Prepare for the day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:8-14)

December 4, 2011 

Dear friends in Christ.

Nat Wyeth, an engineer and inventor, once commented on his brother Andrew Wyeth’s art.  He said, “Andy did a picture of Lafayette's quarters near Chadds Ford, Pa., with a sycamore tree behind the building. When I first saw the painting, he wasn't finished with it. He showed me a lot of drawings of the trunk and the sycamore's gnarled roots, and I said, "Where's all that in the picture?" "It's not in the picture, Nat," he said. ‘For me to get what I want in the part of the tree that's showing, I've got to know thoroughly how it is anchored in back of the house.’”[1]   Nat found it remarkable that his brother could draw the tree with such authenticity because he knew exactly how the thing was in the ground.  In other words, because his brother could see the whole picture, he was prepared to paint the portion of the tree that was visible in the picture.  The same thing is true for you and me today!  Each time we read and study the Word of God we see a little bit more of the picture that our God has painted for us, and as we see more and more of that picture we are that much better prepared for the day of our Lord.  In fact, today as we study the lesson before us, we will see how we have been prepared and are continuing to prepare ourselves for the day of the Lord our God!

Though it originally took nearly 4,000 years before the Savior was born, those who were prepared for his coming received him with great joy, and though it has been nearly 2000 years since our Savior promised that he would return to us, we know that he is not delaying!  We know that one day he will come like a thief in the night, and so we are continually preparing ourselves for that day, as we constantly look forward to his return.

This, in fact, is the very thing that Peter is urging us to in our text this morning!  For as he writes in verse 8 and 9 he tells us, “Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance,” (2 Peter 3:8,9).

Now, when Peter wrote these words, he was writing to Christians who were already growing weary of waiting for their Savior to return!  He was writing to Christians who felt that they had thoroughly prepared themselves for his reappearing, and now were beginning to feel that their Lord was merely delaying his return for one reason or another.  Thus, Peter writes as he does to assure these well prepared Christians that Christ was not delaying his return simply to annoy them, rather, as he reminded them, the Lord was operating in a different time frame.  For in the same way that the Lord God did not send Jesus to the earth immediately after Adam and Eve fell into sin, so also the Lord Jesus did not return to the earth immediately after he had ascended into heaven as the Christians of Peter’s day expected he would.  In the same way that the Lord allowed thousands of years to pass from the time he made the first promise of a Savior until the time the Savior was born, so also the Lord has allowed thousands of years to pass from Jesus’ ascension until today.

Yet even today, as we prepare ourselves for his return, we know that he is not delaying!  Rather, just as the Lord patiently waited until the time was right, and then sent his Son into the Word to be born of a virgin, so also, the Lord our God is patiently waiting until the time that he has chosen for Jesus’ return.  He is waiting for that time so that the full number of believers might come to faith, repent of their sins, and receive the gift of eternal life by his side forever.  This is the day for which you and I are preparing!  A day that will come when we least expect it, just as Peter tells us:  “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.  Since everything will be destroyed in this way, 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,” (2 Peter 3:10-12a). 

A few years ago, there was a show on cable called, It Takes a Thief.  I don’t know if it is still on TV or not, but, if you ever saw it, it was show that you probably never forgot.  It was a show that you would never forget, because it offered viewers a chance to see home burglaries performed by reformed, former thieves.  These men, as part of the show, would break in to people’s houses, film the robbery for the home owners and then teach the owners what steps they could take to prevent such things from ever happening again.  Though I believe that the people who signed up to participate in the series had at least some chance to prepare themselves for the pending break-in, each time it happened, the owners were shocked to see just how quickly and unexpectedly that thief could break in and make off with their valued possessions. 

Well, in the same way that the television thieves struck quickly, when the home owners were least expecting it, so also our Savior will return suddenly, when we least expect it, like a thief, as Peter tells us.  This is why we need to be ever prepared for the return of our Savior, because his return will be like a thief.  Not that our Savior will suddenly sneak back to the earth and dart from building to building quietly gathering Christians together, hoping that he isn’t seen.  Rather, it means that when Jesus returns it will happen suddenly, when we least expect it.  As we are going about our daily routines, suddenly we will hear the trumpet all of the Last Day, and see our Savior coming with the clouds of heaven.  That’s how it was on that first Christmas.  As people were going about their normal routines, the Savior was suddenly born in a stable in Bethlehem.  As shepherds were watching their flocks at night, they were suddenly startled by the angel’s appearing announcing the Saviors birth.  Just as it was as the birth of the Savior, so it will be on the day he returns.

So let us prepare ourselves today for the day of his coming!  Though we do not know when it will be, as Christians, we are always looking forward to that day!  We are looking forward to that day, because when our Savior does return for us he will take us to live with him forever in the home of righteousness, just as Peter assures us, “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him,” (2 Peter 3:13,14). 

As Christians who are looking forward to our Savior’s return, we make our preparations for that day, by preparing ourselves for his arrival on earth as a little baby.  For as we move through this season of Advent and come ever closer to the celebration of our Savior’s birth, we are reminded again and again that the reason for his coming was to free us from our sins.  The reason for his coming was to remove every spot and stain of our sin, so that we might be holy and blameless through faith in him.

As Christians who are preparing ourselves for the day of the Lord, we know that in the same way that the street sweepers went through the city during the past couple months, removing sand, and dirt, and leaves from the streets, so also through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit has swept our hearts clean with the blood of Jesus and removed every spot and stain of our sins.  In the same way that the new snow covered over everything last night, so also our hearts have been covered over by the blood of our Savior.  Though this is something we could never have done ourselves, through faith in Jesus, we are now spotless in the sight of the Lord our God.  Through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we are prepared for the day of the Lord’s coming.  Through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we look forward to the celebration of his birth, but even more so to the day of his return when he will take us to be with him forever.

How wonderful it is to know that today, we are prepared for the day of the Lord!  For though faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we know that eternal life is ours forever.  Though we may still have a while to wait, we know that he is not delaying.  Though we don’t know when he will come, we look forward to his return, because we know that just as he came suddenly as a little child, he will come suddenly, like a thief in the night.  But no matter when our Savior returns, we know that we are prepared for that day.  We are prepared through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

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[1] Kenneth A. Brown, Inventors at Work. Copied from http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/preparation.htm.

I Want You! (Mark 13:32-37)

November 27, 2011

Dear friends in Christ.

What did you do on Thanksgiving Day after you had enjoyed a great meal?  Did you visit more with family or friends?  Did you simply relax and try to ignore the mess of dishes in the kitchen?  Did you sit down to watch some TV, or some football, or a movie?  Well, after we were finished with our holiday feast and had cleaned the kitchen, we sat down as a family to watch the movie Captain America.    Now this movie was set during the days of World War II, and as it opens , we met the main Character, Steve Rogers, attempting to serve his country by joining the Army.  Even though he was not able to serve because of health issues, he constantly felt the call to service, as everywhere he looked he saw posters of Uncle Sam pointing at him and declaring, “I want you!”  So strongly did Steve Rogers feel the call to service that he tried enlisting in the army on five different occasions; he felt compelled to serve because he knew that Uncle Sam needed and wanted him.  Well, in our lesson today, our Savior is doing the exact same thing.  Though he may not be appearing on a poster and pointing his finger directly at us, he is telling us exactly what he wants of each and every one of us.  For as we take a look at our lesson in Mark 13, we will hear our Savior speaking with great urgency and declaring that he wants each and every one of us to be alert Christians.  He wants each and every one of us to be responsible Christians.  He wants each and every one of us to be expectant Christians.

Take a look at what Jesus is telling us in Mark 13, beginning with verse 32:  He says, 32 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.(Mark 13:32–33, NIV84)

Now, I have to admit that these words seem more like a warning for the season of End Time than words of preparation for the first Sunday of Advent, but in either case, the message is clear.  In either case, as Christians, our Savior wants to be alert as we prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christ’s birth as well as the day when he will return.  For just as no one knew exactly when Jesus would be born, no one knows the day or the hour when he will return, and if we are not ready, we will be caught off guard and miss out on our salvation all together. 

That’s what happened to Colonel Johann Rall, commander of the Hessian forces, during the Revolutionary War.  For during the war, a loyalist spy appeared at the Hessian headquarters carrying an urgent message for the Colonel.  The message stated that General George Washington and his Continental army had secretly crossed the Delaware River that morning and were advancing on Trenton, New Jersey where the Hessians were encamped.  The spy, however, was denied an audience with the commander and instead wrote his message on a piece of paper. A porter took the note to the Hessian colonel, but because Rall was involved in a poker game he stuffed the unread note into his pocket. When the guards at the Hessian camp began firing their muskets in a futile attempt to stop Washington's army, Rall was still playing cards. Without time to organize, the Hessian army was captured. (adapted Today in the Word, MBI, October, 1991, p. 21.)

Because Colonel Rall ignored the message the spy had brought him and was not alert to the possibility of attack on the day after Christmas, he lost an important battle and the Hessian army eventually lost the war as well.  The same thing is true for you and me, if we are not alert Christians, as our Savior wants us to be, we will not be prepared for his return.  Then, when we hear the blast of the trumpet, we will find it that is too late to prepare ourselves for our Savior’s coming.  Thus, our Savior says to us today: “I want you to be alert Christians so that you are ready for my return.  However, until I do return, I want you to be responsible Christians.  I want you to continue in the duties, which I have given you.

Yes, because we do not know when the end will be, our Savior wants to find us responsibly carrying out the tasks, which he himself assigned to us.  In fact, as he speaks in our text, he explains it to us in a way that illustrates the situation in which we are living today.  For Jesus tells us, “It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.” (Mark 13:34, NIV84)

 

There can be no doubt that this is the time in which we are living.  For today we are living in a time when our Master has returned to his Father’s side in heaven.  We are living in a time when our Savior wants us to be diligently waiting at the door watching for his return.  We are living in a time where it is extremely important for us to be responsible Christians as Christ wants us to be.  For even though our Savior is away from us in the body, we know that one day he will return just as he has promised, and until that time he has given each of us a special assignment to carry out while he is away.  Though we all have been given different gifts, our Savior wants us to use those gifts as we responsibly carry out the duties ascribed to us in our station of life. As Luther writes in his table of duties: Are you a husband or wife?  Then love each other faithfully as Christ loved you.  Are you a Father or a Mother?  Then bring your children up in the training and admonition of the Lord.  Are you a Son or a Daughter?  Then obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right!  Are you an Employer or Employee?  Then serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord.  Obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and do not treat your workers with contempt, but with the same respect that you deserve.  Are you a Christian?  Then love your neighbor as yourself.

These are the responsibilities our Savior wants us to carry out while we are awaiting his return.  For just as he came once as a little child, born in a stable at Bethlehem, we know that he will return one day just as he has promised.  But since we do not know when that day will be, our Savior wants us not only to faithfully carry out our responsibilities, but also to live in the expectation of what is to come.

Though we do not know the day or the hour when our Savior will return, we know that he will return one day, just as he ahs promised.  We know that he will return one day just as he has told us, and this is why we need to live lives expecting his return.  This, in fact, is the very point that Jesus himself was seeking to get across when he said, “35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”(Mark 13:35–37, NIV84)

Watching is exactly what we as Christians have been doing since the day that Christ ascended into heaven.  For throughout the centuries, Christians have eagerly expected the return of their Lord and Savior.  They have anticipated his return as they lived through the dark days of World Wars.  They have anticipated his return at momentous events in history as one millennium became another.  But today, we are all the more expectant of his return because of the great evil in the world.  Today we as Christians not only expect our Savior’s return, but we also find ourselves craning necks as we look into the sky wondering if today will be the day.  We find ourselves hoping that this will be the day when we hear the reverberating blast of the trumpet call of God and know that all our expectant waiting has paid off. 

But even though we are living as expectant Christians, we still continue on in our lives waiting for the day to come, as did Colonel Davenport during a session of the Connecticut House of Representatives.  For on May 19, 1780, there were many people who received a foretaste of the Last day. For at noon the skies turned from blue to gray and by mid-afternoon had blackened over so densely that, in that religious age, men fell on their knees and begged a final blessing before the end came. In side the chambers of the Connecticut House of Representatives there were even some men who fell down and others who clamored for an immediate adjournment.  But when the Speaker of the House, Colonel Davenport, came to his feet, He silenced them all and said: "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish, therefore, that candles may be brought." (adapted Robert P. Dugan, Jr., Winning the New Civil War, p. 183.)

Though Colonel Davenport didn’t know if that would be the Last Day or not, he was indeed prepared for it and was expecting it.  Though he did not know if this event would mark the last day, he was ready to be found carrying out his duty.  May we, like him, always live expectant lives faithfully carrying out our duty as we look forward to the last day.

Though its very seldom that we see the picture of Uncle Sam pointing his finger and telling us that he wants us to join up, in our text today we have seen our Savior doing just that very thing as he calls us to ready ourselves for the day of his return.  So, let us do just that!  Let us listen to the call of our Savior who wants us to be alert, responsible and expectant Christians as we look forward to the day when he will return.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

We are Heirs of Eternal Life (Titus 3:4-7)

Sermon

November 23, 2011

Dear friends in Christ.

Is your will up to date?  Are all your important papers in order?  Have you decided who your heirs are going to be?  Though these might seem like strange questions to be asked at the beginning of a Thanksgiving sermon, I assure you they have bearing on what we are going to learn today.  For as we study the text before us we will learn one of the greatest truths our God has ever chosen to share with us.  We will learn that we are heirs of eternal life.  In fact, as we study this text we will focus our attention on that simple sentence, and it as our theme.  For today we will be assured that we are indeed heirs of eternal life.  Yes, According to Christ's mercy we are heirs of eternal life!  Yes, Through the washing of the Holy Spirit, we are heirs of eternal life!

What greater news could we receive on this national day of thanksgiving!  What greater knowledge could we obtain than the knowledge that we are heirs of heaven according to the mercy of Christ and not because of anything we have done!  In truth, I can think of no better news than this, because the knowledge that eternal life in heaven is now mine according to Christ's mercy and not because of anything I have done is the greatest news I could ever have received.  It's the greatest news because I know my sinful condition.  I know how I struggle and struggle to keep God's laws as he demands, but continually miss the mark and fall short of his glory.  I know how easily I get distracted and start thinking about all sorts of other things while I'm praying to the Lord.  I know how often I fall asleep at night while I'm in the middle of a prayer to my God.  I know how hard it is to set aside time to read the Bible for the strengthening of my own faith, so that I might always be prepared to strengthen yours.  I know the temptations that never fail to lead me into sin.  I know the pet sins that plague me like an addiction.  No matter how hard I try to give them up, I keep coming back to them like a dog returning to its vomit.  I know the pitiful sinful creature than I am, and you know the pitiful sinful creature that you are.  If the Lord had left eternal life up to us and the righteous things we had done, we could never have achieved it.  For if the Lord had left it up to us, we would be as far away from heaven as Pluto is from the Sun.

But even though we are sinful creatures who deserve nothing but God's eternal wrath and punishment, we can take comfort in the fact that we are indeed heirs of heaven!  We are heirs of heaven not because of anything we have done, but because of everything our Savior has done!  For it is according to the mercy of Christ our Savior that we can look forward to the glories of eternal life. This, in fact, is exactly what Paul is assuring us of as he writes in our text: "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:4-5)

Yes, it was Christ and his mercy that has made us into heirs of eternal life!  Though we have done nothing to deserve his love, Christ loved us so much that he died for us while we were still his enemies.  Christ made sure that we were washed in the waters of Baptism so that the Holy Spirit might plant the seed of faith in our hearts.  Christ loved us so much that he made sure his Word was proclaimed to us so that faith might sprout in our hearts and grow there.  In fact, Christ loved us so much that he chose us to be his own even before the creation of the world, carefully writing our names into the Book of Life to make us children of God.  This is the mercy that Christ our Savior has bestowed on us and this is the mercy by which we are now heirs of eternal life.  For it is according to Christ's mercy, which our God poured out on us through the washing of the Holy Spirit, that we have been made heirs of eternal life.

There is no greater truth than this!  We are heirs of eternal life through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit!  For it was through our baptism that the Holy Spirit came into our hearts and created faith in Jesus Christ our Savior.  It was through the washing of the water with the Word that the Holy Spirit applied Christ's sacrifice to us completely washing away every spot and stain of our sins.  It is through that washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit that we have been sealed as children of God and made heirs of eternal life.  For this is exactly what our God did for us as Paul tells us in our text: "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:5-7).

And this is exactly what we are!  For through the washing of the Holy Spirit our God poured out his abundant grace on us and made us heirs of eternal life.  Through the washing of the Holy Spirit, the Lord poured his grace into our hearts though Christ Jesus our Savior.  For in the same way that a waitress will pour you cup after cup of coffee until you simply cannot drink anymore, our God has poured his grace into our hearts.  But unlike the waitress who will stop before your cup is so full that it starts to spill over, our God continues to pour his grace into our hearts even after it is filled to over flowing.  Even after his grace has so filled our hearts that it spills over into our bodies and our lives, God continues to pour out his grace for us through the forgiveness of sins that he grants us each and every day.  He pours out his grace into our lives as he works all things out for the good of those who love him.  He pours out his grace into our lives by keeping us faithful to him and giving us the courage and strength to continue on in his service even when things seem their bleakest.  This is the grace that God has poured into our hearts by the washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit which we all received on the day that we were baptized.  For on that day, the Holy Spirit brought us to faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, and made us heirs of eternal life.

Though our Lord didn't have to sit down with a lawyer to get everything in order, we know that his will is up to date!  We know that we have been listed as his heirs and that when our time comes we will receive the inheritance that he has promised us.  This is what we have to be thankful for today.  For we are heirs of eternal life!  We are heirs of eternal life not because of anything we have done, but according to Christ's mercy and through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Give praise to Christ your King! (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

November 20, 2011

Dear friends in Christ.

Louis Albert Banks tells of an elderly Christian man, a fine singer, who learned that he had cancer of the tongue and that surgery was required. In the hospital after everything was ready for the operation, the man said to the doctor, "Are you sure I will never sing again?" The surgeon found it difficult to answer his question. He simply shook his head no. The patient then asked if he could sit up for a moment. "I've had many good times singing the praises of God," he said. "And now you tell me I can never sing again. I have one song that will be my last. It will be of gratitude and praise to God." There in the doctor's presence the man sang softly the words of Isaac Watts' hymn, "I'll praise my Maker while I've breath, And when my voice is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler power; My days of praise shall ne'er be past, While life, and thought, and being last, Or immortality endures." [1]

Though we may not be facing the prospect of losing our ability to sing or praise the Lord our God, today as we have gathered in worship on this Christ the King Sunday, we have gathered one more time to give praise to Christ our King.  We have gathered to give praise to the Lord our God and Jesus Christ who is our Savior and our King because he is the one who has freed us from sin and death by his death and resurrection from the dead.  We have gathered to give praise to Christ our King because he is the one who has promised that through faith in him we will be given the gift of eternal life by his side forever in his heavenly kingdom.  We have gathered to give praise to Christ our King because we know that on the Last Day, when he returns in glory and judgment, he will raise our bodies from the ground, glorify them, reunite our bodies and souls and take us, once again, to live with him forever in his heavenly kingdom.

In fact, these are the very things that the Apostle Paul is writing about in our lesson today.  So if you haven’t done so already, I invite you to open your Bibles with me to our lesson in 1 Corinthians 15 beginning with verse 20.  Now, as you are turning to 1 Corinthians 15, let me set the stage for you.  As Paul wrote the words of our lesson today, the Christians in Corinth were having a little bit of trouble with the concept of the resurrection.  You see, the Corinthians were still rather new in their faith and they were having a bit of a struggle getting past their Greek logic, which told them that there was nothing after death, because death was simply the end of a person.  Because of this, they were even having a tough time understanding and holding on to the idea that Jesus had risen from the dead.  It was because of this that Paul writes as he does in our lesson today.  “20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.”(1 Corinthians 15:20–28, NIV84)

In such a beautiful, simple, and straight forward way, the Apostle Paul assures us that we have every reason to praise Christ as our King because he is the one who was raised from death to the glory of God the Father.  Not only is he the one who was raised from death to the glory of God the Father, he is the one who will also awaken each and every one of us from the sleep of death and raise our bodies from the ground on the last day.  He is writing to assure us of this very simple and very important truth, because you and I are really no different than the Corinthians of Paul’s day.  We too, are living in a sin-filled world which is constantly seeking to convince us that we only go around once and after that, we die.  We are living in a world that is doing everything it can to convince us that there is no afterlife, that there is no resurrection, and that death is the end of everything. 

But as Christians, we know that death isn’t the end of everything.  We know and believe that death is only the beginning of our eternal life with Christ, and that is why Paul’s words are so comforting to us this morning.  They are so comforting because they assure us that even though death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  They assure us that even though we will all die because we are Adam’s descendants, in Christ, we will all be made alive.  They assure us that just as Christ was raised from the dead, so also will Christ our King raise us up on the last day!  Though one day we will all close our eyes in the sleep of death, our Savior has promised us that our souls will be carried to his side where we will live with our King forever.  Though one day our bodies will rest in the earth where they will decay and return to the dust they came from, we know that when our Savior returns, He will raise our bodies from their graves.  We know that in the same way a car enthusiast will resurrect a rusted frame from a junkyard, Christ will raise our bodies from the ground.  In the same way that the enthusiast will work on that vehicle, refurbishing and restoring it until it is in better than mint condition, so also Christ will restore our bodies to their perfect sinless condition.  Then, when our King has glorified our bodies, he will reunite our soul and body, and in that day he will destroy death forever.

Take a look, once more, at those beautiful words in our lesson today, beginning with verse 22:  “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-27, NIV84)

What greater reason could there be for us to give praise to Christ our King than the assurance Paul gives us that he who has freed us from sin and death by his resurrection from the dead, will also, one day, completely destroy death on the day he returns!  As Christians, this is the day to which we are looking forward!  We are looking forward to the day when Christ our King returns and destroys death forever.  We are looking forward to it, because death is still the enemy, which gives us the most heartache and grief.  Death is the enemy that makes us look up to the skies and cry out in sorrow: “Why, Lord?  Why have you taken my loved one from me?”  Death is the enemy that makes us long for our Savior’s return.  Though we have grown accustom to death because death has become a part of life, death it is not something that our Savior ever intended us to face.  Rather death came into this world as a result of sin, and because of sin we all must face it one day.  But even though we will all close our eyes in death one day, we can take comfort in the knowledge that Christ, our King, has already conquered it.  For as Paul tells us a little later on in this chapter, “ ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’  ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

This is the victory which Christ, our King, won for us when he went to the cross.  For on that cross Christ endured the anguish and torment of hell itself in order to pay the price of our sins.  On that cross, satan bruised Christ’s heal as Christ fulfilled the Scriptures and feed us from the power of the devil.  On that cross, though it seemed that death had finally been victorious and conquered the Son of God as Jesus cried out, “It is finished”, Jesus actually defeated death by giving up his own life.  During those few days when Jesus body lay in the tomb and we thought that all hope was lost, Jesus was proclaiming his victory over the devil and all his evil angels.  Then, on the third day, Jesus shattered whatever victory death might seem to have had by doing what no other human being has ever been able to do.  On that day, Jesus took back his life and rose from the dead.  Though death will still give us grief and sorrow, because of Christ’s victory we know that it is nothing more than a sleep from which we will awaken in heaven.  Though it will still hurt to say farewell to our friends and loved ones when their times come, we know that death is nothing more than a doorway from this life to eternal life.  Though death is still an unnatural event that our Lord never intended us to face, because of Jesus’ victory we are looking forward to the last day when he will destroy death forever. 

Yes, on that day, Christ our King will place all power and all dominion under his feet, destroying them forever, as our lesson tells us beginning with verse 24, “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.(1 Corinthians 15:24–26, NIV84)

What a great day that will be, the day when our Savior-King returns in his glory to take us to be with him forever!  For on that day he will raise our bodies from the grave, glorify them, and reunite them with our souls.  On that day he will bring the end of all powers, authority, and dominion as he finally and completely destroys death forever.  So, as you leave here today, remember this fact.  As you go through the week making all your Thanksgiving preparations give praise to the Lord.  When Sunday comes again and you are getting ready for church, remember how your Savior will raise you up on the last day when he destroys death forever, and give praise to Christ, your King.

Amen.

Pastor David M. Shilling

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church--Le Sueur, MN

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[1] Copied from: http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/praise.htm Accessed November 19, 2011.