Sermon for the Last Sunday of the Church Year: "Back to the Future"

 + Last Sunday of the Church Year – November 21, 2021 +

Series B: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Jude 20-25; Mark 13:24-37

Beautiful Savior Lutheran

Milton, WA

 

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Whenever you lose something – such as your phone, wallet, keys – inevitably, you, a family member, or friend will offer you that age-old advice: try retracing your steps. And most of the time when you backtrack to the door or the car or wherever you were, you find the way forward. 

 

Something like that is going on in today’s gospel reading from Mark 13. It takes place in the same setting as last week’s reading, during Holy Week, in Jerusalem, near the temple. Part of the time Jesus appears to be foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the other part of the time he appears to be teaching his disciples about his advent, his coming – his coming in the flesh to save, and his coming again in glory at the end, on the Last Day. Which is it? Is Jesus talking about the end of Jerusalem or the end of the world? The answer, in good biblical fashion is yes.

 

Jesus does it in a similar way we might find our lost phone, wallet, or keys. Jesus retraces the footsteps of his prophets by quoting Isaiah and Daniel. Our Lord backtracks through his words to his people of old – words about the destruction of Babylon and other great Old Testament enemies of God’s people – in order to point the way forward to the future destruction of God’s enemies and deliverance in Jesus.

 

Christ shows us the way forward to his second coming by taking us back to the Old Testament that foretold his first coming. Great Scot! It’s a biblical back to the future. 

 

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; Here Jesus takes us back to Isaiah 13, a prophecy foretelling the destruction of Babylon, one of Israel’s ancient enemies that later becomes synonymous with all enemies of God who reject and oppose his word and promise and Messiah. 

 

 ²⁵ the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Jesus quotes Isaiah again. This time he backtracks to Isaiah 34, where the destruction of Edom is foretold. Edom also later became a symbol of those who opposed and rejected YHWH and his promises, especially Rome. 

 

²⁶ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Here Jesus retraces his steps in the prophet Daniel where the Son of Man appears before the Ancient of Days and receives dominion, glory, and a kingdom. God gave Daniel a glimpse of the Son of Man, the Messiah, Jesus; a prophetic preview of his resurrection, ascension, and coronation – the dominion, glory, and kingdom he has won by his dying and rising. 

 

Lastly, Jesus revisits Deuteronomy 30 and Isaiah 11… And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

 

This is an Old Testament way of depicting God’s salvation in the Messiah, Jesus. In Jesus there will be a return from exile, a restoration, a gathering of his saved, chosen people from the four corners of the earth. 

 

Well, that sounds interesting and all, pastor. But what does that have to do with us here, now, today? 

 

Remember, Jesus is showing us the way forward by retracing our steps through the Old Testament, backtracking through his promises then, to give you hope now. Showing you his promises kept yesterday to fill you with hope for his promises tomorrow. 

 

Jesus shows us the way forward to his second coming by taking us back to the Old Testament that foretold his first coming, especially his birth for us, his dying and rising and ascending for us.

 

Jesus uses the setting of the temple to foretell its destruction. He recalls the former prophecies of Babylon and Edom’s destruction. The destruction of Babylon, in turn, he uses as a picture of the destruction of Jerusalem. And the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, in turn, is a picture of the end of the world.

 

And whenever the end of the world comes up in Scripture, or in our discussions, we tend to run to one of two places: doubt or dread. Either we doubt all this end times talk and go about our business as though this world will go on forever. Or we dread the coming end and live in fear, seeking signs, trying to control or know what God has said we cannot know. 

 

But this is not why Jesus teaches us about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and his eventual return in glory. Jesus would have us on the alert and watchful, waiting, and watching for the approaching Day not with fear or dread, but with steadfastness, faith, hope and longing. 

 

God told his people Israel that Babylon would be destroyed and they would return to Zion. God foretold his people Israel that he would send a Deliverer, a Savior, a Redeemer. And that’s what he did. In the fullness of time God sent forth his Son, Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Man. The one who brought destruction to our greatest enemies of sin and death and the devil. That Good Friday the sun was darkened. The earth was shaken. And the Son of Man was suspended in the clouds revealing his greatest power in weakness, and his glory in suffering on the cross for you. Salvation is accomplished. Completed. It is finished. 

 

In Jesus, you need not fear the end of the world. It has already come for you in Christ crucified. The verdict is in. Jesus is judged and you are free. Innocent. Forgiven. 

 

And should you find yourself feeling lost in this world, overwhelmed, weary, and worn out from sin and death and evil, Jesus invites us to retrace our steps back through his promises. Backtrack to the cross and the empty tomb, where the Son of Man is crucified and risen for you. 

 

Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.