. Jesus said that even he himself did not know when he would return. But he promised that he will come. We do not know when that will be, so Jesus said, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” He might come today, next week, perhaps in our lifetime, maybe not for another thousand years. We might not meet Jesus until he comes on the Day of Resurrection of the Dead.

It is natural that people get sleepy or distracted when waiting for something or someone, or when waiting in line. If we get bored we might get into mischief or give up waiting. Or, we could fear the person or event that is coming: the policeman coming to our car, the teacher with a big test, mother with a paddle to spank us, the doctor with the lab results. Christians sometimes fear the Second Coming of Jesus when we remember our sin and unworthiness. It is hard to believe that His dying on the cross and his resurrection forgives our sin and gives us eternal life. It is hard to believe, yet that belief gives great relief, comfort, and hope. When we are waiting for Jesus, we must not forget that he promised to come. We must stand firm in our faith and not wander off into unbelief and sin.

Jesus said, “Therefore you also must be ready.” How do we get ready? It is by believing that Jesus is our personal Savior. It is by confessing our faith, accepting baptism, confessing our sin, and living in the love of Jesus.

What should we be doing while we wait? St. Paul described the Christian life in the words of today’s Epistle Reading. Romans 13:11–14. “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

What should we be doing while we wait? We should do the work that the Lord has given us to do. In today’s Gospel Reading Jesus said, “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.” Perhaps the men were planting seeds to harvest in the autumn. Perhaps the women were grinding flour to make bread for the family. They were going about their normal daily, God-given, God-pleasing lives. They were not worried about the Second Coming, because they had faith in what Christ did at His first coming. And so they were not worried and lived their lives in peace. So, carpenters should build good houses, teachers should teach well, gardeners should plant trees. Christians should gather on Sundays. We should celebrate Advent and Christmas. Our lives should be filled with prayer, praise and thanks. We should rejoice because the Holy Spirit has come and given us faith.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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