The First Sunday in Advent

Matthew 21:1–9; Romans 13:11–14

+ IN NOMINE IESU +

Advent is the season where we contemplate the coming of our Lord. His coming is three-fold. He first came to us in the flesh to be our savior from sin, death, and hell. His second coming will be in glory to judge the living and the dead and take those who believe in Him from this vale of tears to Himself in heaven. And finally, he continually comes to us in His Word and sacrament to remind us that He has come and will come again and sustain us as we wait. Thus, Advent is not only that season in the church year where we contemplate His coming, but it is also that season where we eagerly anticipate it and watch for it.

The Lord has already come in the flesh. He rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, not on a great steed and chariot, for He did not come to make war. He rode into Jerusalem upon a donkey, a beast of burden. For He came to bear our burdens and take upon Himself our sorrows. He came to exchange His easy yoke and light burden with ours, which are hard and heavy, to give us rest—rest for our souls. He came to die for us. And He did. He died for our transgressions and was raised for our justification. We are, therefore, no longer who we once were. We are a new creation, born again through the Water and the Word of God. We have died with Christ in Holy Baptism. And since we have been joined to Christ in a death like His, so also are we joined to His resurrection. We are no longer dead in our trespasses and sins. We are forgiven. Our sins have been taken away—removed. Thus, we are no longer dead, but alive in Christ toward God and one another. We are God’s people, redeemed by the blood of His Son, and made alive through the life-giving Spirit that brooded upon the font’s still waters. Creation is being remade. Let there be light. And there was light. For The Son (S-O-N) has risen. A new day has dawned. Therefore: “The hour has come for you to wake from sleep.”

The image that St. Paul evokes is one of getting up in the morning. What do you do when you get up? You make your bed. You wash your face. You open your curtains. You fold or hang up your pajamas. And go off to your daily duties. In other words, you put away the things of the night because it is now day.

So also then in spiritual things. Since the Son of God has risen, since a new day has dawned, we are called to put away the things of darkness, the things of the night. We are called to live in conformity with the Word of God. For Justification is always followed by sanctification. Faith is always followed by good works. That is to say, the justified sinner turns away from his sin and serves God and neighbor in good works. Since we have been justified, declared righteous, renewed by the work of the Holy Spirit, we awakened from our sinful slumbers for we are children of light, children of the day. We are to take off and put away our night clothes and other things of the night because it is now day and no longer the night.

The works we are to turn away from and put away are those St. Paul lists. The works of the night, the works of the darkness are sexual immorality and sensuality, orgies and drunkenness, and quarreling and jealousy. Which means the works we are to turn toward are those that uphold the opposite of these. Instead of sexual immorality and sensuality we are to exhibit chastity. Instead of orgies and drunkenness we are to exhibit temperance. Instead of quarreling and jealousy we are to exhibit contentment and humility.

We often get the wrong picture about God and His commandments. We see Him as a kind of cosmic killjoy. We think that He just doesn’t want us to have fun and that is why He gave the Ten Commandments. The reality, the truth is exactly the opposite. He gives the Ten Commandments so that they will be blessings to us, to protect us and others from abuse.Thus commandments He gives are not burdensome, as St. John reveals in his first letter (1 John 5:3). They are not burdensome because they are the means by which Christ overcame the world, and the means by which we, too, clinging in faith to Christ overcome it as well. His commandments reveal the perfect path to living the good life as God so designed it in the beginning. His commands reveal that life which is simple and straightforward, a life that leads to true happiness and contentment precisely because it is the life designed by God for this world.

It only seems difficult; it only seems to be boring and tedious because of the sin that still adheres to your flesh and that is active in this world. Do not believe it. It is a lie, a false sense of enjoyment and happiness. For what better feeling is there in this world than waking up refreshed and renewed, putting away your pajamas, drawing back the shades, making your bed and starting at the work that gives you and your family and your neighbors joy? That is what you have in Christ—a new day every day.

And as you continue to struggle against your flesh and this world, remember that your King is coming to you. For He did not just come once in the past. He is coming for you in the future, even as He continually comes to you now in His Word and Sacrament. He rides into your presence every Lord’s Day upon humble means to forgive you sins, to speak you righteous, to give you strength for today and courage and hope for tomorrow. He is your king. A new day is dawned. The hour has come for us to wake from our slumbers and live in that day which only He provides. Amen.