1st Sunday in Advent
Text: Luke 19:28-40
Vicar Gary Schultz
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Today we begin a new year. The church year is about the life and work of Christ, so it is fitting that we begin the year with Christ’s coming. If this is so, it may appear a little strange to begin with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem a few days before He was crucified. Doesn’t this story go more toward the end? Isn’t this the story for Palm Sunday? Perhaps the readings for the church year need a little adjustment.
No, throughout many ages of church history, this account has been appointed for use on the First Sunday in Advent. Advent means, “He comes,” so it makes sense that the Gospel proclaims: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” Advent is about Christ’s coming and our repentant preparation. Advent is about more than just an historic remembrance or reenactment of the birth of Christ and the events leading up to it. The season of the Lord’s coming also involves our preparation for His coming again at the Last Day.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”
Now the Lord fulfills His promise to His people of old. Christ, the Righteous Branch of David, springs up into His creation to execute justice and righteousness in the land. The many years of waiting were ended as God now comes to His people.
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” When we think of a king entering a city, we think of grand ceremony, elaborate clothing, and attendants riding majestically on horseback. So we’d like to think of the King coming in the name of the Lord with glory far greater than that of earthly kings. And He does. But it doesn’t look like it to us. God comes to us as a human being, like us. He comes to us as a man, to bear the world’s sin. He took on our flesh to live, be tempted, suffer, and die, just as we live, are tempted, suffer, and die.
Just as He came through the womb of the little-known Mary, was wrapped in swaddling clothes and was without a home, so His entrance into Jerusalem didn’t look that impressive either. No fancy clothes or attendants on horses. This Man comes riding humbly on a donkey. Some people quickly threw down their coats and some leaves. Though He’s the King of all creation, He’s not here for the glories of this world.
“If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” Why would the Lord, the Creator of everything, need to take a donkey? Jesus didn’t need the donkey for Himself. He needed it for His people. He needed it for us. Certainly there were other ways for Him to get from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. But it was the way God would fulfill His prophesy. It was the way this descendent of David would spring up to save His people. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey (Introit, Zech 9:9). On a lowly work animal, the King comes to us. God’s promise that Christ would be humble and mounted on a donkey makes the beast of burden a suitable ride for the King. He was journeying into the temple. He came into the holy city of Jerusalem, making His way toward the temple, the place of sacrifice and prayer, just as He was about to offer up Himself – His own body, the New Temple – and make a final, all-atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world, answering the prayer of His people for righteousness and salvation. This unassuming Man, riding on a donkey, comes to His creation to make them right with God, to save them from sin.
In Advent, we prepare for Christ’s coming. Not just for the upcoming celebration of His physical birth. We remember the repentant preparation of God’s people of the Old Testament as they waited for His birth even as we look forward with eager expectation and preparation to Christ’s coming again at the Last Day.
Advent is also about the preparation of our hearts. In repentance, we look at our need for salvation. On our own, we aren’t able to receive Our Lord when He comes. We ask that He would rescue us from the threatening perils of our sins (Collect). A peril is something that exposes us to danger. Our sins are threatening — they are threatening to our salvation. Sin has a binding effect on us. We like to look at our sin comparatively. We’d like to think that our sins aren’t as bad as our neighbors sins. Maybe we can see our sins we like to repeat as just bad habits. Maybe our gossiping, cheating, and evil and lustful thoughts are wrong, but it’s not sin. Now our sins have become threatening perils. Our sin puts our inheritance of God’s good gift of eternal life in danger. These threatening perils separate us from Our Father. They leave us spiritually dead. As we ask for forgiveness, we acknowledge our inability to make things right with God. In repentance, we ask to be made clean, free from the perils which put our inheritance in danger. Advent is a time to recognize our continual need for turning from our sins and receiving Christ’s forgiveness, so that Jerusalem will dwell securely. As the church that is the New Jerusalem, we can confess now gladly: The Lord is our righteousness.
While we wait in preparation for Our Lord’s second coming, we rejoice that He still comes to us today. Christ did not ascend into heaven never to be heard from again. The Lord which had need of the donkey to bring Him on His way into the holy city to work salvation also has need of water. He doesn’t need water for Himself. But He uses it to bring His people into His Kingdom when He washes them in Holy Baptism. He has need of bread and wine – not for Himself – but to carry Himself to His people today through His Holy Supper, feeding us with life and salvation.
Christ answers our prayer: Stir up your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance (Collect). We are saved by His mighty deliverance, His sacrificial and atoning death on the cross. His mighty deliverance is not just an historical remembrance. It was a real event that continues on in the celebration of His Supper in the church. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26). Until He comes – He comes to us while we wait for His reappearing at the second coming.
We look forward to Christ’s final coming at the Last Day, when he will establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. For us, who have been rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by His mighty deliverance, we have nothing to fear, for Christ has taken care of everything. Our hearts are now blameless. We prepare ourselves for that day when Christ will enter again into the world to bring us with Him in royal procession into the New Jerusalem. Thanks be to God for His gracious coming among us, His people, to deliver us from our sins and to save us by His mighty deliverance. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Vicar Gary Schultz
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Today we begin a new year. The church year is about the life and work of Christ, so it is fitting that we begin the year with Christ’s coming. If this is so, it may appear a little strange to begin with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem a few days before He was crucified. Doesn’t this story go more toward the end? Isn’t this the story for Palm Sunday? Perhaps the readings for the church year need a little adjustment.
No, throughout many ages of church history, this account has been appointed for use on the First Sunday in Advent. Advent means, “He comes,” so it makes sense that the Gospel proclaims: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” Advent is about Christ’s coming and our repentant preparation. Advent is about more than just an historic remembrance or reenactment of the birth of Christ and the events leading up to it. The season of the Lord’s coming also involves our preparation for His coming again at the Last Day.
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”
Now the Lord fulfills His promise to His people of old. Christ, the Righteous Branch of David, springs up into His creation to execute justice and righteousness in the land. The many years of waiting were ended as God now comes to His people.
“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” When we think of a king entering a city, we think of grand ceremony, elaborate clothing, and attendants riding majestically on horseback. So we’d like to think of the King coming in the name of the Lord with glory far greater than that of earthly kings. And He does. But it doesn’t look like it to us. God comes to us as a human being, like us. He comes to us as a man, to bear the world’s sin. He took on our flesh to live, be tempted, suffer, and die, just as we live, are tempted, suffer, and die.
Just as He came through the womb of the little-known Mary, was wrapped in swaddling clothes and was without a home, so His entrance into Jerusalem didn’t look that impressive either. No fancy clothes or attendants on horses. This Man comes riding humbly on a donkey. Some people quickly threw down their coats and some leaves. Though He’s the King of all creation, He’s not here for the glories of this world.
“If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” Why would the Lord, the Creator of everything, need to take a donkey? Jesus didn’t need the donkey for Himself. He needed it for His people. He needed it for us. Certainly there were other ways for Him to get from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. But it was the way God would fulfill His prophesy. It was the way this descendent of David would spring up to save His people. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey (Introit, Zech 9:9). On a lowly work animal, the King comes to us. God’s promise that Christ would be humble and mounted on a donkey makes the beast of burden a suitable ride for the King. He was journeying into the temple. He came into the holy city of Jerusalem, making His way toward the temple, the place of sacrifice and prayer, just as He was about to offer up Himself – His own body, the New Temple – and make a final, all-atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world, answering the prayer of His people for righteousness and salvation. This unassuming Man, riding on a donkey, comes to His creation to make them right with God, to save them from sin.
In Advent, we prepare for Christ’s coming. Not just for the upcoming celebration of His physical birth. We remember the repentant preparation of God’s people of the Old Testament as they waited for His birth even as we look forward with eager expectation and preparation to Christ’s coming again at the Last Day.
Advent is also about the preparation of our hearts. In repentance, we look at our need for salvation. On our own, we aren’t able to receive Our Lord when He comes. We ask that He would rescue us from the threatening perils of our sins (Collect). A peril is something that exposes us to danger. Our sins are threatening — they are threatening to our salvation. Sin has a binding effect on us. We like to look at our sin comparatively. We’d like to think that our sins aren’t as bad as our neighbors sins. Maybe we can see our sins we like to repeat as just bad habits. Maybe our gossiping, cheating, and evil and lustful thoughts are wrong, but it’s not sin. Now our sins have become threatening perils. Our sin puts our inheritance of God’s good gift of eternal life in danger. These threatening perils separate us from Our Father. They leave us spiritually dead. As we ask for forgiveness, we acknowledge our inability to make things right with God. In repentance, we ask to be made clean, free from the perils which put our inheritance in danger. Advent is a time to recognize our continual need for turning from our sins and receiving Christ’s forgiveness, so that Jerusalem will dwell securely. As the church that is the New Jerusalem, we can confess now gladly: The Lord is our righteousness.
While we wait in preparation for Our Lord’s second coming, we rejoice that He still comes to us today. Christ did not ascend into heaven never to be heard from again. The Lord which had need of the donkey to bring Him on His way into the holy city to work salvation also has need of water. He doesn’t need water for Himself. But He uses it to bring His people into His Kingdom when He washes them in Holy Baptism. He has need of bread and wine – not for Himself – but to carry Himself to His people today through His Holy Supper, feeding us with life and salvation.
Christ answers our prayer: Stir up your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance (Collect). We are saved by His mighty deliverance, His sacrificial and atoning death on the cross. His mighty deliverance is not just an historical remembrance. It was a real event that continues on in the celebration of His Supper in the church. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26). Until He comes – He comes to us while we wait for His reappearing at the second coming.
We look forward to Christ’s final coming at the Last Day, when he will establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. For us, who have been rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by His mighty deliverance, we have nothing to fear, for Christ has taken care of everything. Our hearts are now blameless. We prepare ourselves for that day when Christ will enter again into the world to bring us with Him in royal procession into the New Jerusalem. Thanks be to God for His gracious coming among us, His people, to deliver us from our sins and to save us by His mighty deliverance. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
posted by Luther Memorial Chapel at
12/06/2006
