Third-Last Sunday in the Church Year
Jesu Juva
“The Birth Pains of Our New
Life”
Text: Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 12:26-29; Mark 13:1-13
Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father,
and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
As
we enter the last few weeks of the Church Year, the attention of the Church is
drawn to the End Times – the fact that this world and life is not going to last
forever, but is going to end. Exactly
when, we do not know. Maybe
sooner, maybe later. But if
you’re like most people, you’re hoping
for later! Because by the descriptions
that the Bible gives us of what those end times will
be like, you really don’t want to be around when they happen! We heard from the prophet Daniel that “there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been . . .”
It’s not going to be pleasant, and it’s not going
to be easy.
But,
you know, it’s already not easy! It’s not easy living in this world and
life. It’s not easy when you or a loved
one face disease and uncertainty about the future. It’s not easy when you see disasters on TV
wiping out cities and towns. It’s not
easy when people around us die. It’s not
easy when people cheat us, or lie about us, or hurt
us, or ridicule us. It’s not easy when
we see so many turning away from the Christian faith and chasing after what
cannot save them. This life’s already tough! The physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. The pain, doubts, and
griefs. The
questions and uncertainties. The
things of this life often shake us (Heb
12), don’t they? And if it’s going to get
worse . . .
And
it is going to get worse.
It
is going to get worse, first of all, because Satan knows that as we draw closer to the end, his days are
numbered, and his time is drawing short.
Therefore, like a wild animal backed into a corner, he is not going to
let up and stop fighting, but in fact fight harder and more ferociously than
ever – increasing his attacks against Christians, increasing his lies and
temptations, doing everything in his power to increase the sin and evil and
death in this world, and to destroy faith in Jesus Christ. And you can see it happening in our world
today.
And
it is going to get worse, secondly, because of sin – the sin in the world, and the sin in us. The sin that causes us to
hurt each other. The sin that makes us selfish and self-centered. The sin that convinces us to trust in the
things of this world for the answers to our problems – to trust in our own
efforts; to trust in governments, courts, laws, and politicians; to trust in
the love and goodness that we think is deep down in every person. But these idols of our own making are
spawning many of the problems we see today, and rather than making this world a
better place, are doing exactly the opposite.
And
it is going to get worse for one more reason . . . and this one may surprise you.
It’s going to get worse because of God. Because of the “divine
shaking” of God that we heard in the reading from Hebrews. For by this divine shaking, our Heavenly
Father is going to “[remove] the things that can be shaken – that is, the things that have
been made – in order that what cannot be shaken may remain.” And so He is going to shake our idols in this
world – all that we put our trust in here – to show us how untrustworthy these
things really are. And so have you been shaken in your life? Good!
Stop trusting in yourself and your own efforts! Were
you shaken by some of the recent election results? Good! Be a good citizen and vote, but stop putting
your trust in the government to solve our problems. Do some
of the things you see on the news shake you? The wars, natural disasters, the rise of
Islam, the continuing disregard for the sanctity of human life? Good!
Thank God that He loves us enough to shake us up. To take away our idols. To do what is best for us, that we trust only
in Him.
And
know . . . it’s only going to get worse.
For the time is running short.
But
also in all this, Jesus says, do not be afraid.
Do not be afraid because these are “just the beginning of the birth pains.” And that picture gives us quite a different
perspective on all of this. For while it
acknowledges the troubles and the pain, the working of Satan and sin, the groaning
and the convulsions of creation – Jesus tells us to see these things not as
troubling things, but actually as hopeful signs. To see these things as the contractions of the new creation. The contractions that seem to be getting
harder and closer together . . . because that’s what happens
when the time is short; when the delivery is near. And while that pain is severe and that time
difficult – for both mother and child – the joy in the end is even
greater! The joy of
new life.
And so these last days are not a time of fear and anxiety for the
Christian, for you and me, but in fact, just the opposite – a time of joy and
hope! For like a woman in labor, we know
the pains are not the end, but the means to new life. The means to kill the old, sinful man in us,
that clings to the things of this world and that trusts in our own abilities –
so that we may repent, cling only to Christ, and trust only in what He has done. To trust only in what He did, when the days
were accomplished for Him to be
delivered. (Lk 2:7) When
the Son of God was born in human flesh, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid
in a manger, for only one reason: to
provide the way to the new creation. To provide
the way through death to life, for that is the path that He took, in His death
and resurrection. His death and
resurrection that triumphed over our sins, over our death, and over the devil,
so that joined to Him by grace through faith, His victory is our victory, and
His life our life. And His life is the
life of the new creation, the new birth of water and the Spirit (Jn 3),
where we are delivered and born
again.
And that life you have been given, already
now, in Holy Baptism. You have been
forgiven and washed clean and snatched from Satan grasp . . . though you are
not yet delivered from the pain and death of this world. That day is
coming, though. For
some of us sooner, for some of us later.
Until it does, we may not look very much like a new creation! As individuals, as a
congregation, or as a Church. And
while it may look like we, and our congregation, and our Church, and our world
is suffering through violent death throes,
it is the cross that tells us the very different reality, and the wonderful,
comforting truth: that in our Saviour, in Christ Jesus, death throes have been transformed into birth pains! And that for all who are joined to Christ,
death and the end of this world are now simply the gates to the joy of new
life. The joy of
Heaven, which will never end.
And so just as you have already been given this
new life now, so too the joy of Heaven is yours already now. Joy in the face of suffering and pain, yes –
but also joy in the presence of your Saviour, as He comes to you even now. As He comes with His forgiveness, life, and
salvation here – forgiving our
sins in Holy Absolution, giving new life in Holy Baptism, and feeding our faith
and strengthening us in His salvation with His body and blood in Holy
Communion. And by these means sustaining
us, that we endure to the end – not because of
our own power, reason, and strength! But because of Him. Because He is the author and perfecter of our faith. (Heb 12:2)
Because He who began a good work in us
will bring it to completion. (Philip 1:6)
Because He has given us a kingdom that cannot be shaken, because He
Himself is the cornerstone! (Eph 2:20)
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be
shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe
. . .” And what else is acceptable worship but to come
to Him who gives such gifts to men with humble and contrite hearts, in
reverence and awe confessing our sin, and receiving the gifts He here gives to
us. The gifts of
faith. The
gifts of new life. The gifts of Heaven.
The gifts that are here for you, for your God knows what you are going
through! For He came
and went through it, and knows exactly what we need. These birth pains are no surprise to
God. As bad as things may seem, they are
not out of His control. There is a
purpose and a reason for it all – a good and godly purpose and reason: the
proclamation of the Gospel to [you and me and] all nations. For many will not listen when times are good
and things are easy. Only
when things get shaken. And so
God will shake, that all may be saved.
For that is the good and gracious will of God. And that as we see all manner of things
happening around us – buildings tumbling, temples crumbling, and nations
grumbling! Kingdoms and governments rise
and fall, persecutions, and convulsions – that we fear not, but turn to
Him. That we fear not, but rejoice!
That we fear not, but know that the new life is almost here!
In the Name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now
the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds
through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.