Deo Gloria
December 18, 2019
Advent Sermon
Pastor Martin Bentz
Text: Matthew 25:31
Theme: The Spirit of Advent Yet to Come
Try talking to people now days about angels and you’ll probably get a variety of reactions. Some will smile at you as if to say, “Dear man, do you still believe in Santa Claus too?” Others may not be so polite. They may laugh at you and ridicule you. After all, in this scientific age of ours, aren’t angels just another quaint relic from a superstitious past, kind of like elves and leprechauns and pixie dust?
Read through the Bible, however, and you’ll find something very different. There you’ll find that angels are not a laughing matter at all. Angels are real. And if, by God’s grace, we still believe the Bible, then these holy messengers are still deserving of our awe and respect.
Modern day Christians may have a different problem with angels, though. No, they may not pooh-pooh the whole idea of angels, but far too often they think that angels only live on the pages of the Bible and are not still active in our lives or in our world today. And yet, there are those who would strongly disagree. You see, their lives have been touched by an angel; and I don’t mean because they watched the show on TV. They walked away from a terrible car accident with hardly a scratch. They survived a deadly tornado, when everything around them was torn apart. They were rescued from a burning house by a fireman who appeared out of nowhere and who disappeared once they were safely outside. They believe they owe their lives to God’s angels.
Tonight we conclude our series on the Spirits of Advent. We’ve learned from the Spirit of Advent Past that ever since the first Gospel promise in the Garden of Eden, God had been preparing his people for the coming of his Son. We’ve learned from the Spirit of Advent Present that the real joy of Christmas is Jesus and that he still comes to us in his Word and Sacrament. And tonight the Spirit of Advent Yet to Come will remind us that Jesus is coming again, just as he promised. Jesus put it this way in the Gospel of Matthew: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.”
Talking about angels during the season of Advent and Christmas seems very fitting, doesn’t it? I mean the Gospel accounts for this time of year are full of angel appearances. Luke opens his Gospel with the appearance of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah, announcing that he and Elizabeth would be the parents of the forerunner of the Messiah. Half a chapter later, the angel Gabriel appears again, this time to Mary, telling her that she would be the mother of the Savior. I’m sure you remember his words: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High”(vv. 30-32).
On Christmas Eve an angel appeared to the shepherds in the fields outside of Bethlehem and preached the very first Christmas sermon: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”(Luke 2:10+11). And then a whole host of angels appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”(v. 14). And how can we forget the angel who appeared to the women at the empty tomb on Easter morning, proclaiming the wonderful news that our Savior had risen? “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said”(Mt 28:5+6). Just as the angels were present and played a role in our Savior’s first coming, so they will be present and play a role in our Savior’s second coming too. As Matthew said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.”
Are you ready for that day, the day this world of ours will come to an end, the day we will hear that loud trumpet blast from the sky, the day our Lord will appear in all his glory and all his angels with him? If we’re honest, we have to admit that part of us trembles at those words. Our hearts tremble a bit at the thought of our world coming to an end and our having to stand before the Lord of heaven and earth. And for good reason: We know we have sinned. We know we have often disobeyed our Lord and his commands. We know we have often ignored our Lord and his Word because we thought we knew better. We know we have often put other things ahead of him and he had to take a back seat in our lives. Even at Christmas, when we’re supposed to be celebrating his birth, how many times haven’t we focused on ourselves and the presents we were getting from others, rather than of thinking about the wonderful gift God gave us in a Savior? And we also know what we deserve because of our sins: not to be welcomed into his eternal kingdom of glory, but to be banished from his presence and shut out of his kingdom forever, which brings us back to the season of Advent.
Advent is a time of repentance. Advent is a time to confess our sinfulness, our foolishness, our selfishness, our Scrooge-like lack of love and kindness. Advent is a time to repent of our sins, as John the Baptist urges us to do, and to look to Jesus for forgiveness.
Yes, there’s something else we know too, something that brings us great comfort and peace, something that takes away our fear and fills our hearts with joy. We know that that baby who was born in a manger is the very Son of God. We know that he came into this world of ours to be our Savior and rescue us from our sins. We know he lived a perfect life for us, a life of perfect obedience to God’s commands. We know he suffered and died for us, giving his life on the cross in payment for our sins. We know he rose for us, victorious over sin and death, and promising life and salvation to all who believe. And we know he’s coming back one day too, in all his glory, with all his holy angels. He’s coming back for you and me, to take us from this world of sin and sorrow to live with him in perfect joy and peace forever. This is what fills the season of Advent with hope and joy. We’re looking ahead, beyond the manger, and even beyond Christmas itself. We’re looking forward to the day when we will join the angels and all the saints of heaven in a mighty chorus of praise: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”(Rev. 5:13).
So as we wrap up this Advent season and prepare for the celebration of Christmas, don’t forget to look ahead. Look ahead to the Advent yet to come. And then lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Amen.