Advent Wednesday #3

SERMON - Born to Reign in Us Forever!

INI

Text: Luke 1:32b-33

“The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

In Christ Jesus, our everlasting King, dear fellow redeemed:

COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS! Jesus came into this world so long ago to deliver us, His people, from the devastating consequences of our sin—death and eternal damnation. He did this through His own perfect life and His innocent, substitutionary death. Jesus will come back to this world at the end of time to deliver us, His people, out of this world and to take us to Himself into eternal glory. Jesus came into this world so long ago as a Child, the Son of the virgin Mary, while at the same time the Son of the Highest—God the Father Himself. He came in accordance with Old Testament prophecy—the descendant of David and yet Immanuel—God with us. Jesus will come back to this world at the end of time as a King to sit in judgment over all people—inviting all who believe in Him to enjoy the eternal fruits of His victory, while sentencing all who do not believe in Him to eternal judgment together with Satan and his evil hosts. This too is in accordance with biblical prophecy. But to what end did Jesus finally come? Jesus did not simply come in the past, only to reappear in the future with no reference to the time in between—our present. No, as we pray COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS, let us realize as the hymn-writer suggests, that Jesus was born to reign in us forever!

Gabriel told Mary, “The Lord God will give Him (Jesus, the Son whom she would conceive) the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” When you and I first read this, we might be tempted to scratch our heads and ask: “What does this really have to do with us?” After all, the reference to “the house of Jacob” would seem to make these words apply to someone else—to Old Testament Israel rather than to us. But then we must remember, as the apostle Paul, reminds us: “They are not all Israel who are of Israel” (Romans 9:6b). Paul goes on to explain that everyone, who by faith is led to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord, is a true descendant of Abraham. Being a descendant of Abraham is not simply a matter of physical descent, but rather a matter of spiritual commitment. Therefore, by God’s grace through faith you and I are members of “the house of Jacob.” Jesus is our King. That means a number of very personal and important things!

First of all, we are by faith tied to Jesus in a very intimate way. Listen to the apostle Paul as he addresses and explains to the Galatian Christians his own situation and the situation that they each by faith occupy in relation to Jesus Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (2:20). Each of us is by faith tied to Jesus—to His death, but also to His resurrection. By faith our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, but Paul says that we are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit alone, but that Jesus Himself lives in us to guide us and direct us in His love!

Such a relationship calls for our complete transformation. The apostle Paul, once again speaks of this, but in his epistle to the Romans. He writes: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (12:1-2). Be sure to follow Paul’s reasoning. He says that in view of Jesus’ sacrificial and substitutionary death on our behalf, it is only reasonable that we offer ourselves to Jesus as living sacrifices. He, after all, has given us the certain hope of everlasting life by living for us. Should we not also then live for Him? Of course we should! But that means turning away from this world—not allowing ourselves to be molded into its image. Rather, we are to be transformed and renewed in our thinking, so that all of our words and all of our actions will be in accordance with Christ’s will and so acceptable in His sight.

Luther summarizes this so very well in his explanation to the Second Article in the Small Catechism. We recited them earlier in this service. After addressing the fact that Jesus redeemed us not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood, Luther writes: “He did this that I should be His very own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in eternal righteousness, innocence, and joy; just as He is risen from death, lives and reigns in eternity. This is most certainly true!” With these words Luther has captured the thoughts expressed by Gabriel, as well as the apostle Paul and summarizes what should be the description of our lives!

But is this always the case? Unfortunately, all too often it is not! Satan, the world, and our own sinful flesh are often successful in influencing us and thereby misleading us. Unfortunately, our attitudes and actions are often dictated not by the will of God, but rather by the desires of family members and friends, or the fashions of this world which run counter to and contradict the will of our Savior. My dear friends, this ought not be so and cannot remain so, if we are to be faithful followers of King Jesus!

Let no one assume that he or she can remain a neutral party in the battle going on between Satan and Christ! Jesus very clearly states: “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:30). There is no fence-sitting in the kingdom of God. There is no such thing as a part-time Christian. You cannot say, “Well, I will stand up for Jesus in this matter, but in this other area I simply will have to compromise what God has said.” You cannot be a Christian on Sunday, but then on Monday at school or at work leave your Christian faith on the shelf at home! Listen to Jesus’ words when one young man stated that he wanted to follow Jesus, but not just then, for he had other things to do first: “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

For everyone, however, who has come to love the Lord, He promises so many blessings. He tells us through the Psalmist David: “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (37:4). Is that not a wonderful promise? Jesus knows us so well, that He is able to look deep within our hearts to provide for our greatest wants and needs, and as we spend time with Him in His Word and through prayer, and as we apply His truths in love within our lives, He will satisfy those innermost desires! Jesus promises as our King to be with us always (cf. Matthew 28:20). There is never a time that we will be alone! Jesus promises that He will hold us in His hands, so that we will be safe and secure at all times and in every aspect of our lives (cf. John 10:28). No one—not even Satan himself—can remove us from the safe keeping of our King! What then is the final outcome for all faithful kingdom members? Jesus once again promises: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10b).

My dear friends, may we ever pray: COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS, knowing that He was born to reign in us forever! Come, Lord Jesus, rule in our hearts and in our lives in all ways and at all times! Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting
Soli Gloria Deo!