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“When these things start to happen, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your Redemption is near.”

᛭ INI ᛭

Advent causes us to “look” at our Lord’s Coming. “Advent” means “He’s come! “He’s here!” Advent gives us the chance to “look” for our Lord’s Coming as well, His Second Coming. So, Advent is the season of “looking.” It’s not just “looking” back. It’s not just “looking” forward either. It’s also “looking” now. For Jesus is, as Revelation says, “He who is and who was and who is coming, ὁ παντοκράτωρ” (Rev 1)

To put this another way: Advent and Christmas aren’t just seasons of remembrance. It’s rather rehearsal: to join ourselves again to our Lord’s Word and Promises, about His First and Second Coming, that these Promises would strengthen our faith in Him and prepare us for His imminent return. We do this because Christ “came and comes and will come,” not only ὡς ὁ παντοκράτωρ ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἡ ἀπολύτρωσις, ὑμετέρα ἀπολύτωρσις!

Today, Jesus wants to comfort you about His Second Coming. He’s also giving you a warning. Through comfort and warning, Jesus wants you to look for His Coming, to look forward to it, to lighten your heart with it. He wants you to see, to live, to take to heart and believe everything He says, including everything He gives to you with His σήμεῖα, the Sacraments!

Simply put, Jesus tells you this:

HEY LOOK, YOUR REDEMPTION’S RIGHT HERE!

(I. Your Redemption’s right here!—manger, cross, grave.)

They’ll see the Son of Man coming on a cloud, with power and great glory.” “Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him.” (Rev 1:7) He’ll come with power and glory, but still He’s the Lamb who was slain. He comes as Christ, the Crucified, the Resurrection and the Life, but also your very Redemption. “He will come again with glory,” but He’s not a different Jesus!

Christ isn’t just your Redeemer, the one who paid the price to save you. He’s also your Redemption, the actual purchase price! And He comes! Close enough to see and touch. He was carried in Mary’s womb. Simeon picked up Your Redemption in his arms. Jesus, your Redemption, hanged dead on the cross, was buried in a grave, and was raised from the dead, “never to die again”! (Rom 6) “He was delivered up for your transgressions, and raised for your justification.” (Rom 4) By trusting Jesus, you’re united with Your Redemption, even as you both were joined together in Holy Baptism. He’s your “Wisdom from God, Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor 1:30)

During His earthy ministry, no matter His age, what He did, or where He went, you could lift up your head, could look and see your Redemption, your purchase Price, your Jesus. The message of the Gospels is basically this: Your Redemption’s right here!—in a manger, on a cross, risen from the grave! You could hold Him, grab Him, touch Him, get down on one knee before Him, like the Wise Men and many others.

(II. Your Redemption’s right here!—coming on the clouds.)

“He’s coming with the clouds! Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him.” (Rev 1) He does come, not just as Redemption but also as Judge. Those who pierced Him will cry out, “Mountains, fall on us! Rocks, hide us from the wrath of the Lamb!” (Rev 6:16) This won’t just be people from Jesus’ day but everyone who rejects Him. It’ll even be those who claim to be His but aren’t. They go off into sinful living and unbelief. They “are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding Him up to contempt.” (Heb 6:6)

But Judgment Day isn’t just Condemnation Day. It’s also Vindication Day. You who are in Christ Jesus by faith are judged “Not guilty.” He died for your sins, forgave you all your sins. You have His new forgiveness-filled life. His people don’t use forgiveness to keep wallowing in the filth of their sins. Those who do, reject faith, Redemption, His forgiveness, and are condemned.

So, Jesus gives a warning today: “Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with binging and drunkenness and cares about daily life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap!” It’s coming soon! As we also heard from Paul in last week’s Epistle…

**“The hour’s come for you to wake up. Salvation’s nearer now than when we first believed. The night’s far gone; the day’s at hand! Cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light... Put on Jesus the Lord Jesus, make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.” (Rom 13)**    

Many ignore Jesus’ warnings—live life binging on many things (“dissipation”): TV, sports, food, sex, and drinking. The world, during the holidays, the season of looking, is looking for the perfect present, the perfect Christmas, all the while looking for, worrying about, how they’re gonna pay for it all! Hearts weighed down… (Ours, too! “Create in me a clean heart, O God!”)

The “arrogant” (Malachi’s word, today) ignore Jesus’ warning—prefer “uplifting” messages instead. “That judgment’ll never happen to me,” they think, even though they’ve got no real use for real Gospel Sermons or taking Communion. They live lives full of all their favorites rather than forgiveness-filled lives of faith and charity. Yet, there’s nothing that the Lord’s ever said that’s ever failed to come true! He died. He rose. So, He’s coming back! His warnings are just as true as His promises. The Judge tests and knows your heart! “No creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Heb 4) He’ll see you. You’ll see Him. What then?

(III. Your Redemption’s right here!—in Baptism, Absolution, and Supper.)

What now? The answer is similar to what it’s always been. As it was in Galilee some 2,000 years ago, as it will be whenever He chooses, so it is now: HEY LOOK, YOUR REDEMPTION’S RIGHT HERE!

Jesus is saying today, “Look, if your heart’s weighed down with all sorts of sinful living, self-indulgence, and worldly concerns, that day’s gonna slam shut on you like a trap.” “The day’s coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that’s coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it’ll leave them neither root nor branch.” (Mal 4:1)

He’s also saying, “Look, if your heart’s weighed down with many things, including actual worry about My return, take heart!” “For you who fear my name, the Sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in His wings.” (Mal 4:2) Yes, the end’s coming. You’ll see all the signs, but they’re just letting you know, ‘Your Redemption’s drawing near.’ I’m your Redemption. I’ll finally come to give the redemption of your body (Rom 8), to raise you from the dead. You’ll “leap out” of your grave “like a calf from its stall!” Until then, I promise you: HEY LOOK, YOUR REDEMPTION’S RIGHT HERE! See, My Font. See, My Holy Word. See, the man I’ve sent to preach and to absolve you! See, the Bread; see, the Cup—they’re My body and blood for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.” These are the signs that the Lord’s Promises hold true for you: you’re His and holy and hearing and full and faithful and forgiven.

(Conclusion.)

The message is always the same: HEY LOOK, YOUR REDEMPTION’S RIGHT HERE! In a Manger, on a Cross, risen from the tomb. (Past) On the cloud. (Future) Even today! (Present)

See your Redemption today. Not just a sermon but “My body and blood for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.” Not just on the altar but elevated for you to see! HEY LOOK, YOUR REDEMPTION’S RIGHT HERE! “The peace of the Lord be with you always.” Not just to see! To eat: “the body of Christ given for you” and to drink: “the blood of Christ shed for you.”

So, we sing Simeon’s Song, because we’ve not only heard or seen Christ, but we’ve received His body and blood not just with hands but mouth and faith! “Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people.”

The Pax Domini, the Peace of the Lord, the elevation, is a preview of the Last Day. Approach the Sacrament for the forgiveness of your sins, but also as a preview, a rehearsal for what you’ll do when you’ll look up and see not the white wafer of His body but His body riding the white cloud. The message on that day is the same as now: HEY LOOK, YOUR REDEMPTION’S HERE! It’s just that on the Last Day, you’ll get lost in that moment seeing Jesus, your Redemption, the Lamb slain for you, face to face forever.

᛭ INI ᛭