Matthew 25,1-13.Eternity Sunday (Trinity 27)

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

Matthew 25,1-13 5613

Letzer Sonntag des Kirchenjahres (Ewigkeitssonntag)  072 (Trinity 27)

Chrysogonus, Martyr 303 

24. November 2013

1. O Lord, absolve Your people from their offenses so that, from the bonds of our sins which by reason of our frailty we have brought upon ourselves, we may be delivered by Your bountiful goodness. Amen.

2. Jesus said to His disciples: „Then the reign of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise: ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying: ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other bridesmaids arrived also, saying: ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered: ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.“  

3. 3, 2, 1 ... the Bridegroom has arrived to take His Church into the heavenly reign. Jesus is describing a future event. Right now, like the bridesmaids, we patiently await His arrival and the consummation of the wedding with its banquet. The Gospel Readings for the past weeks have told us that Jesus’ second advent will be a surprise. We don’t know when it will occur, so we wait ready for His arrival. We will become drowsy and fall asleep as we await His return, but when the cry goes out we will awake and join the wedding procession behind Jesus. Whenever Jesus arrives, we know we will be ready for we have faith in Him. 

4. One of the images Jesus used to describe eternal life in His presence is the image of a marriage feast. Wedding receptions are joyous events with plenty of food, alcohol, music and dancing. It is an event to be celebrated and enjoyed by all in attendance. The feast described in Matthew 25 will be celebrated in the new creation, for on the last day God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21,1). God will also dwell with men and women (Revelation 21,3). This is a renewal of the Garden of Eden, where Adam, Eve and God dwelt in holiness and perfection. John described this dwelling of God and mankind as the new Jerusalem. 

5. We often think of eternal life with stereotypical images of sitting on clouds, playing a harp and singing hymns to Jesus all the time. That stereotypical image is downright boring, monotonous and quite inaccurate. The Bible only gives us glimpses of eternal life, but those glimpses are wonderful in description. Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 that we will celebrate a banquet with Him. Since we will have a resurrected body of flesh and blood, that implies we will really eat and drink in this eternal life. [1] John saw a vision of the new earth, and that implies ground, water, plants, animals, birds and fish. John also described a city of gold with gates, walls made of jasper, and decorated with all sorts of precious jewels. This new Jerusalem may be God’s capital on the new earth, and we will be able to go in and out at will whenever we want.

6. So what does this all mean? Eternal life may be lived here on the new earth, an earth very much like the one we experience now. As we are now stewards of this earth, we may be stewards on the new earth. We may farm, shepherd, invent and build. We may play sports, hike or lie in the shade under a tree and just think. There may be plays to see, concerts to hear, music to be produced and dances to be danced. Every extinct kind of animal and plant may be flourishing on the new earth. If the new earth is our home, then the universe may be our backyard to explore and exercise stewardship over. Imagine the potential that awaits us when our Divinely created human ingenuity is unshackled from the curse now imposed upon us! 

7. Eternal life in God’s fellowship will be a return to His originally intended created order. We will have our Divine image and likeness fully restored. Original sin will be removed from our body and soul; original righteousness will be the foundation for our resurrected body. There will be no sin, no curse, no natural disasters, no disease, no infirmities, no disabilities, no strife, no violence, no hatred, no murders, no warfare and no death on the new heaven and earth. Jesus promised us full restoration and holiness. 

8. The Triune God created men and women to be in perpetual fellowship with Him. For a short while, Adam and Eve experienced this fellowship. After Adam brought sin into the human race, God still desired to be in fellowship with His crowning jewel of creation, therefore He promised Eve a savior who would triumph over both sin and the serpent. Next week we begin the liturgical season of Advent with its preparation for the birth of this Savior in Bethlehem. Today we look ahead to the culmination of the salvation that our Savior Jesus brings us through His death, resurrection and second advent. 

9. Jesus’ return is delayed; we do not know the day nor the hour of when He will return, therefore, we wait and watch for His second advent. Jesus will return, for He has a wedding to attend with His bride, the Church, and a splendid wedding reception to throw that is but the beginning of eternal joys for those who believe in Him as their savior from sin, death and hell. 

10. Jesus teaches that when He arrives, those who were ready go in with Him to the marriage feast, and the door will be shut. Earlier, in His Beatitudes, Jesus taught: „Not everyone who says to Me: ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the reign of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.“ (Matthew 7,21). Jesus explains this will in John 6: »For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day« (John 6,40). Thus Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 25 on this Eternity Sunday to be patient and be ready for His  second advent. We believe in Him to be our Lord and Savior who will arrive to raise us up to everlasting life. Trust in Jesus to fulfill His promise, for He will do it.  Amen. 

10. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Fullness of joy, make known to us the path of everlasting life so that we comfort ourselves during Your delay with the glorious  pleasures at Your right hand will be forevermore.  Amen.  

To God alone be the Glory 

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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 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.  

Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1990 Oxford University Press.

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

Löhe, Wilhelm. Liturgy for Christian Congregations of the Lutheran. Copyright © 1997 Repristination Press.

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

 [1] Jesus Himself told His apostles on Maundy Thursday: „I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s reign“ (Matthew 26,29).