Simply Lutheran

"Signs" is the theme for the little gallery at the bottom. Pic #1 was transmitted in 2014 by the Hubble telescope that caused us to smile; Pic #2 is called Hubble's cross reminding us of Jesus' atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world; Pic #3 shows stressful signs in space as Hubble captures two galaxies colliding; and Pic #4 brings us down to the signs on earth as this photo captures the deadly tsunami of 2004. This brings me to this morning's address:

“Signs Precede the Last Day" Luke 21:25-36 NKJV
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” 29 Then He spoke to them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Dear Christian friends: Are you already rejoicing in the celebration of birth of Jesus without any thought of how you are to meet Him on Last Day when He comes as Judge? St. Peter wrote: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

There will be a day coming when all mankind will be accountable for the lives they have lived, good or bad. This day is commonly known as Judgment Day.

Unfortunately for the lawless sinner the very signs in the heavens and on earth that foretell of the imminent coming again of the Son of Man are the same signs that will bring to an end all things and, at the same time, will reveal all things. When our Savior Jesus Christ who is “The Way, The Truth, and The Life” comes again all will worship Him; some will still adore Him, while many others will still curse Him. But this one thing is certain, namely, all will bend the knee in worship of the only true God.

So the Lord has given us these few weeks, prior to celebrating Christmas, to reflect on the two Advents of the Lord Jesus Christ: The first when He came as a little baby, God in the flesh, to bring those tidings of peace and goodwill to all mankind; and the second, when He comes again as Judge. Remember that this season of Advent is a penitential season.

You should live in a sincere penitential state, continually drowning the old man daily and rising to a newness of life. It was for repentance that Jesus warned His listeners in Luke 13:1-5, when He said “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? “I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, do you think that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.”

Concerning verse 31, the late Lutheran commentator, R.C.H. Lenski, writes, “So all the signs of which Jesus speaks proclaim that ‘the kingdom of God’ is near. A beautiful parable, indeed! To the children of this world, who scorn this kingdom, every sign that this world, in which all their treasure rests, is breaking up must bring dismay. But the treasure of the disciples is in the kingdom, and every sign that proclaims its consummation must fill them with joy”

The unbeliever will be frightened when the tribulations in the heavens and on the earth usher in the coming of the Son of Man in all power and glory! For the name, “Son of Man,” is the apocalyptic name that was also recorded by the prophet Daniel in one of his visions during the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon. As Daniel said (Daniel 7:13-14):
"I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, one like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then 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 the one
Which shall not be destroyed.”

And there it is, my friends: The Son of Man, the apocalyptic name for the Jesus, was given the glory from the Ancient of Days! And the words that God spoke through another prophet, Isaiah 42:8, are these, namely, “I am the Lord; that is My name. And My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.” The hypocrites who feign the worship of Jesus, and those who blaspheme Jesus’ name, need to be afraid and to tremble at the sign of His coming on that last and dreadful day because, as Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so. Amen.”

Jesus gave the parable of the fig tree to show the nearness of the Son of Man, the season we have now in these our latter days. The fig tree is also used in the simile in Revelation 6:12-14, and it states that “the stars of the heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.” Scripture goes on to tell of the consummation of time, “When the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up.” Godless men, who have no fear now, will have something to fear because they will not even have the mountains, yes, not even a rock under which to hide from the righteous Judge. It is not until the heavens and earth pass away that there will be that White Throne Judgment as recorded in Revelation 20:11-15. It will be a terrible experienced for the impenitent sinner to stand naked, without any earthly props, before the Mighty God and Son of Man.

But for true Christians, who rejoice in the goodness of the Lord, the Last Day of the coming of the Son of Man is a Day to be desired and anticipated with great joy. Is Jesus not coming to you to bring recompense and the fullness of salvation? Is Jesus not the friend of sinners? You will, after all, be transformed in the twinkling of an eye, and have your hearts filled with ineffable joy!

For Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away but that His words would by no means pass away, and these words include what was said in John 14:2-3: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

For the Christian, the last day will not be a day of horrors but, on the contrary, one of total joy knowing that we will be received by Jesus, the Son of Man, into Heaven. There we will be with Him and all the saints forever, free from sins, trial, pain, and tears. The exhortation is nevertheless issued by our Lord Christ to “take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that Day come upon you unexpectedly”. In other words, this warning is the same thing Jesus said in His sermon on the Mount to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” It’s as though Jesus is continually saying to us, “Don’t worry; I want you to be joyful because of Me.”

When we are not burdened down with the worries of this world, then it is relatively easy to anticipate the coming of the Son of Man. In the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” and with those words we eagerly look forward, and upward, to the second coming of the Son of Man on the clouds.

Luther has these words of wisdom: “Even though the Lord’s Prayer is prayed on all sides throughout all the world by countless numbers of people, there are really few who pray it correctly. For all but a few would prefer that there should never be any day of the Lord’s coming. So men devise and engage in many prayers, babble all the churches full in all the world...But basically all this amounts to saying, ‘May Thy kingdom not come!’ or, ‘May it not come yet!’ Tell me, is not such a prayer real blasphemy, of which the Psalmist declares, ‘Let his prayer be counted as sin!’? (Psalm 109:7).”

Christians will let all things go except their salvation that is of the Lord Jesus Christ. And for this reason will Christians look up, while others will faint out of fear, when these terrible wonders and great signs precede the coming of the Son of Man. If you truly wish to be without sin, you cannot help but desire to see the Lord coming back and His kingdom ushered in. But in order to be able to lift your head up in these last days, you must be free of fear, for fear, as the Bible says, has to do with torment. 1 John 4:17-18 says, “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

Dear friends, you cannot be fearful if the Lord has perfected you in His love, which He has openly displayed for you on Calvary’s cross for your sins! God is love and you are God’s in Christ Jesus, being buried with Him in your baptism and raised again with Him to a newness of life! God is love, and you are God’s in Christ Jesus, who being made man, but without sin, is seated as your Judge! So don’t be afraid for you have already passed over from death into life in the hearing of the Gospel message; you have been judged and found worthy already in the hearing of the Gospel by faith in Christ Himself!

Jesus Himself was recorded by John (5:22-26) to have said: “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”

Oh, what glorious and comforting words the Gospel has for them whom believe; and, these are they that have come forth from the very lips of Jesus! What a joy it is to be a Christian in these latter days, even in the days of tribulation!

Therefore, you are enjoined to watch and pray, trusting that our Lord Jesus Christ has perfected us in His love. And it is in that love, and only in that love, are you truly made worthy to stand before Him, the Son of Man. And if it were not for that one other sign in the Old Testament, that one sign prophesied by Isaiah (Isa.7:14) to that wicked King Ahaz of Judah, we would have all perish eternally. But those who believe have heard and know of that sign of signs and wonder of wonders that Isaiah gave; therefore, profess with me that quintessential sign recorded by the prophet in Isaiah 7:14: “Behold! The virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call Him – Emmanuel! Amen.