Advent 1 B
He is Coming to Save
St. Mark 11:1-10
30 November 2014 – Redeemer
When God came into the Garden of Eden Adam couldn’t wait to see Him. On that sixth day of creation Adam delighted in one gift after another as he named the animals. He stretched his neck to see the giraffes. He marveled in silence at the humming birds. He laughed at the penguins (birds that couldn’t fly) and wondered at the bats (mammals that could fly). He named them all as God paraded the majesty and mystery of his creatures before him. But “no suitable helper was found for him” so God came once again and caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. Adam awoke to behold the most beautiful creature God had ever made, the last and highest of creation – woman. Finally one like Adam, fit for him, beautiful to behold. Whenever God came into the garden Adam lifted his eyes to behold with joy and peace his Creator, the One who loved him and gave him his beautiful bride and the pleasures of paradise.
But it wasn’t long, perhaps within a week a creation, perhaps by the 8th day, that Adam hated the coming of the Lord. Adam who lifted up his eyes to behold the Lord, now lowered them in shame. Formerly Adam cried out with joy and ran to his father. Now Adam hid in the bushes and shushed his wife. In the good old days Adam never hid anything from God or his beloved. But now Adam covered himself from both His creator and his bride. What changed? God didn’t – He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Adam changed. Adam quit looking out for the Lord and started looking out for himself. He sacrificed his bride on the altar of cowardice and was ashamed before her ever since. Since Adam man has feared the coming of the Lord, not because of the Lord, but because of his own sin.
In the days of Noah the people laughed at the Ark in Noah’s back yard. In the land of Babel they ignored God’s Word. When God came to Pharaoh Pharaoh’s heart turned hard unto death. At Mount Sinai the Israelites did not want to meet God when He came. When God came in the judges people did whatever they wanted. When He came in the prophets they ran them out of town and set up authentic and relevant worship spaces to meet their true needs.
Are you Adam when the Lord comes to you? Do you attempt to hide your shame behind the flimsy fig leaves of your excuses? Do you hope he will leave you alone if you ignore His Word? Do you carry on like the crowds in Noah’s day, laughing at the thought that everything you have and possess is coming to an end and the only way of salvation is found in the silly Ark of Christendom? Do you wish God would come with something more authentic than repentance and forgiveness?
Repent and learn from the crowd in Jerusalem. God didn’t come into the garden to condemn Adam and Eve, but to save them. God told Noah to buy all the Gopher wood and pitch Menards carried to build an ark to rescue and redeem humanity. When the crowds saw this Jesus of Nazareth, rumored to be the Messiah, God’s anointed One, they went out to meet him. He came in a humble way – no troops or mighty war horse. Twelve less than average men around him. Riding on a colt. He wasn’t threatening and He didn’t appear to be coming for vengeance.
God comes in humble ways so that we sinners might look on Him and live.
He comes garbed in human flesh so that Mary can carry Him and Shepherds can adore Him and John can baptize Him and soldiers can crucify Him and Mary Magdalene can hug Him and Thomas can touch His nail holes. He comes wrapped in compassion and forgiveness so that those most broken might be made whole and those most fallen might be lifted up. He comes riding on a colt – a lowly animal, meek beside its mother so that we are not terrified that God almighty has come for us.
As the Word of God prophesied that Jesus would be born of a Virgin it also foretold that He would come into Jerusalem for the final time in this way, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech 9:9)
So the crowds gathered, paving the dusty road with their garments and palm branches to honor their coming King. They gathered praying for the gift He promised to bring, “Hosanna” – save now, O King. Save us.” They acknowledged that He was the Lord, He was the Son of David, He was the coming One promised of old. The One who dwelt in the Highest heavens now deigned to dwell on earth for us. Hosanna, O Lord, save us now.
He comes to save. How would you want the Lord to save you? If God had called you into the heavenly kitchen, to join in the holy conversation of the Trinity as they mapped out the way of salvation how would you have chosen to save the world? The reason I ask is because this is where we stumble at the Lord’s coming. We would have planned salvation in a far less burdensome, far less mysterious, far more appealing way. Wouldn’t it be great if after baptism we never sinned again? Or if those who were baptized never faced struggles in life? Or why even bother with baptism – why doesn’t God just issue an executive order from heaven and declare all of us sinners forgiven? Why must sin result in death? Why must there be a cross? Why can’t I just put grandfather Adam to rest and be free of my sinful inheritance? Why do the troubles of life punch me in the gut just when I’m enjoying myself?
Why? I don’t know, because God didn’t ask me or you. He is the Lord and He chooses to save in His way, not your way. On the day you eat of that fruit Adam you will die, but he didn’t die. Instead God promised to die in Adam’s place. The Old Testament is filled with blood and sacrifice pointing toward Jesus. In Jesus God bled for your sins. In Jesus God died for your sins. And when Jesus comes for you now – He bids you come and die with Him. Repent and die to your sinful self. Die with Christ in your baptism and be raised to life. When Jesus comes He bids you to come into the Holy Christian Church.
Have you ever thought how foolish the Christian church must look to the world? People drive by Redeemer on Third Street and see something as odd as Noah’s ark. A massive building that is used only a few hours a week – about as practical as having an Ark in the desert. It doesn’t get any better on the inside. We don’t sing the music of our day – there’s no Taylor Swift or Pitbull or Elvis or Old Blue Eyes here. We sing a different tune because we don’t sing about ourselves, but about Christ. The Word that is spoken here is spoken nowhere else – You are loved because you are loved, not because of who you are or what you did or did not do. God loves you in Christ. You are forgiven, not because you deserve it or promise to straighten your life out, but because God’s blood and body and breath paid the price of your sins. And then you eat a simple meal – a wafer of bread, a sip of wine, and are told that Jesus’ body and blood are present in that food and by that meal you will live forever. That sounds about as likely as man riding a donkey into battle against the mightiest foes of humanity – sin, death, and Satan. But ride He does. Save He does. Forgive He does. In faith we cry out to the Lord, “Hosanna” and the Lord answers by coming, humble in a manger, humble on a donkey, humble on a cross. He comes to save us in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
29 November 2014 anno Domini