God’s House is Falling Down So Look Up
St. Luke 21:25-34
December 10, 2023 anno Domini
God’s House is falling apart. I’m not talking about the church or Redeemer, but the house which God built for our habitation. This is what Jesus tells us, “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves.” Signs of great distress in the sky, on the earth, and in the seas.
Sky, Earth, and Sea. That’s the whole house God built for humanity. On the first day of creation God created light and separated the light from darkness. On the second day He separated the water above (sky) from the water below (seas). And on the third day He separated the water below (the seas) by creating land and all the vegetation. On days 4-6 He furnished His house. He put up lights in His house – the Sun, Moon, and Stars on day four. He filled the sky with birds and the seas with fish on Day 5. Creeping things, animals, and man were created and moved in on Day 6. When He got done it was good, very good with the creation of marriage between one man and one woman. Then He rested. Building His House and furnishing it was hard work, but good work.
As you read your Bible keep that three-story house of God in mind and you’ll see it all over the place, but it isn’t always a sign of God’s goodness. It is often a sign of sin and judgment. When God was bringing His people out of Egypt He used water, land, and sky to plague Egypt. Plagues 1, 4, 7 are plagues of water – the Nile to Blood, Flies from water, and hail. Plagues 2,5, and 8 are plagues of land – frogs, Pestilence among the land animals, and Locusts that destroy the crop. Plagues 3, 6, and 9 are from the sky – gnats, boils, and darkness.
God’s house is falling down, but it’s not His fault. It’s yours. Not because you’re driving a gas-powered car or cows are emitting too much methane. God built this house for you – for humanity. It’s your house from Him and since it’s yours, what you do in it affects it. You sin against God, and you wreck His house. Adam sinned and the whole house fell apart. Eve would have pain in childbirth. Adam would have weeds in his garden and lousy days at work. They got evicted from Eden. Three chapters later in Genesis, the house was so filthy God had to wash it clean in the flood. For the first time rain fell from the skies, the seas rose and covered the whole land, but God was merciful. He saved Noah and his family – 8 souls in all. How did He save them? He saved them by His Word – build an ark, get in it, and I’ll shut the door to save you. Noah believed and he was saved.
When you see fires in Hawaii or floods in the Northwest or an earthquake in the Philippines or wars in the Ukraine and Israel, what should you do? Repent. Bow your head and confess your sins. Look at God’s house falling from the sky, crumbling at its foundation, being overwhelmed by the rising sea, and repent. You did this. I did this. Lord, have mercy.
This is what the season of Advent is. It is a season of preparation for the Lord’s final coming like the Lord prepared Noah for the flood. Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus, and the Lord will save you in the ark of His church from the judgment.
Jesus spoke the words of the text in the temple, the week of His death. Listen to what He told them to do as God’s House came down, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
There were three men in that crowd who had seen the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Peter, James and John had seen Jesus in all His divine glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. A cloud enveloped them and the Father in heaven declared Jesus to be His Son. A few days after Jesus spoke the text everyone in that crowd could lift up their eyes and see their redemption hanging on a cross. Their Redeemer was near, as near as Jesus. Their redemption price was His body and blood offered on the cross. His death for their sins. His suffering for their hell. His sacrifice for their salvation.
Jesus redeemed the world. He recreates us and we shouldn’t be surprised to see the three stories reflected in His own life. The Son of God came down from heaven. He took on flesh and walked on earth. He was baptized with water in the Jordan. In His death He hung between heaven and earth and when He offered up His last breath water poured from His side.
You weren’t in the Temple when Jesus spoke these Words. You weren’t there when they crucified your Lord. You are here, but God is merciful. You too can lift up your eyes and see your redemption drawing near. Lift up your eyes and see the water of your baptism. It’s the water of creation, the water of the flood, the water of the Red Sea, it’s Jesus’ baptism, it’s the water that flowed from His side. It’s God’s washing your sins in the blood of the Lamb. Lift up your ears and hear His Word – that Word is from heaven, and it is carried on the air, it goes through the sky. Then lift up your head at the railing – and there the fruits of the earth, bread from wheat and wine from grapes, deliver Jesus to you. Look at that – sea, sky, and land. God rebuilds His House, redeems His House with Jesus.
The house of God’s creation is falling down. The signs are all there. The heavens, the earth, the sky, the sea, the land are coming to an end. But don’t despair. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words, says Jesus, the word of Jesus will not pass away. Straighten up, raise your head, because your redemption is near, as near as your baptism, the preaching of God’s Word, and the table of your Lord. Raise your heads, stay awake, see your redemption, and you will escape all these things to stand before the Son of Man. In the name of Jesus. Amen.