Luke 21,25-36. Ad te Levavi

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The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Luke 21,25-36               0220

Ad te Levavi (2. Advent) 02

Apollos, assistant of St. Paul. Bishop of Corinth

8. Dezember 2019 

1. O God, who shows Your Benevolence upon Your creation, help us to wait for Your mercy, so that we behold the salvation of Your creation, both now in Your preservation of it and in the future when You will restore its glory.  Amen. (VELKD Weekly Prayer for 2. Advent 2019 § 1.4) 

2. »Jesus told them a parable: „Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they bear leaves, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the reign of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.“« 

3. The 1. Sunday in Advent points us to Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the 2. Sunday in Advent reminds us that Jesus arrives with power, glory and celestial signs. Jesus tells us that when we see these things to take heart for our redemption is drawing near. Two chapters later Luke tells us the following: »It was now 12 noon (the 6. hour), and there was darkness over the whole land until 3 pm (the 9. hour), while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn into. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said: „Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!“ And having said this He breathed His last.… And all the crowds that had assembled for the spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts« (Luke 23,44-46.48). On Good Friday there was a sign in the sun and foreboding among the Roman soldiers and the Jewish crowds. Distress in the heavens and in the hearts of people portend the nearness of our redemption. 

4. Today’s Introit exhorts us to ad te Levavi: lift up our souls to the Lord. This exhortation is found in Psalm 25,1-2: »To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exalt over me.« Jesus says it in today’s Gospel pericope: »Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.« He also paraphrases Psalm 25, the last of His sayings in Luke’s account, on the cross: »Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!« Jesus fulfilled for us the exhortation to lift up our souls to the Lord. With His crucifixion, Jesus was put to shame and His enemies exalted over Him. The Prophet Isaiah described the Messiah’s humiliation 700 years before it happened: »He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed« (Isaiah 53,3-5). 

5. The 2. Sunday in Advent is a mini Good Friday as it directs our eyes upon the celestial events of that day and to the mercy of God displayed for the world. Ad te Levavi and behold the Lamb of God, the Suffering Servant, who bore the curse of the law against sin and endured His Father’s wrath upon sinfulness for us, in our place, and did so victoriously. Sin has been paid for and forgiven; God’s wrath has been spent; Death and Hades have been conquered. Even the heavens of creation were witness to the mercy and grace Jesus showed to us. We are saved and forgiven; let us lift up our souls to Christ the Lord! 

6. Jesus tells us 3 things in today’s Gospel pericope: 

I. There will be signs in the heavens. 

II. The Son of Man descends with power and great glory. 

III. Our redemption is drawing nigh. 

Jesus fulfilled these 3 things during His 1. advent, and they will herald His return at His 2. advent. We look to the Lord and wait for Him. As we wait, the gospel is preached, people hear it and they believe. Jesus is still bringing into His family those who are being saved.

7. Jesus concludes His teaching in Luke 21 with the promise: »Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.« Our hope is grounded upon Jesus and His word. His promise makes our forgiveness certain, our salvation is secure and our redemption  guaranteed. This certainty was purchased on the cross and affirmed with the empty tomb. Just as surely as Jesus arrived on this earth in Bethlehem to save us from our sinfulness, so He will arrive again in majestic clouds to usher us into heavenly eternal life. 

8. The 2. purple candle is lighted today in our Advent wreath to proclaim: »Lift up your soul unto the Lord, for your redemption is drawing near« (Luke 21,28). This candle shines forth with the 1. candle and its proclamation: »Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Behold your King is drawing near; He is justifying and saving« (Zechariah 9,9). Let us lift up our souls to Jesus in anticipation of the 3. Advent candle that exhorts us to rejoice, for the Lord is at hand (Philippians 4,5).  Amen. 

9. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus, who judges the world in righteousness; keep us focused on Your righteousness and faithfulness for You have made us righteous through Your shed blood, so that we faithfully cling to You now and always as we look back at Your birth and the promise of Your return.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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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 © 2019 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand. 

Just, Arthur A., Jr. Luke 9:51––24:53. Copyright © 1997 Concordia Publishing House.