1. Thessalonians 5,1-11. Eternity Sunday

1. Thessalonians 5,1-11           6320 

Ewigkeitssonntag  073 (27. Trinitatis)

22 Caecilia, Virgin Martyr in the first 3 centuries 

22. November 2020

1. O Lord, Thou who dost deliver from affliction; redeem us according to Your mercy, so that we remain grounded upon Your providence and help.  Amen. (Starck 183 ¶ 3) 

2. »Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will arrive like a thief in the night. While people are saying: „There is peace and security,“ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers and sisters, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

3. On this past Wednesday, our Day of Repentance and Prayer, we heard the Prophet Isaiah tell Israel that though their sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Today we here Jesus exhort us to be ready like the 5 wise bridesmaids were ready for the advent of the groom. 

4. Many first generation Christians believed Jesus would return in their lifetime. 20 years after His ascension Jesus had still not returned and the older Christians were starting to die from age or sickness. The Thessalonians misunderstood the apostolic teaching and thought it meant those deceased Christians would miss out on Christ’s return. Paul writes to them and says, to the contrary, those who have died will join Jesus when He descends from heaven (1. Thessalonians 4,14). Jesus taught this as well in today’s Gospel parable: the five faithful and believing bridesmaids who fell asleep were awoken and joined the groom in his procession.  

5. Paul emphasizes another point Jesus makes in that parable: the advent of Jesus will be a surprise. We expect His arrival, but we do not know when it will occur. Jesus’ first advent unfolded the same way: there was an eager expectation, but no one realized how close it was. His immanence of His arrival came as a surprise to Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary and Joseph when they were told: Messiah is arriving in just a few months.  

6. The world fears the advent of Jesus and the end of all things. We have lived all of 2020 under the hysteria toked by the media and some leaders. COVID-19 has dominated the new cycle all year. The pandemic is serious and ought to be treated seriously, but how often have people been driven to despair, depression and fear because of fearful overhype. COVID-19 is not the end of the world. We will get through it just like we got through the Spanish Flu from 1918-20 and every other pandemic that has afflicted the world. God has, and will continue to, provide for us, be with us and comfort us. Indeed, the world will one day pass away, but we should not be dispassionate about it nor fear it (Bayer 331). Instead, we anticipate the last day by faith in Christ, who is the Lord over all things (Bayer 331).  

7. The Apostle Paul comforts us with these words: »Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us« (Romans 8,35.37). No pandemic, not even COVID-19, will separate us from Christ. 

8. God’s faithfulness is bound to His Word, and His Word is His promise. God promises to forgive your sin, and His Word does what it says. Yahweh said to the Prophet Isaiah: »My Word that goes out from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish that which I purpose, and will succeed in the thing for which I sent it« (Isaiah 55,11). God says to you, through His Word, in your Holy Baptism and in the Lord’s Supper: Ego te absolvo! I absolve you of your sins! These Divine words constitute a reality: God says you are forgiven, and thus you are forgiven (Bayer 53). These words of absolution are a Verbum efficax: an effective, accomplishing Word (Bayer 53). These Divine words are words of grace and promise as we live with the tribulation of a pandemic and as we await the second advent of Jesus. Next week we will hear about Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem during His first advent.  Amen. 

9. Let us pray. O Lord, Jesus Christ, Thou art the Way, the Truth and the Life; fill our lives with the presence of joy, so that we have the certainty of salvation to be with You and eternal fellowship.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2019 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2020 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Bayer, Oswald. Martin Luther’s Theology. Copyright © 2008 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Starck, Johann. Starck’s Prayer Book. Copyright © 2009 Concordia Publishing House.