Sermon Title
Scripture References
Jeremiah 33:14-16
The Lord’s Eternal Covenant with David
14 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Timothy’s Encouraging Report
9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? 11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Luke 19:28-40
The Triumphal Entry
28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Sermon Script
Hope, The Reason For The Season
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” This loud rejoicing message is probably not something you would expect to hear on this first day of Advent. In fact, Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey colt is technically a Palm Sunday text. I admit this year has gone by quickly, but Easter has long passed. Yet… we have this Gospel lesson today in Luke to remind us of the purpose for which Jesus is coming… To fulfill what the prophets foretold and to complete what God has promised.
That is why it’s important to reflect on the events of Holy week to help us fully understand why Christmas matters. If we can look at Christmas through the lens of Easter and Easter through the lens of Christmas… then suddenly, the great story of God giving the promise of a Savior to the world through a little baby in a manger, comes to life in a whole new way. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be His precious name, the reason for the season.
Truth to be told, I can’t hardly believe it is that time of year again. In fact, as we look at this first Advent candle that was set ablaze this morning, how many of you were thinking that you need to get started on Christmas shopping?
Even though retail outlets have been trying to draw your attention with Santa Clause now for weeks, up to this point it has been easy to ignore. However, as we turn our attention to this first candle burning brightly on this beautiful day, it is not intended to trigger an amazon frenzy. That candle burns on this first day of the church year to represent hope.
Hope
Grace filled hope…The Hebrew writer in chapter eleven verse one provides a great explanation… “Hope is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hope is being able use that assurance to see that there is light despite all the darkness in this world. The Biblical hope we represent by lighting this first candle, is confident faith in the promise that Jesus is coming. He has come to save us all from the sin that plagues us, and He will come again on the last day.
This is the message the Apostle Paul delivered to many communities during his missionary journey’s in and around the Aegean Sea. But it wasn’t easy… the Pharisees and hostile Jews did not approve of his gospel teachings. I can only imagine how this hostility made Paul’s agenda quite difficult. But amidst all this commotion, Paul found the time to write letters to the various churches he established and today we will review in part one of the letters he wrote to the new believers in our Epistle lesson in 1 Thessalonians.
Pauls Journey
But before he wrote any of these letters, Paul truly experiences what the Lord said would happen in Acts 9:16, “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
This in fact, on this second missionary journey, included overcoming the humiliation of being stripped, beaten, thrown in prison, chased out of communities, and who ultimately was put on trial miles away in Corinth. However, it was here when he took the time to write to the new Thessalonian believers. Even though Timothy reassured him of their safety, Paul needed to address their concerns. They had questions… and rightfully so. You see, Paul was only in Thessalonica three weeks… that was a very short time to convert these new believers to the way of Christ from the mindset of the gods they previously worshiped.
That transition to the triune God is a key point as to why there were concerns among the Thessalonian believers. Let me shed some light on the culture on which they lived.
Greek gods
Spending some time in Thessalonica myself just a month ago, I was able to see many ancient ruins and hear about the Greek gods they worshiped dating back to the 8th century BC. Greek mythology was rooted deep into that culture. You could see Mount Olympus towering in the distance where Zeus, Apollo, Athena, and many other gods were believed to dwell.
Therefore, throughout the ancient communities in which we visited as we followed the footsteps of Paul… from modern day Turkey around the coastline of the Aegean Sea in Greece … were gorgeous massive temples built to honor these Greek gods. So, for Paul to waltz into any of these places to start up a church… especially in that short amount of time… was a huge accomplishment.
Jesus Will Come Again
But here’s the deal… Paul gave them something they were lacking… hope. The hope found in the forgiveness attained from the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the assurance that He will come again on the last day… In fact, that is a great write down… Jesus will come again on the last day… That is exactly what the Thessalonians had questions and concerns about. That is why Paul penned this letter to them addressing these things… The darkness they felt leading up to the last day.
Our group traveled quite a bit by bus, and while we were traversing across Thessalonica, our group leader Paster Awe took opportunities like this to have devotion time. Being in a community of just over one million people, he started his message by saying… “Look around… people are the same now as they were back then.” And I would venture to say that is true. The same fears and concerns, just different adversaries. Back then the people probably experienced darkness fearing the end of existence by Persians, plagues, or natural disasters. Today it might be climate change, end of democracy, or artificial intelligence.
Whether it was then or now, humanity doesn’t have to look very far to see a world which has gone completely off the rails. In this sense, Paul’s words addressing the anxieties that develop from hearing about the coming of our Lord Jesus… is timeless.
Darkness
Therefore, it is little surprise the perception articulates that darkness is winning. If I would have the ushers turn off the lights, this one candle of hope will not light up the room.
The dimness can leave us with questions as our minds get consumed with the here and now…Is the onslaught of politics overwhelming you? Are the wars going to escalate? Are you burdened with health issues? How about a family crisis, financial woes, or weakening faith? On this first Sunday of Advent, in this harsh and cruel world, why does Jesus seem to be so far away?
Yes, these thoughts and fears are timeless. We light a candle, but it seems so inadequate because the darkness is so deep. Could it be because of the holiday hustle and bustle? Before you know it, consumerism, and materialism consume our minds. I think about that as I walk through most retail outlets, and I see the marketing of Christmas to sell their goods. The reason for the season seems to be revolving around the cash register instead of in the Church. But then again, there I was, standing in line with my arms full… am I part of the problem?
Last Day
This candle speaks of hope and expectation beyond all this present-day chaos. But do I really want to think about the last day? Am I ready to stand before Jesus and let Him flash my life before my eyes? Do I even have the desire to change my sinful ways so I can get my house in order? What if the threatening perils in my life are the very things that I love…? How about you? If you knew the last day was going to be tomorrow, would you change anything you are doing today?
Like I said before… these thoughts and concerns are the same in people’s lives now as they were back then. The new believers in Thessalonica were uncertain about the new light of hope that was ignited inside of them and what that really meant for their salvation.
Let me read to you again what Paul writes to them from our Epistle lesson, 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13, “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”
Our God Of Love
This is the same God back then as it is today. And the same message to those new believers as it is for you and I. God is looking out for us. This same God who raised Jesus from the dead… the real God of life… will not leave us nor forsake us. If Paul were here right now, I wonder if he would be saying…
“This is your God who does not live far away on top of a mountain, but dwells among you every moment of every day. This is God and Father Himself… not cell phones, power, or money that beckons to be your idol. We are talking about the creator of the heavens and the earth who formed you as you are… who works within each one of you and through the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul then goes on to say that amidst a world of hate, Jesus is filing our hearts with love for one another and for all people… right here and right now.
When we love another person, when we feed the hungry, forgive our neighbor, do anything like Jesus would do, we are the hands and feet of Christ.
We Are Made Blameless
When Jesus died and rose again, not only were we made blameless in this world and in this life, but He also made us a living witness of His love… By the love which He poured into our hearts… by the service in which we can serve… Jesus working in us for that eternal hope. Not of ourselves, but Jesus working in us…
This wonderful message is worth repeating… Jesus’ work on the cross made us blameless which saves us from our sins, from death, from the Devil and all his schemes… The people of Jerusalem who watched Jesus’ triumphant entry on a donkey likely did not understand that any of this was going to happen. However, it was just a week later when Jesus’ selfless work on the cross and the eternal promise of coming again… that shines so bright and is the hope represented on this day.
The Reason For The Season
Does this make this first Sunday of Advent a sort of Easter? Not in the liturgical sense. But if we can make the reason for the season a time of waiting, then like a child having to wait until Christmas morning to open that present, so will be the joy one day when we see Jesus again. With palm branches in hand and this song in our hearts… Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in one of his Christmas sermons… Through all the Advents of our life, we shall wait and look forward with longing for that day of the Lord, when God says, “I am making everything new.”
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we begin this advent season, keep this in mind. You are connected to Christ right now… This very minute you are holy in God’s eyes… Jesus already has your name on a placemat set at the heavenly table. With this hope we can rejoice with all our hearts around the Christmas tree, knowing that little babe in a manger will one day bring us an eternal gift.
That little babe in swaddling clothes, whom the shepherds watched, and the angels sang, will one day deliver you. On that day, we will see our Savior face to face. That is what we are asked to remember with this Advent light. Let that light of hope keep burning in your heart as Christmas draws near. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. The reason for the season.
Amen