Your Redemption is Drawing Near
Luke 21:28

November 14, 2010


GOSPEL LESSON: Luke 21:5-28 [Your redemption is drawing near]
And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, "As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."
And they asked him, "Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?"
And he said, "See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, eI am he!f and, eThe time is at hand!f Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once."
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my namefs sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my namefs sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.
"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
P: This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.

Typhoons are destructive wind storms. There are winds and heavy rain and floods and landslides. There is loss of crops and property, and often loss of life, too. When I first came to Okinawa, I was afraid when the first typhoon came. But something that surprised me was that people in Okinawa actually look forward to typhoons! Of course they do not like the destruction, but they are thankful for the heavy rains which fill the reservoirs with water and so there will be no water shortage or water rationing. Children enjoy a day off from school. People rent videos, buy some party food and beer and enjoy the time.

I guess it was the same when I lived in snow-country. When there was a blizzard, driving conditions were hazardous and there was a lot of snow to shovel the next day. But children enjoyed playing in the snow and skiers were thrilled and eager to hit the fresh snow in the mountains.

In this same way of thinking, Jesus wants us to think about the signs at the end of the world. Jesus says there will be wars and natural disasters. He says there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. There will even be signs in the sky, perhaps like comets and the like. And one of the biggest signs will be the persecution and betrayal of believers. The Jews took great pride in the city of Jerusalem. It was the city of God. The Temple was there. But Jesus foretold that the city would be utterly destroyed. Jesus warned the disciples to flee the city when they saw the Roman army approaching. Even the city and temple of God would not be safe from the vengeance of the Lord. And so it was in the year A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the city.

In our lifetime, we have seen the signs of the end of the world. Just in this past year even, there have been typhoons, tsunami, tumults of war, famines, fighting in the streets, financial chaos. Christians are shunned, bullied, discriminated against, persecuted, and even killed in some places. These are signs that the end is coming. These are signs that conditions might get worse. Jesus does not mention disease and heartaches and family problems. But these things too make feel like our world is coming to an end. What should we do? Should we be afraid? Should we make preparations? Should we run and hide? No. What we need to do is trust in the Lord. Jesus spoke these words which give us courage and strength.


š "And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once."
š "This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. c. You will be hated by all for my namefs sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.
š "And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

When Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised he would return. This second coming of Christ is sometimes called the Day of Judgment, or the Day of Resurrection, or the End of the World. Is this a day of fear or a day of joy? For those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, it will be a day of joy. For people who have refused to believe in Jesus, it will be a day of fear.

The Gospel Good News is that the Day of Judgment will be the Second Coming of Christ. It is Good News because salvation has already been secured in the First Coming of Christ. This is when Jesus was born, taught, died, and arose again. There was the magnificent Temple building in Jerusalem, but Jesus spoke of his body when he said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). This temple was not destroyed by the Roman army; rather it was killed on the cross by sinful people. And yet, the devil could not destroy his body. On the third day he arose from the grave. That is proof that our sins had been forgiven. That is the promise that we too shall rise from the grave.

The Book of Genesis speaks of a world-wide natural disaster, the Flood. It was a Day of Judgment to cleanse the world of sin. And after the flood, God put a rainbow in the sky. It was a sign of the covenant between God and the Earth, that God would not destroy the world again by a flood. And whenever we see a rainbow after a rain, you and I should remember that covenant promise of God. It is a sign of Godfs love. In the same way, whenever we see natural disasters like tsunami and volcanoes, you and I should remember the words of warning of Jesus. But we must not be afraid. Jesus said, "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Do not cower in fear. Be filled with hope. Pray "Thy Kingdom come."

What should we Christians do when we hear about war and earthquakes and other disasters? First, trust God. And second, love your neighbor. Pray and work for disaster relief. Pray and help all who are in need. Pray and work for justice for those who are persecuted and bullied. Pray and give hope and courage in the Name of Jesus. Pray and proclaim the Gospel of forgiveness through the grace of Christ.

Between the first and second comings of Christ, Jesus promised, "Lo, I am with you always, even till the end of the world." Jesus is with us when ever we pray, and especially when two or three are gathered in his Name. He comes in the Word of Scripture. He comes in the Sacrament of the Altar. If you have no fear of his presence when we receive the communion of his Body and Blood, then you need not fear his coming at the end of the world. You do not need to fear when the world is in tumult, or when our hearts are sad and grieving. Jesus is with us. We trust Jesus. And we do as he says: "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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