Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today is the last Sunday of the Church Year – Christ the King Sunday or The Sunday of the Fulfillment. From the time our crucified and risen Lord and Savior ascended to the right hand of God the Father, no single event outstrips the return of Christ in importance. We observe with great fanfare Presidential Inaugurations. We’re glued to our TV’s by natural disasters or terrorist attacks. The Super Bowl will be watched by hundreds of millions around the world, and, yet, incredibly the return of Jesus is seldom on the radar screen. Christ’s return is the focal point toward which all of human history rushes. Our Epistle says, “Behold He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him.”
That the world spends zero time thinking about Christ’s return isn’t a shock. What’s surprising is how little we speak of it in Church. It’s tragically easy for pastors to become so fixated on God’s guidance for living our lives that we forget to mention the goal. It’s tragically easy for Christians to become so fixated on our daily lives we forget this life and this world is not our end. 2 Peter 3 says, “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”
There are two extremes here to be avoided. We’ve mentioned the first – a blind attachment to this world. The other is as bad… Some churches and pastors, you see them on TV quite often, spend weeks and months on end interpreting the signs of Revelation, showing how the latest political developments fit into Scripture. The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ cult are most famous for their numerous predictions of the exact day the world would end. Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”
The book of Hebrews gives good guidance for us as Christians living in the Last Days in the 11th chapter, it says: “All these people were living by faith when they died… They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth… They were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” St. Paul said, “For me to live is Christ – to die is gain… I desire to depart and be with Christ which is better by far… Our citizenship is in heaven; and we eagerly await a Savior from there, our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So where do we begin to restructure our thinking on life here and now – in light of eternity. Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Repentance is a good place to start. We have foolishly and faddishly devoted huge portions of our lives and attention to meaningless, dying things. We’ve chased the world and toys and pleasures and power and popularity. Jesus said, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal… What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet forfeits his soul.”
Repent the hours wasted dreaming of earthly treasures, while neglecting true heavenly treasures. Repent opportunities squandered to share Jesus, keeping the saving truth of Christ shut away as though it were taboo – not to be discussed outside of church. Repent the laziness that builds our homes and families on the shifting sands of a dying world, while Christ the Rock is the only solid footing for us and our children. Repent.
Now, hear the words of Revelation 1: “[Jesus] loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve [our] God and Father.” The holy, precious blood and innocent sufferings and death of Christ our King is God’s answer for our lives. Hebrews says, “Fix your eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith.” Our lives of repentance don’t end with worthless navel gazing – we look to Jesus. His perfect life, death and resurrection is God’s victorious vow that “as far as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west – so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Washed in God’s Baptismal promises, we can speak of something sure and solid – a certain, living hope in the midst of an uncertain world. “As many of you who were baptized into Christ,” Galatians says, “have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Christ the King died that you can live – here and now living a truly joy-filled life – but really that you can live forever. That’s God’s promise, and He doesn’t lie. Here’s hope for you and your home and loved ones. Christ the King who died to wash you in His blood holds the reins of human history and “works all things for the good” of His beloved Church, His blood-bought people.
Since this is God’s promise and God doesn’t lie, we consider Christ’s return in a new light. St. Peter wrote: “Since everything will be destroyed in [fire], what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”
A Christian view of Jesus’ Second Coming won’t be all about this world, nor will it be completely focused on Christ’s return. Paul wrote two letters to the Church in Thessalonica. Apparently a great number of people felt Jesus’ Coming to be so imminent they laid around waiting – they quit working. Paul scolded, “If a man will not work, neither shall he eat.”
God has placed us within our families and jobs and church and community to serve Him as we serve others. A child of God can joyfully go about daily life looking for opportunities to use our talents for our neighbor’s good and God’s glory. We live in this world, but we are not worldly. We know we have true homes waiting for us in heaven – homes guaranteed by God’s gracious gift of Christ the King. We do what God puts before us, but we look forward – our hope isn’t here – it’s the joy of standing before Christ the King. As Christians, we can joyfully live our lives, while echoing Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been destroyed I will see God, I myself will see Him with my own eyes… I and not another. How my heart yearns within me.”
Have you ever been homesick? Really, achingly homesick? Can you remember what it felt like? We’re not home, yet. “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” Jesus is coming again – our King will take His Church home. Through faith in Jesus, you have a place in that heavenly home. Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Dear friends, it’s interesting that one of the first things our German ancestors were instructed to do when they came to this new world and founded congregations was to stake out land nearby for the cemetery. In that, they were confessing their confidence that when Christ the King comes again on the Last Day, our beloved dead in Christ will rise up from the dust of death. Those sainted dead and those living saints by God’s grace will be bodily glorified, made whole and perfect, our bodies will be reunited with souls and together we will see our King coming on the clouds of heaven. Let that be your certain hope each day. Jesus lives, and so will all who meet Him with the lamp of faith burning. Amen.
“To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father – to Him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.”
And now may the peace of God which surpasses human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.