Sermon: Populous Zion (Advent 2) and Confirmation of Genevieve Hart – 2023

10 Dec 2023

Text: Luke 21:25-36 (Mal 4:1-6, Rom 15:4-13)

In the name of + Jesus.  Amen.

While the world sings about talking snowmen, a red-nosed reindeer, and roasting chestnuts, here we are among the festive lights and the beauty of this sanctuary listening to Jesus tell us about “signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on in the world.”

We Christians established Christmas as a celebration, because we rejoice in the coming of Jesus: the first time, as a baby in Bethlehem, and also His upcoming return as the King of Glory.  The world has adopted our joy, but rejected the cause of our joy: Jesus.  We don’t rejoice because it is winter, and we like hot chocolate and carols and mulled wine (though we certainly do).  Rather, these things grow out of our celebration that Jesus has come.

But the world wants to celebrate at the same time that we do, though not for the same reasons.  Secular Christmas has its own religion, and even makes use of some Christian rituals, like gift-giving and decorated trees.  But they greet one another in ways so as to remove both Christ and the Mass from their Christ-Mass vocabulary.  “Happy Holidays,” they say, trying desperately to enjoy a Christless holiday, one of “dissipation and drunkenness” – which gives no real joy, but only “hearts… weighed down” by the “cares of this life.”  The world looks upon the fallenness of their own condition, patching over the brokenness with lights and songs and food and drink.  We Christians, rather, rejoice – with lights and songs and food and drink – in the midst of the crumbling world, because we know a better one is coming, because we know that Jesus has come, and that Jesus is coming again.  So we see “these things begin to take place,” and instead of singing sentimental songs about snow and mistletoe, we sing carols that are hymns, rejoicing in the Incarnation and the birth of Jesus.  And we are also so bold as to sing about His coming again in glory.

And while the world begrudgingly admits that Jesus was born, the world denies that He is coming again.  The world denies the power of the cross.  And the world denies that Jesus promises that even after His ascension, He is with us always, even to the end of the world.  For He is with us where two or three gather in His name.  He is with us when His Word is read and preached.  He is with us when we are born again in Holy Baptism.  And He is with us in the Sacrament of the Altar.

Today, our dear sister Genevieve begins her life of taking Holy Communion with us and with the saints of every age, even saints yet to be born who will eat the body and drink the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ until He returns in glory.  Jesus has come, Jesus is coming again, and even in this “little while” in which we don’t see Him, He is still coming to us, dear friends.  For Genevieve, along with the rest of us, was made ready for His coming at her baptism.  And she is ready to receive Him at the altar because of her confession of faith – the faith that the Holy Spirit reveals to us in the form of the Holy Scriptures.  For from them, Genevieve has learned to confess that she is a sinner (just like the rest of us), and that she is forgiven and marked with the sign of the cross forever (just like the rest of us).  She comes to the altar and receives Jesus in His body and blood, given and shed for her, and so do we, dear friends.  It doesn’t matter what distress and perplexity befall the world.  Jesus is still coming.

And Genevieve’s confirmation verse fits nicely with our Gospel.  For St. John recorded our Lord’s comforting promise: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Fear and trembling and anxiety and desperation are the way of the world.  Our leaders tell us to look at the fig tree and panic: by walking instead of driving, by eating bugs, and by watching television all day so that they can tell us how to think (and buy more of their products that they sell us to ease us from the very worry that they themselves stir up).  We Christians have a more excellent way. 

We hear the promise of Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”  Just as we can look at the trees and know what season it is, we can see the crumbling world around us, knowing that “the kingdom of God is near.”  The kingdom is near, dear friends, because our king is near.  The kingdom comes to us – and today, Genevieve joins us in receiving our King. 

And this is why we decorate trees (for the trees themselves testify of the one who made them), why we adorn our homes and church with lights (for Jesus is the light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome), and why we sing (for Jesus is coming “with clouds descending”). 

We rejoice as the prophet Malachi shares the Word of God with us: “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.  You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.  And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.”  We rejoice as the apostle Paul shares the Word of God with us: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

And while the unbelieving world is in a panic about “the environment,” “our democracy” “this-ism and that-phobia” and all of the other things that “set them ablaze,” we Christians know what is really going to happen.  We do as our Lord invites us: “stay awake at all times, praying.”  We too see the leaves on the trees and the “signs in sun and moon and stars.” And in seeing the same things that the world sees and panics over, we hear our Lord (who comes to us) say to us: “Now when you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” 

Amen.

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