The Lord be with you
This coming Sunday will be the Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. It is also November 18. The church year is rapidly coming to its end. As it traditional, the readings for the last two or three Sunday’s in the Church Year focus on End Times themes. Back in the days of The Lutheran Hymnal, these Sunday’s were known as the “Third-Last Sunday of the Church Year,” the “Second-Last Sunday of the Church Year,” and the “Last Sunday of the Church Year.” The Last Sunday of the Church Year was also known as “Christ the King Sunday.” Some churches still use these names.
We will be using the fourth setting of the Divine Service for our liturgy, and celebrating the Lord’s Supper. Our opening hymn and our sermon hymn are the same. We will sing verses 1-3 as our opening hymn and verses 4-7 as our sermon hymn. It is “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near” (LSB 508). Our distribution hymns will be “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” (LSB 575), “The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us” (LSB 514), and “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee” (LSB 632). Our closing hymn will be “Forth in the Peace of Christ We Go” (LSB 920).
The appointed lessons for the day are Daniel 12:1–3, Hebrews 10:11–25, and Mark 13:1–13. The text for the sermon is Hebrews 10:19. The sermon is titled “The End Is Near.”
We will have a council meeting Sunday.
Below are the lessons for Sunday with a few initial thoughts from me.
Daniel 12:1–3
12:1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
My initial thoughts:
The name “Michael” means “Who is like God?” He is described as the “great prince who has charge of your people.” He who has charge of the people of God is Jesus. The question in the name “Michael” is rhetorical. No one is like God and no one can be the prince of God’s people except God (first commandment stuff). So this “Michael” is Jesus, the Second Person of the Triune God. The time Daniel is looking forward to is often called the “ladder days” in the Old Testament. It began with the first advent of Jesus and will end with his second advent. At that time we will witness the resurrection of the dead, some to everlasting glory while others to everlasting shame. While the difference between these two groups is faith in Jesus, there are differences also within the groups. Clearly how we live our lives makes a difference and those who have been used by God to bring the Gospel hope to many are the stars of the group that has been saved.
Hebrews 10:11–25
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
My initial thoughts:
The writer of Hebrews continues to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus over the Old Testament worship system. He begins by showing that Jesus is the High Priest who needs offer only one sacrifice and his sacrifice actually does forgive sins. This leads to the discontinuation of the OT sacrificial system. The various purity rituals, where so many things were sprinkled with water or blood, all pointed towards baptism which sprinkled our evil consciences clean. Aside from the office of the High Priest pointing towards Jesus, so does the actual construction of the Temple. In this case it is the curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies. This represented the flesh of Jesus by which we gain entrance into the presence of the Father. That time when the enemies of Jesus are made his footstool is an illusion to Psalm 110 and is fulfilled at the Second Coming of Jesus. Verses 23-25 are important also. Here we are encouraged to be faithful attendees at a faithful church. This is how we hold fast the confession of our hope. Isolated we easily wander from the faith. The “Day drawing near” is the Second Coming. That day is ever closer.
Mark 13:1–13
13:1 As [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
My initial thoughts:
The disciples are impressed with the temple as we are with such things like the Empire State Building or the Eiffel Tower. But, as permanent as these things of the world may seem, they are not so permanent after all. The destruction of the temple was fulfilled when the Romans tore it down. Jesus provides signs that will tell us if we are living in the Ladder Days. Guess what? We are. And we have been ever since Jesus’ day. Jesus encourages us to remain faithful. This is no abstract thing. As the writer of Hebrews told us, go to Church, hear the word of God proclaimed, be encourage through the corporate worship life of God’s people. He who endures to the end will be saved. To use the words of our Lord to the Church at Smyrna, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
May this look ahead help us prepare for our Sunday worship.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor