Sermon 12-10-23

Pastor Ray Lorthioir

Trinity Lutheran Church

W. Hempstead, NY

Based on the Second Lesson and the Gospel Lesson for the Second Sunday of Advent,

2Peter 3:8-14 and Mark 1:1-8

Sneak Attack

Several weeks ago, there was a big international conference in San Francisco. The Chinese Communist leader, Xi Jinping came and met with President Biden. But the leadership of San Francisco had a problem. Many streets have been entirely taken over by homeless, drug addled people living on the sidewalks in tents and squalor. Human excrement is everywhere on these streets. Was this the face that San Francisco wanted to present to the world? Apparently not. Because, all of a sudden all city agencies were out in force clearing these homeless encampments off the streets and restoring a semblance of decency and order. They were preparing the way for the city to look good for the really important people — like Xi Jinping.

Now, everyone in the world has heard the news that San Francisco has become a derelict city by design. It’s the will of the elected officials that it become derelict. Therefore, what the city had done in preparation for his visit wasn’t lost on Xi Jinping. So, he lost no time mocking the city leadership and Joe Biden’s America, proclaiming his Communist system to be far superior. Actually, China has a significant homeless problem. They just hide it better. And here, conservative commentators noted that while the leadership of San Francisco won’t clear the streets for its own citizens, they will in order to save face before the Communist dictator of China. Apparently, in San Francisco the way is prepared for only the really important people. Residents take note. You voted for this.

Now, what if the most important being in the universe — its Creator — were to visit San Francisco as a human being? Would they prepare the way for Him? I suspect not. And there are good reasons for my suspicion.

First of all, it’s obvious from their policies that the leadership of San Francisco does not even believe there is a Creator God. For, if they did, San Francisco would be a city of safety and order for all who dwell there. Scripture says of those called to be rulers: Romans 13:3-4, “4 For he [the ruler] is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” It’s clear that San Francisco’s leaders can’t tell good from evil and they certainly don’t punish evil. Theft is so bad there that many businesses are closing in San Francisco. The main business thoroughfare is now a ghost town.

Second, if Yahweh were to visit San Francisco in human flesh, He would probably come unnoticed and unrecognized by the leadership. He wouldn’t come unannounced. But the announcement would only be recognized by those who knew what they were looking for. Being God, He probably would attract crowds and the leadership eventually would have to deal with that. If thousands of derelicts and the homeless were restored to their right minds and given a new lease on life, that would certainly attract attention. But, would the city officials consider it a good thing? After all, they’ve wanted to attract squalor, addiction, illness and despair to their city. And now someone has come along to meddle in their affairs.

On the other hand, if the Creator of the universe were to come to San Francisco in His power and divine majesty, there would be a different reaction. Terror and fear would flood the place. For, along with that divine majesty would come a flaming, all-consuming, terrifying righteousness. Where would evil-doers and those who permit evil-doing be able to flee to? Indeed, the whole city would be under divine judgment and wrath. Would it become like Sodom and Gomorrah?

Do you see where I’m going with this? Yahweh has already visited this earth in humble human flesh. He will come again a second time in divine majesty, power and glory. We know that angels and a star announced His arrival the first time. The wise men who knew what to look for didn’t miss His arrival. When it was time, we know that John the Baptist prepared the way for His ministry.

On the other hand, Jesus told us that terrifying sights in the heavens will announce His arrival the second time. And He created this thing called the Church to prepare the way for His Second Coming in divine majesty, power and glory. Therefore, the Church is much like John the Baptist. We prepare the way for the Lord.

We read in the Apostle John’s Gospel that the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem sent out priests and levites to question John the Baptist. They asked him in John 1:22-23, “22. . . ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the desert, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”’” This quotation is part of verse 3 in today’s first reading from Isaiah 40.

Matthew, Mark and Luke use a larger quotation from Isaiah 40 as an editorial introduction to John the Baptist’s ministry, as we saw in today’s Gospel lesson from Mark. However, it’s clear from the Gospel of John that John the Baptist himself associated Isaiah 40 with his ministry. Therefore, the quote from Isaiah 40 in Mark is not merely a later editorial comment by the church.

Of the four gospels, the Gospel of Mark gives the shortest account of John the Baptist. However, it contains the essentials of John’s message. John came “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” He also came preaching that he would be succeeded by one far more powerful than him, and that this one to come would “baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Indeed, there’s no record of John the Baptist performing healing miracles or driving out demons. Therefore, Jesus was much more powerful. And at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the people who became the Church were definitely baptized with the Holy Spirit from the Day of Pentecost onward.

The difference between the ministries of John and Jesus can also be seen from an incident that happened years later in the book of Acts. We read in Acts 19:1-7, “1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’  3 So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’  ‘John's baptism,’ they replied. 4 Paul said, ‘John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.”

Now, in the book of Acts, the sign gift of tongues is always associated with a coming of Lord Holy Spirit upon people. In Acts tongues is mentioned three times directly by name. It’s implied in a fourth situation. So, why did this gift appear in this incident?

At the beginning of Acts we read in Acts 1:6-9, “6 So when they [Jesus and his disciples] met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7 He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

So, Jesus commissioned His apostles to preach Him in an expanding circle — first in Jerusalem and Judea (Jewish territory), then Samaria (Samaritan territory) finally to the ends of the earth (Gentile territory). On the Day of Pentecost 33A.D. the apostles and disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other languages as a testimony that what they were preaching and teaching about Messiah Jesus was true and that the promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled. Thus, they began their ministry in Jerusalem and Judea.

Later, the Jerusalem church was scattered during the persecution that erupted after the deacon, Stephen, was stoned to death. Because of this, the gospel reached the people of Samaria through the deacon, Philip. The Samaritans were confirmed in their faith when the apostles laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. This is the place where tongues is not specifically mentioned.

Some time later, Peter was sent to the home of a gentile Roman centurion named Cornelius who was a devout convert to Judaism. When the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to Cornelius and his household, they received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. Thus, by the sign gift of tongues an astonishing truth became plain to the leadership of the Jerusalem church. The prophecy of Isaiah 49 was being fulfilled and God truly was including all the Gentile nations in His Church — His new Israel. And they had to act accordingly.

The final time tongues is mentioned in Acts is the incident in Ephesus that we just read. And this incident was different in that it didn’t confirm the road map that Jesus had proclaimed for the Gospel — namely Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. Rather, Lord Holy Spirit used the gift of tongues to confirm a doctrine — namely the superiority of baptism into Jesus Christ over the baptism that John the Baptist had preached. For as Paul said, John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance that only prepared hearts to receive something greater.

Baptism into Messiah Jesus is greater in that it actually grants forgiveness of sins. It also gives Messiah’s righteousness to all recipients. The perfect righteousness that Messiah Jesus won for all humanity by His atoning suffering and death on the cross is granted to all who have faith in Messiah and are baptized into Messiah Jesus. As it says in Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” 

John the Baptist knew that his own ministry would decrease once Jesus appeared on the scene. For he said in John 3:30, “He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less.” Therefore, it’s quite clear that John the Baptist understood the role God had assigned to him. He was to prepare many a heart to receive Jesus the Messiah.

On the other hand, John gave the Jewish leadership fits. This is apparent from Jesus’ question to the leadership in Matthew 21:25-27, “25 ‘John's baptism — where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?’ They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” he will ask, “Then why didn't you believe him?” 26 But if we say, “From men” — we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’  27 So they answered Jesus, ‘We don't know.’” It’s clear they had not believed John when he had commanded all to repent. And this was the other side of John’s ministry. His preaching also hardened many hearts. These hardened hearts subsequently rejected Jesus when He appeared.

Now, as we mentioned at the beginning, just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus’ first coming, so the true Church prepares the way for Jesus’ second coming. A reading of Peter’s letters confirms this.

In this morning’s second lesson Peter repeats an obscure prophecy made by the minor Old Testament prophet named Zephaniah. We read in Zephaniah 1:2-3, “2 ‘I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD. 3 ‘I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth,’ declares the LORD.” Although obscure, this prophecy is most significant. For when the Lord destroyed everything in the great flood of Noah’s time, sea life survived, plant life survived from seed in the water and land life survived aboard the ark. But this prophecy in Zephaniah proclaims that a time will come when every living thing will perish without survivor. 

How this will happen is revealed by the Lord in Zephaniah 1:17-18, “17 ‘I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.’” Therefore, verse 18 is the source of Peter’s assertion in our second lesson, today. 2 Peter 3:6-7, “6 By these waters [meaning the great flood] also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” And 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”

Did you see? Peter predicted that the final end of the present creation will be a surprise, sneak attack — a thief in the night. It will be like what Israel endured on October 7th, or what the U.S. endured on 9/11. Jesus said there would be warning signs, but the warning signs will come quickly and won’t last long. Jesus said that those warning signs will be in the sky above when the sun and the moon go dark.

On the other hand, Jesus said there would be a lot of strife among the nations of the world, but such strife is only the birth pains that lead up to the birth. So, contrary to what others are saying, the war in Israel doesn’t bring us right up to the end. It’s just more preparation.

On the other hand, the final judgment and the return of the Messiah will be an unexpected sneak attack. Everything in the present universe will be dissolved in some kind of terrifying, overpowering fire. And as we learn in the book of Revelation, everyone who has ever lived will be judged according to their standing with Yahweh, the all-righteous Creator God.

We read in John 3:18, “Whoever believes in him [Jesus] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” That’s how the world will be judged. No one will escape condemnation for their sin unless by faith they have believed that Messiah Jesus’ death upon the cross has brought them forgiveness of their sin and His death has declared them righteous before God. 

As we’ve said before, absolutely everything revolves around the righteousness of the living God. Your life does. My life does. And this is especially true of the eternal life every human being is slated to receive. Either we will live with our Creator with His eternal perfect righteousness within us, or we will live apart from Him, totally emptied of His righteousness, just like Satan himself.

Peter says that in light of all this we need to prepare now. We read in 2 Peter 3:11-13, “11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

God’s moral Law defines what a holy and godly life is. However, living a holy and godly life in this world is impossible on our own. For, in Romans 8:3 we’re told that our sinful nature is much stronger than God’s holy Law. For this reason we all fail to obey God’s Law. We especially fail to keep the commandments related to God Himself.

However, there is also good news in Romans 8:3. We’re told that what the Law couldn’t do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending Jesus into the world to be a sin offering. The subsequent verses tell us that in Messiah it’s possible to lead a godly life by the work of Lord Holy Spirit within the believer. 

So that the Spirit might do His righteous work in us, He calls baptized believers to the central truth that God’s righteousness is the most important thing in this age and the age to come. Therefore, the Spirit teaches us daily how to drown the sinful nature in the water of Baptism. He raises us daily out of that water to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. It’s in this way that Christ’s Church prepares many hearts for the Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah. 

As Peter said, one day with the Lord is as a thousand years here. And he was quoting Psalm 90:4, “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by. . . .” So with nearly two thousand years gone by, Jesus has only been away for two days. It could be another thousand until Jesus returns. Nevertheless, He said He would return unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, or a surprise attack. It could be today. Therefore, every generation of believers needs to be ready for His arrival. The Church created this season of Advent specifically as a special time of repentance so that the Lord’s people may be ready to receive Him. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

All Bible quotes are from the NIV.