Second Sunday in Advent (2025)

Romans 15:4-13

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we find here in Holy Scriptures why we should hold on to and value the great and wonderful gift that God has given us in both the Old and New Testament. For many try to set aside the Words of the Old Testament as being only for the Jewish people, and don’t pertain to the New Testament believers at all. If that were true we would miss out on the great and wonderful blessings that God spoke to the people of Old, both Jew and Gentile that salvation is not just for us but for the whole world.

The Promised Savior

The first promise was in Eden.

Not long after the fall, and as man fell from grace and shattered the image of God, and Adam brought death upon us all. God spoke the first promise of salvation and it was included in the condemnation of the serpent. That Satan who had tempted Eve would not be successful in the end, but the devil would be overcome. The Scriptures are about this promise.

The OT follows the offspring.

We read offspring and we think of many, but the hebrew there is singular. It is about the one savior of the World who would fulfill the promise that God had given long ago in the Garden.It traces it through the line of Seth, to Noah, and then to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and all the way down to Mary who becomes the mother of God through His incarnation. Who is our hope.

Some thought He is only for Israel.

We talked a bit about this on Wednesday night, and it bears repeating that this child is born not just for the Jews, the children of Abraham, and Israel. This promise was made for all mankind, the Old Testament was given that we might know who this Child would, that is why Jesus chastises the pharisees for looking in the Old Testament for eternal life, when it is that the Scriptures bear witness to Him. Jesus has come for Jew and Gentile.

For Jew and Gentile

Look at the promises.

There are those who have tried to toss the Old Testament thinking that they were written only for the people of Israel, but Jesus isn’t just the hope of the Jewish people, the Old Testament bears witness to God’s plan of salvation. That the people of Israel would praise God among the Gentiles, that they too would rejoice with His people, giving praise to God above, and this promised savior would rule the gentiles and find their hope in Him.

There is hope for all.

For, if the gentiles can hope in him, then who is excluded? None, John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Which means Jesus is your savior. For Jesus

Jesus came to save sinners.

This is why Jesus is the hope of all people. For even those who have fallen far from grace, who have allied themselves with Satan, who have rejected God in Word and deed, who have fled far from Him, who think there is no forgiveness for me, I have to first make amends, but then find that no matter how hard they try, they still find themselves unworthy. Jesus came to earth for you. That’s what we find in Holy Scripture.

The Scriptures are for Everyone

Look what the Bible says!

It affirms that the message of salvation isn’t meant just for the good and the righteous, it isn’t just meant for the people of Israel, and those who dwell in the holy city of Jerusalem. It is meant for everyone for Jesus

Jesus is King of Kings.

He is the ruler and authority over all creation and all nations are subject to Him. That is why you find Christians across the globe in democracies, republics, in monarchies, and even in dictatorships. It doesn’t matter for Christ’s Kingdom is found wherever the Word is preached and the Sacraments are administered. For Jesus is Lord of All, and

That is why His birth is Good News.

A cause for celebration for all people. For He has come to save sinners all around the globe. The Law is a constant companion in our hearts and reminds us of our sin and our failings and we constantly try to prove that we are worthy, but we are poor miserable sinners who fall short of the glory that God calls us to, but the good news is that Christ the savior has come.

The εὐαγγέλιον(Euangelion)

We know this word as evangelize.

The greek word literal translates as Good Message, or Good News. So evangelism is sharing the Good news and the hope that we have in Jesus Christ our Lord. Now it was

It was used for a royal birth, or victory.

That fits perfectly what we have in the Scriptures. For Jesus is our King, who was born for our salvation, and by the Cross, He has won the victory for mankind and showed the proof of it by His Resurrection. So we get to proclaim the Good News to our neighbors that

Jesus was born for you.

Not just for the world, that’s general and abstract and they can think well yes, Jesus was born for all these other people, for the Gospel is not natural to our heart, no we get to say, Jesus was born for you, Jesus died for your, Jesus rose for you, for Jesus loves you. For God is Love and did not wish for you to perish, and so Jesus came to save you. The reason we gather together is to continue celebrating for .

The Champion is Coming

Jesus is our hope.

Jesus does not disappoint for He keeps all of his promises and has promised to bring us into his everlasting Kingdom. For the Son of God does not come as a terror, but as our champion, as our advocate with the Father, and as our Savior. This is why we rejoice at His birth on Christmas day, and look forward to His second coming.

How is faith created?

Well faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. We are encouraged to always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us. I get that the holidays are stressful, and that they can wear us down, but our hope isn’t in this world that is passing away, and that helps us get through the chaos of this life. For what can the world do to us, our hope is not in perishable things, but in the victory of Jesus Christ on Calvary.

So tell others this good news.

The the God of hope may fill not just us with this joy and peace in believing, but everyone for whom Christ died. For many do not know and think that this life is all there and obsess because they believe this is all the time they have, but through Christ we have eternity.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, what a great blessing that the Father sent the Son into the world not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well for Jesus is the hope of all mankind and so may you be filled with joy as we look forward to celebrating His birth and await His return. In Jesus name, Amen.