Trinity 25 November 18, 2018
Matthew 24:15-28
Watch for the Sign
v.26-28 So, if they say to you, "Look, he is in the wilderness," do not go out. If they say, "Look, he is in the inner rooms," do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/eagles will gather.
Dear friends in Christ, our Gospel reading for today takes place during Holy Week. Jesus has been teaching and preaching at the temple. One day, as they were sitting on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem, the disciples asked Jesus a question in private, "Tell us when will these things be (meaning the destruction of the temple that Jesus had foretold, as well as the Last Day), and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Jesus then warns them against false christs who will come claiming to be Him. He encourages them not to be alarmed, even when wars occur, famines, earthquakes, [we might add, terrible wild fires, hurricanes, and blizzards], for these are but the beginning of the birth pains. They are there to remind us to repent for the end of the world is coming—Judgement Day is coming.
Jesus even forewarns the disciples that one of the signs will be their own persecutions and deaths. He then goes on to foretell the destruction of the temple and all of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans (which will occur in about 40 years). He says that when these signs occur, there will be many false christs and false prophets who will come, and will try to deceive even the elect that Christ has returned and all people should follow these false prophets and christs. But He warns us beforehand, not to listen to them. Whether we are told Jesus is in some desolate land, waiting for us to come to Him, or whether they claim He has come in some secret inner place, we are to not believe these claims.
Why not? I mean, if someone is doing miraculous signs and wonders, shouldn't we listen to THEM? Isn't that a sign that God is with them? No. Not necessarily. As we have learned in our Apologetics Bible study, Satan is sometimes given the power to perform what appears to be miracles, but are not. God allows this in order to test His peoples' faith—to see whether or not they will remain true to His clear Word that He has spoken—or whether they will go after some new teaching that is not of God.
And we can certainly see these things continuing today, can't we? We are witnessing many of these signs in our generation. We see wars taking place, we hear of rumours of wars, we even see self-proclaimed christs and prophets cropping up all over the world—claiming to be Jesus returned, in some cases—or, to be His direct, special mouthpiece, in others. We see famines. We see earthquakes. We experience fires, typhoons, blizzards, and the like. We see all of these signs—and it becomes very tempting when someone arises and begins to say that Christ has returned—or that these signs prove the special revelation of God that this supposed prophet has received.
But beloved, what are we to do in these circumstances? Not believe them! Flee from such false teaching. Jesus told us they would come beforehand—and He explicitly told us not to trust them. Why not? Because He has given us His clear Word for us to cling to in every time and circumstance and place. We need not worry that we might somehow miss Jesus' return—that He might return secretly in some hidden manner—and we be left behind. Such is a lie of the devil.
Listen to Jesus' words! "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/eagles will gather." What does this mean? Jesus' coming will be swift and sudden—unexpected. But it will also be plainly visible to all. Just as during a thunderstorm at night—when lightning flashes at one end of the sky—but is visible to those at the far end. Or, to put it in more earthy terms—especially to those who hunt—wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/the eagles will gather. Jesus' return will be just as visible and noticeable as when birds circle in the sky above a dead animal. You can see them for miles and miles.
The clear sign of the coming of the kingdom of Christ was foretold by the prophets. Just listen to what David prophesied in Psalm 22:16-18 a millennium before Jesus was ever born, "For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
Beloved, we see here a clear picture of the crucifixion of our Lord. Jesus, surrounded by His enemies who have come to gloat over Him as He suffers on the cross—pierced with thorns, nails, and spear. We see Jesus' kingdom comes as He offers up His life as a ransom for the whole world—shedding His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Golgotha, the place of the Skull—Mount Calvary—is where the kingdom of Christ is most plainly visible. For when Christ suffered in our place—He ushered in His kingdom of grace and mercy for the forgiveness of sins. He gave His body and blood so that we might be sanctified and holy in the sight of the Father.
And you know what, dear friends? The place of the Kingdom of God, is still the body of Christ. This remains to this day in the age of the church—we who are the body of Christ gather around the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the altar. We do so in order to receive His forgiveness, life, and salvation. There is no other place where Christ is to be found. No other place to receive His love and mercy. No other place to enter into His kingdom than in the very place that He Himself has promised to be—His holy church—in Word and Sacrament.
This is why we are exhorted to come to church each week—to receive His gifts. This is why we do not fret or fear over the signs of the end times that we witness in our own day. Christ will come—that is certain. But we need not fear. For by faith we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Our sin and guilt and shame have been taken away by His loving sacrifice. We need not listen to the competing voices of those who claim to have special revelation of God about what we are supposed to do, or what we are supposed to believe, or where and when Jesus will return.
Jesus has already told us where to find Him. In His church. In His gifts. His Word is clear—do not believe those who speak otherwise—they are liars like their father, the devil. Rather, listen to voice of your Saviour. Hearken to the voice of Him who has called you from death to life by the power of His life-giving Word. Hear Jesus proclaim to you through the mouth of His called servants, "I forgive you all your sins—in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." And know it is true. For Christ has proclaimed it in His Word.
Therefore, when Jesus does return—and we will all know exactly when that happens because it will be gloriously visible for all to see—do not be afraid. Rather, do as Jesus tells us to do in Luke's Gospel 21:28, "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Jesus' return is the final fulfillment of your redemption that He won for you. And so the sign of His coming is something to truly look forward to. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Matthew 24:15-28
Watch for the Sign
v.26-28 So, if they say to you, "Look, he is in the wilderness," do not go out. If they say, "Look, he is in the inner rooms," do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/eagles will gather.
Dear friends in Christ, our Gospel reading for today takes place during Holy Week. Jesus has been teaching and preaching at the temple. One day, as they were sitting on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem, the disciples asked Jesus a question in private, "Tell us when will these things be (meaning the destruction of the temple that Jesus had foretold, as well as the Last Day), and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Jesus then warns them against false christs who will come claiming to be Him. He encourages them not to be alarmed, even when wars occur, famines, earthquakes, [we might add, terrible wild fires, hurricanes, and blizzards], for these are but the beginning of the birth pains. They are there to remind us to repent for the end of the world is coming—Judgement Day is coming.
Jesus even forewarns the disciples that one of the signs will be their own persecutions and deaths. He then goes on to foretell the destruction of the temple and all of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans (which will occur in about 40 years). He says that when these signs occur, there will be many false christs and false prophets who will come, and will try to deceive even the elect that Christ has returned and all people should follow these false prophets and christs. But He warns us beforehand, not to listen to them. Whether we are told Jesus is in some desolate land, waiting for us to come to Him, or whether they claim He has come in some secret inner place, we are to not believe these claims.
Why not? I mean, if someone is doing miraculous signs and wonders, shouldn't we listen to THEM? Isn't that a sign that God is with them? No. Not necessarily. As we have learned in our Apologetics Bible study, Satan is sometimes given the power to perform what appears to be miracles, but are not. God allows this in order to test His peoples' faith—to see whether or not they will remain true to His clear Word that He has spoken—or whether they will go after some new teaching that is not of God.
And we can certainly see these things continuing today, can't we? We are witnessing many of these signs in our generation. We see wars taking place, we hear of rumours of wars, we even see self-proclaimed christs and prophets cropping up all over the world—claiming to be Jesus returned, in some cases—or, to be His direct, special mouthpiece, in others. We see famines. We see earthquakes. We experience fires, typhoons, blizzards, and the like. We see all of these signs—and it becomes very tempting when someone arises and begins to say that Christ has returned—or that these signs prove the special revelation of God that this supposed prophet has received.
But beloved, what are we to do in these circumstances? Not believe them! Flee from such false teaching. Jesus told us they would come beforehand—and He explicitly told us not to trust them. Why not? Because He has given us His clear Word for us to cling to in every time and circumstance and place. We need not worry that we might somehow miss Jesus' return—that He might return secretly in some hidden manner—and we be left behind. Such is a lie of the devil.
Listen to Jesus' words! "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/eagles will gather." What does this mean? Jesus' coming will be swift and sudden—unexpected. But it will also be plainly visible to all. Just as during a thunderstorm at night—when lightning flashes at one end of the sky—but is visible to those at the far end. Or, to put it in more earthy terms—especially to those who hunt—wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/the eagles will gather. Jesus' return will be just as visible and noticeable as when birds circle in the sky above a dead animal. You can see them for miles and miles.
The clear sign of the coming of the kingdom of Christ was foretold by the prophets. Just listen to what David prophesied in Psalm 22:16-18 a millennium before Jesus was ever born, "For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
Beloved, we see here a clear picture of the crucifixion of our Lord. Jesus, surrounded by His enemies who have come to gloat over Him as He suffers on the cross—pierced with thorns, nails, and spear. We see Jesus' kingdom comes as He offers up His life as a ransom for the whole world—shedding His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Golgotha, the place of the Skull—Mount Calvary—is where the kingdom of Christ is most plainly visible. For when Christ suffered in our place—He ushered in His kingdom of grace and mercy for the forgiveness of sins. He gave His body and blood so that we might be sanctified and holy in the sight of the Father.
And you know what, dear friends? The place of the Kingdom of God, is still the body of Christ. This remains to this day in the age of the church—we who are the body of Christ gather around the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the altar. We do so in order to receive His forgiveness, life, and salvation. There is no other place where Christ is to be found. No other place to receive His love and mercy. No other place to enter into His kingdom than in the very place that He Himself has promised to be—His holy church—in Word and Sacrament.
This is why we are exhorted to come to church each week—to receive His gifts. This is why we do not fret or fear over the signs of the end times that we witness in our own day. Christ will come—that is certain. But we need not fear. For by faith we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Our sin and guilt and shame have been taken away by His loving sacrifice. We need not listen to the competing voices of those who claim to have special revelation of God about what we are supposed to do, or what we are supposed to believe, or where and when Jesus will return.
Jesus has already told us where to find Him. In His church. In His gifts. His Word is clear—do not believe those who speak otherwise—they are liars like their father, the devil. Rather, listen to voice of your Saviour. Hearken to the voice of Him who has called you from death to life by the power of His life-giving Word. Hear Jesus proclaim to you through the mouth of His called servants, "I forgive you all your sins—in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." And know it is true. For Christ has proclaimed it in His Word.
Therefore, when Jesus does return—and we will all know exactly when that happens because it will be gloriously visible for all to see—do not be afraid. Rather, do as Jesus tells us to do in Luke's Gospel 21:28, "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Jesus' return is the final fulfillment of your redemption that He won for you. And so the sign of His coming is something to truly look forward to. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.