Text Matthew 24:36-44; Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14

Theme Already; Not Yet

Subject Christ’s second coming sudden and unexpected; Matthew’s eschatology

Occasion Advent 1 – 12/2/2007 – Zion – Iowa City (Baptism of Lillian Charlene Moninger)

Thanksgiving was different for me this year

I am so grateful to be alive

So grateful to be among you, the people of Zion

Your prayers and your encouragement

So grateful for the care and support and work of my good colleague J

Some have been surprised that I’ve already started back to work

Well, not yet – half-days for a while yet

That’s my sermon theme for this morning:

Already; not yet

Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Over the next 12 months many of Pastor Jan’s and my sermons will come from the Gospel according to St. Matthew

This inspired Word of God was written for a Jewish-Christian audience near the close of 1^st century

It’s a lot like the Gospel of Mark

Many of the stories are the same but Matthew’s versions are shorter

Matthew includes some long teachings of Jesus that aren’t in Mark

The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7)

The Final Consummation (Mt 24-25)

Matthew shows Jesus to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah

Matthew teaches a very distinctive eschatology

Eschatology: last things

how creation will come to an end

how it will be when Jesus returns

This morning,

This-first-Sunday-in-Advent morning,

In this season when we prepare for the coming of Jesus

- as a baby born long ago

- born anew in each of us

- anticipating his coming again

This first-Sunday-of-my-second-coming-to-Zion morning

I’m telling you about Matthew’s eschatology

You can tell it’s important: eschatology is in the first line of today’s reading

But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Mt. 24:36)

We don’t know when Jesus will return

But we know Jesus will return

This is central to our Christian faith and hope

Nothing iffy about it

Every Christian has an eschatology

We know by faith that Jesus is coming back to take us home

We teach this to our children

Wet-with-baptism Lillian Charlene will learn it

We entrust Carrie Lewis to this sure and certain hope (died early Sat. a.m.)

But this is one of the curiosities of Advent

We know what’s gonna happen

We know the Jesus story:

The baby

The teacher

The healer

The suffering one

The risen one

The ascended one

The returning one

Jesus’ story is our story to tell

So how do we tell the story with suspense during Advent,

when we know how it comes out?

We know the baby is born

We can tell our faith story – how he was born in us

We do it with Matthew’s eschatology

Already; not yet

When the Christmas decorations go up,

Children catch-on quickly

More traditions are coming: cookies, music, gifts

We tell them “wait”

Already; not yet

We live in the in-between time

Just like Matthew and Matthew’s readers

The baby was born, suffered, died, rose and ascended

Now we watch and wait for the coming of the kingdom of heaven

Already; not yet

According to Matthew it is John the Baptist who speaks this first

“Repent! For the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Mt 3:2)

“has come near” or “has approached”

It’s an awkward Greek verb form – only occurs once

Already; not yet is as close as I’ve heard it explained

In Jesus the kingdom of heaven has come to earth but …

St. Paul embraces this strange reality when he tells the Romans

For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. (Rom. 13:11b-12)

Sort of silly to talk this way – like saying,

“Tomorrow is closer today than it was yesterday”

That’s not saying much

Matthew’s describes the nearness more significantly

two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. (24:40)

two women will be grinding ...; one will be taken and one will be left (41)

I relate to this in a whole new way these days

Back in March I reported burning in my chest

My doctor arranged for a treadmill – I did it

He wanted another one with thallium – I did it

By May I was told that my heart was perfect

But them in June I was walking in a pasture with Keith Jones and his son, Colin

There was that burning in my chest – we stopped for a bit – watched some deer

“I have a perfect heart,” I thought to myself

two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

Hm-mmm – already; not yet

Life-style changes are important but

I’m not talking about low fat, low salt, high fiber

not talking about exercise and stress reduction

There is no reason to wait to do these – no room for already; not yet

In chapter 3 Matthew reported John shouting, “The kingdom of heaven has come near”

Before us this morning Jesus is the one shouting

No one knows (v. 36)

Keep awake (v. 42)

You do not know on what day (v. 42)

Be ready (v. 44)

God’s work in God’s time; in Jesus we have received a hint: already; not yet

But we will pray today “Thy kingdom come” (cf. p.7 of Catechism)

We teach and believe that

In fact, God’s kingdom comes on its own our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may also come to us.

Whenever our heavenly Father gives us his Holy Spirit, so that through the Holy Spirit’s grace we believe God’s holy word and live godly lives here in time and hereafter in eternity.

Though we wait for God’s eternal kingdom

God’s Holy Spirit empowers us to bring it

The world is waiting for people who

do justice, … love kindness, … walk humbly with … God (Micah 6:8)

Even now talks for a Palestinian-Israeli peace have begun again

Many were skeptical but the process is again underway

Already; not yet applies

But let’s be optimistic and prayerful

Seems in line with Isaiah’s prophecy before us this morning

that a time will come when people

… beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more. (Is. 2:4)

Where else are we waiting for God’s intervention?

Why are we waiting?

On this-first-Sunday-of-Advent morning

we celebrate the resurrection with a foretaste of the feast to come

With Christ’s body and blood coursing through our veins

Jesus is born in us and among us

Already heaven; not yet eternal