The Advent of The King

1st Sunday in Advent (12-03-06)

Rev. Steven D. Spencer, Pastor

Luke 19:28-40

Luke 19:28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when He came near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, 30 saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 "And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.' " 32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. 33 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?" 34 And they said, "The Lord has need of him." 35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. 36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying: " 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." 40 But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

Dear Fellow Redeemed,

A year ago, on the first Sunday of Advent, one of you commented that the Gospel reading was more like something that should be read on Palm Sunday rather than in Advent. I know I shouldn’t have felt this way, but I was rather proud of you Christian Lutherans that worship here at Messiah. Such a comment reveals three important things, all of which are comforting and encouraging to a pastor.

First, you listen to the Bible readings. Secondly, you have an understanding of what’s going on in the Church year. And thirdly, there needs to be continued proclamation and catechesis — continued preaching and teaching — concerning the core doctrines of Scripture that preserve the connection in Jesus Christ’s Life from the before “in the beginning” in Genesis, to after in the “amen” in Revelation.

Our task today is to take one theme, “The Advent of The King” and tie it together with the Palm Sunday procession of the King of kings. Please listen to a portion of the Gospel reading assigned for today, specifically verses 35-39.

“Then they brought him (the colt] to Jesus. And they threw their own garments on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. And as He went, they spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” So far our text!

Let us take a look at four things this day. First, behold the King. Though He appears as one ordinary man among the many that walk upon this fallen earth, He is the One true God, whose holy habitation is beyond this universe.

Though He had no form or beauty that should make us desire Him — though there was nothing extraordinary about Him in terms of His appearance as He walked the dirty paths in Bethphage and Bethany — He is, nevertheless, Jehovah made flesh—He is Immanuel, “God with us.” Through the eyes of St. Luke and his words, cast your eyes on Jesus, the King of kings as He goes up to Jerusalem for His coronation where He will receive His crown, a crown of thorns, and His throne, a throne of rough hewn timbers made into a cross of judgment. Here is where that Justice Personified will be executed; the Judge Himself will take the punishment deserved by each prisoners of sin. This Divine penalty is due to every child of Adam, every child born of flesh is a child of wrath.

See the common garments, ones made on hand-crafted looms of this world, worn and frayed garments now cast upon the colt and carpeting the rocky road leading to the Holy City. Look at the lowly creature enlisted to carry King of Kings. This is a common creature carrying the Christ a beast of burden upon whose back no one has ever ridden. Such an ordinary looking man this humble Jesus is; and what an undistinguished mode of transportation takes this Lord of lords to His Temple! But this is how the Lord God is present among His people?

Dear baptized, this is the Savior whose Advent in the days of the Caesars and the Herods was for the purpose of accomplishing our redemption. He is the Word made flesh to dwell among us. “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him” (John 1:10). “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). That was His purpose for coming to us.

Second, behold what awaits the advent of the King. See the swaddling cloths, ones woven by the weavers on the hand-crafted looms of this world. These fabrics await the Advent of the newborn King that they might wrap around His tiny torso after He is comes into the world. Yet remember as He was wrapped in straps of clothes as a child so they will be wrapped around His breathless Body after He has taken your curse of our sin upon Himself and die in our place.

Lower your eyes to that animal’s feeding trough, there in Bethlehem — that trough is commonly called a manger and it will cradle the Infant Redeemer. Lift up your eyes to a leafless tree upon which God is pinned and pierced outside Jerusalem’s gate. Look at the ordinary young lady enlisted to bear the Son of God and Son of Man. This handmaiden of the Lord is a common creature carrying the Christ within her womb. Indeed, a Jewish virgin who has not known a man. The Incarnation of God is both manifest and hidden in this fleshly tabernacle as Mary bears the Savior “from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem” (Luke 2:4). Such an ordinary unborn child this seems to be; and such an odd way to enter for the King of creation. What a menial method used transporting the Lord of lords to His Temple — the arms Mary and of Joseph. Thus is the Lord God present with and among His people.

Third, behold the Advent of the King today. He comes hidden in the places and ways that He has promised. See the common water united with God’s Word — a washing and regeneration that cleanses the soul with the forgiveness of sin and a renewal that bestows salvation and eternal life.

Hear the absolving Word of God spoken by a wretched man called by Christ to proclaim to you the glorious News of salvation by Jesus Christ. Cast your eyes upon the altar and see the bread and wine consecrated by the Passover Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world and gives us His very body and blood to eat and drink.

In the Holy Communion, the very Body and the true Blood of Jesus the Christ, His presence is dwelling in us through this sacramental eating. Thus is the Lord God present with and among His people.

Finally, behold the two groups of people as Jesus drew near the descent of the Mount of Olives. One group is made up of those who are offended at Jesus and are opposed to the confession of the Truth by those who are His followers. “Some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples” These are men of the Law and therefore, they remain under the weight of the doctrines of man and the crushing weight of God’s stone tablets. They are offended at this Jesus Who is God incarnate — Who is humble and comes in such lowly ways and by such common means. So common they are offended and sometime so are we. These people will seek to kill Jesus of Nazareth and thus rid themselves of this King. They will get what they want and receive what they desire. In this way they are no different than Herod who sent his henchmen to kill the newborn King of the Jews in the little town of Bethlehem. These Pharisees are joined on history’s road by the Arians and the Gnostics and the nihilists — by Judaizers and Romanists —and by all the cults today, indeed, by all the enemies of the cross as well as by those who oppose and deny the ways and means of God’s grace and His grace alone.

Yet the other groups of people are those who are Jesus’ disciples, those who accompanied and followed the Advent of the King. Included in this great congregation of the faithful are Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Job, Moses, Rahab, Ruth, David, Anna and Simeon — all of whom awaited the Advent of the King. And those present Palm Sunday the followers of Jesus; indeed those who beheld that Advent of the King into the Holy City. The multitude of disciples that began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works and deeds they had seen, saying: “Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Later in the history of this New Testament world, there stood in the one, holy, catholic Church those faithful children of God ... Timothy, Titus and Philemon, lgnatius, Clement and Polycarp, Luther, Chemnitz and Gerhard, Walther, Loëhe and Pastor Warmann— indeed all the faithful men, women, youth, children and infants who have come out of the great tribulation and have been ushered into the eternal Paradise prepared by God from the foundation of the world. Now, among those awaiting the Advent of the Crucified, Risen and Ascended King to judge the quick and the dead are you — you are privileged to be in the Presence of the Lord God Almighty on this first Sunday of Advent.

You, dear Christian, — you wait for that Day when, with “the whole multitude of the disciples” you will see the Advent of the King and “rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all His mighty works” that you have seen, “saying: ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Until that day we continue to say with great joy, Maranatha, which means: come Lord. For that is the meaning of advent, “the Lord’s coming.” Prepare our hearts O Lord to be ready for Your Coming, for Jesus sake in Jesus name. Amen.