Advent 2

Intro - Welcome to our second service and to second advent. Today’s text might be one of the more complicated of the Gospels in that it takes some background to know what it is getting at and how it applies.

Kids…do you ever have a sibling that catches you using their stuff, and makes a big noise about getting it back

MAIN PONT: Todays text is about what to expect when Jesus comes returns to make place the Kingdom of Heaven over this kingdom of earth.

The Text

So in the portion of Luke, Jesus has entered into the city of Jerusalem and he has cleared the temple. The whole of Jewish Political and religious life revolved around the temple and Jesus just launch an anti corruption campaign that is gonna loose a lot of people money and influence. So we see in the next section of scripture significant challenges to Jesus and his message. He tells the religious leaders that eventually the Romans are going to come as sack Jerusalem, that is raze it to the ground.

Our text picks up as Jesus then moves away from describing the calamities that people experience as there are power struggles against Earthly kingdoms, that is what kind of calamities come when the Roman empire asserts its power, and Jesus is going to start to discuss the Calamity when Jesus will return to assert his power.

Luke 21:25–26[25] “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, [26] people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (ESV)

So when the Romans come to assert power the city and the temple are destroyed, but the calamity of God in the flesh will be far greater. Its not that buildings topple…is that the seas roar and the sun moon and stars will behave strange.

The territory that belongs to the Romans shake at the arrival of Rome, the heavens shake at the arrival of the Son.

Luke 21:27-28 The Son of Man will arrive

Daniel 7:13-14Daniel 7:13–14 [13] “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him [14] And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (ESV)

Human and should be destroyed in the presence of God, This one survives.

He is presented as a once in fellowship

He is given Dominion, an earned place at the right had of God.

His Dominion is over all peoples

An everlasting Dominion.

Verse 28: Redemption is near, The reunion of God to his people

Luke 21: 29-30 Tells a parable, the turmoil in creation is as sure a sign as the leaves of a tree telling this seasons.

Verse 33: The arrives of God will mean the end of any thing temporal, only eternal things will survive…heaven and Earth.

MAIN PONT: Todays text is about what to expect when Jesus comes returns to make place the Kingdom of Heaven over this kingdom of earth.

So what is our application for this. Well let me see if I can bring us back to the communion service in the book of common prayer. When God comes to reunite his space with our space, only those things will survive that are eternal that are Holy, worthy. Our communion service today will begin with the prayers of the people. but then we will confess our sins and be reminded of the work of Christ to make us Holy, that the work of Christ on the cross has sanctified us. And as God’s Holy people we will not only stand at the edge of heaven, we will not only join with the angels and say Holy Holy Holy, we will take the Holy food of God that is in a spiritual manner the body and blood of Jesus and we will unite with it in eating it, We will have assurance that as holy creatures united to God we will not only see the return of Jesus, but we will not pass away like heavens and earth but we will remain. We will have everlasting life as Holy Creatures united to God. Those of us who have passed through the waters of Baptism an are given the Holy Spirit, who eat of the spiritual food of God and are united to him, are not in Christ, That son of man who stands before the ancient of days. We to stand with him.

The marching of Armies and the destruction of cities are reminders that the kingdoms of this world are at odds with each other and are temporal. Jerusalem fell, Rome fell, Byzantium fell, One day even America will fall, but the kingdom of our God and of his Christ, will unfold for all eternity and God’s own people will stand in his presence.

MAIN PONT: Todays text is about what to expect when Jesus comes returns to make place the Kingdom of Heaven over this kingdom of earth.

The bible assures us that we do not deserve this. The Bible assures us that only perfect and Holy people deserve to stand with God at the end of all things. Those who have never broken and of God’s commandments. Worship God alone, do not have Idols, do not take the Lords Name in vain, Keep the Sabbath Day, Honor your Mother and Father, Do not Murder, Do not Commit adultery, Do not kill, steal, have jealous desires. Those are the ten commandments kept by GOd’s Holy people. All of us have broken most is not all of God’s commandments. How could we ever hope to stand Holy in the presence of God for communion today or in his presence at the end of all things?

We can stand in God’s presence today and at the end of all things because he has already come once. In a town called Bethlehem, a child is born to poor parents, who go on the run as refugees, he lives a perfect life, and dies the death of sinners so that his Holiness could be ours, he rises from the grave and stands in the presence of the Ancient of Days in victory over sin and death. And now that on the cross his Holiness is passed on to us his undeserving people we get the reward of everlasting life.

This is why we celebrate Advent and the editor of the Book of Common Prayer saw fit to use this text as a lead up to Christmas. One day the king will come to establish his throne forever, but first he comes to gather and feed his own not disrupting all the stars, just the one, not with violence but as the object of violence. Not with a crown of Gold but thorns.

If you have never said yes to the free gift of God’s grace or its been a while since you have visited that commitment you have a chance today to say yet to God, to extend your hands and receive his life giving Body as an act of faith. As a way of receiving the Son of Man. But let me warn you if you truly want to respond to God we do not only respond here at the table but in the baptismal. Let us know if you want to be God’s forever for the first time and we will schedule your baptism as a sign that you are a citizen of the God’s Kingdom that will never pass away. Amen