Christ Is Coming.
By James Wiese on November 29, 2024
The First Sunday in Advent December 1, 2024
Text: Matthew 21:1-9 Historic Pericope Series 24:2475
Theme: “Christ Is Coming!”
The hymn you just sang, “Lift Up Your Heads You Mighty Gates,” is based on Psalm 24. The “gates” stand for the massive wooden doors in the city walls through which one entered the city. Some suggest that David wrote the psalm, calling on the people to celebrate when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. Others think that the psalm was sung by joy-filled pilgrims as they entered the temple. But the psalm points to a much greater event than the arrival of the ark in Jerusalem or the arrival of pilgrims there.
Picture the Lord Jesus approaching the city on Palm Sunday. As the people sang His praise, the city gates were flung wide open to receive Him. But there is more. What greater event that deserves the highest honor and praise than when Christ comes to rule in eternity and His people enter through the gates of heaven. “Come! Meet heaven’s King!” will be the cry. Won’t that be something!
But for the present, I like to think of those gates as the doors to our hearts, opening to allow Christ to Come In.
Ever since the time that Jesus was born, Christ has been coming and has made His presence known to many. Yet, sadly, few hearts receive Him. Many turn their backs on Him, or they may follow for a time, but then become unfaithful. Can we be sure that Christ has not had enough of such rejection and that He has not grown tired of coming to people?
Yes! We can be sure of that for Jesus promised, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn.14:23). It is comforting to know that Christ will not abandon us, though many have abandoned Him. He is faithful. He came to the people in our text. So He is coming to our hearts again in the new Church Year.
I. He is Heaven’s King.
“Look, your King comes to you. Hosanna. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” That’s what the people cried in our text when Jesus came to them. There was a host of comfort in those words to the people of Jesus’ day. It revolved around the title “King.”
Today, you and I have little appreciation of the importance of a king. But there was a time when the words of our text meant a great deal to people. Without kings, ancient nations could meet with tragedy and disaster. Just think of the state of Israel at Jesus’ time.
Israel’s glory as a nation had departed long ago. With the passing of David and Solomon, its power was broken; its prestige among nations gone. It lay open to countless invasions and oppression by their enemies because the people lacked godly leadership. In their days of oppression, the future lay uncertain before them, hopeless at worst. Israel had no king for they had departed from God. It was a lost nation.
That’s the way that mankind also is by nature. Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, people are without a King in the heavenly sense of the word. By nature, man is lost in sin and oppressed by enemies. His glory as the crown of God’s creation departed; his strength broken. He is exposed to tyranny and oppression by the devil.
This is what God meant when He warned Adam and Eve, “You shall not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for on the day that you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Gn.2:17). Ignoring the warning, they ate anyway, and they died, bringing death upon us for all have sinned. (Rm.3:11f). Turning from God is death.
The Apostle Paul writes that by nature we all live in the passions of our sinful flesh as we carry out its desires and its thoughts. It is not a pretty picture for us, incapable of finding or returning to God on our own. Instead, Paul warns, “We are by nature objects of God’s wrath” (Ep.2:1-3). Frightening, isn’t it? Without God, without a right King, man is a lost generation, as lost as the nation of Israel was.
But here is a message of comfort and hope: “Look, Your King Is Coming to You, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Now we have hope! Now we take comfort! We have someone to look to for defense, for power, for blessing, for protection, for deliverance, for peace and glory that will not change. We have a heavenly King, Christ Jesus. Not only is He willing to help us; He is able to do so because He is the almighty Son of God. He supports us in ways that no one else can. He offers counsel that none can supply. He directs our hearts and makes everything work together for our temporal and eternal good. No one else can do that. He is no ordinary king. He is heaven’s King coming to you.
II. He comes to save us.
And what a King He is! Not a fallen earthly king, but a heavenly
one, divine. He is God’s Son! Yet He comes in humility and gentleness, God’s Spirit resting on Him. There is nothing frightening or threatening about Him. Human, yet divine. He comes in the name of the Lord to save. It’s the reason He came to earth – to die on the cross for sin, to rise again for life, to give us new birth from above. In His grace and mercy this was God’s promise ever since the Fall. He would crush the head of the serpent and restore fallen mankind to Himself. And here He comes to do it. The promise fulfilled.
In such a loving manner He wants to draw near to the gate of our poor, sinful hearts again this coming year. We cannot do anything to make Christ come to us any more than Jerusalem made Christ come to them. What did those people do to get Jesus to enter there? Nothing. He came on His own without them doing anything. He came willingly, lovingly, to help them, even when many did not want Him. And when they finally came out to meet Him, He had already begun His entrance there. He came in mercy and grace to save.
In such a way Heaven’s King comes, “to preach good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for those who are bound, to comfort all who mourn and give them a crown of beauty and joy (Is.61:1f). He makes dead people alive; He sets prisoners free; He declares sinners righteous. He comes to save us. And after He comes to save us, we should openly show to the world that we have such a high and holy Guest within.
The disciples took off their garments and spread them on the way. They cut down branches and strewed them in His path. They would not stop singing His praise. With heart and hands and voice they paid tribute to Heaven’s King, coming to them.
Although we cannot stand by the roadside as Jesus passes by and add our coats to the ones that cushioned His entrance into the city, still the Spirit opens our eyes in faith to see Him as the Savior. Should we not also respond while we wait for the time that we join our voices to those who went before us? Join the procession, sing His praise, offer Him gifts. Do this and more for the life you now live, you live by faith in the Son of God who loved and gave Himself for you.
If you want no other guest in your heart this year, He is with you. Look upon Him with eyes of faith and hope again. Joyfully praise His goodness. In an ever-changing world, some things stay the same. Christ Is Coming to you again this year. He is no ordinary king. He Is Heaven’s King who comes to save us in His grace. As the hymn writer encourages:
Fling wide the portals of your heart,
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for Heaven’s employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So shall your Sovereign enter in
And new and nobler life begin.
To Thee, O God, Be praise
For word and deed and grace.
God grant it to us again this year in faith for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Zion Lutheran Church of Springfield
(A member congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod)
4717 S Farm Rd 135 (Golden Avenue)
Church phone: 417.887.0886 Pastor’s cell phone: 417.693.3244
www.zionluthchurch.com email: revelehmann@gmail.com
You can also find us on Facebook
The First Sunday in Advent – December 1, 2024
“Look, your King comes to you!” Matthew 21:5
Welcome: The family of Zion welcomes you as we worship the Lord today. We encourage children to worship with us. However, if you need to leave with your child, there is a nursery room to the right as you exit the sanctuary. The rest rooms are located in the hallway between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. Visitors, please sign our guest book to the right, just outside the sanctuary. We’re glad that you are here and pray that through our worship the Lord grants you peace.
U p o n E n t e r i n g G o d’ s H o u s e
“To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. In You I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame. All who hope in You will never be put to shame. Make known to me Your ways, O LORD. Teach me Your paths. (Psalm 25).
W h a t T h i s S u n d a y i s A b o u t
Your King Comes to You. With the Advent Season we begin the church year anew. It will be another year of grace, a year of repentance, a year which brings the redeemed of the Lord one step closer to their heavenly inheritance, for “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”
The Gospel for this first Sunday announces, “Your King comes to you,” Its fulfillment was first seen in Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on His way to the cross. So it is that the centrality of God’s plan of redemption is emphasized on the first Sunday of the Christian Church year, calling for our preparation to receive the Savior in faith when He comes. Ready yourself; Christ is coming. Yes, we will soon celebrate His first coming at Christmas. However, if that is the only thing for which one makes preparations, that person will not be ready at Christ’s second coming in judgment when He will come at an hour that is least expected.
So it is that we pray: Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come. Protect us by Your strength and save us from the threatening dangers of our sins through Your mighty deliverance. Make our hearts ready to receive you in faith at Your Coming. Amen.
– T h e W o r d o f G o d f o r T o d a y –
The Old Testament Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34
God promises to make a new covenant with His people for they were unable to keep the old covenant. The new covenant will not be written on stone tablets but in the hearts of His people as He forgives their sin.
The Epistle Lesson: Romans 13:11-14
The hour has come. Wake up! Arm yourself! We draw near to the time of our final redemption, the end of this fallen world. Do not relapse into spiritual slumber. It leads to death. Instead, walk as children of the light.
The Gospel Lesson: Matthew 21:1-9
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the hope and expectations prophesied about Him approached fulfillment. Today He graciously comes through Word and Sacrament and enters the hearts of those who believe with the blessings of salvation He came to bring us.
O u r P r a c t i c e o f H o l y C o m m u n i o n
Out of deep love for the truth of God’s Word and precious souls, we follow the practice of Close Communion in our congregation. This has been the practice of Christians for centuries and reflects the Bible’s teaching on unity of faith in the reception of the Supper (1 Cor.10:17). It does not judge a person’s heart but anticipates agreement in that which God says. Since we do not wish to put anyone in the position of declaring such agreement with us before study in the Word is possible, we ask that only those who are communicant members of this or another Wisconsin Synod or ELS congregation come to receive the Sacrament.
The Organist: Jane Rips The Preacher: Pastor Edwin Lehmann
Point to Ponder: “No one can someday enter the heavenly Jerusalem into whose heart Christ has not already here made His gracious entry. He Himself says, ‘If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.’ And St. Paul says: “Anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.’ And in another place the same apostle therefore confesses: ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’ Christ’s entry into Jerusalem is a visible picture of this necessary entrance of the heavenly King into the temple of the human heart.”
— CFW Walther in a sermon on Mt. 21:1-9
Outline of Our Worship
The Preparation
Advent Candle Lighting
The Entrance Hymn: #309
Order of Worship: The Service: Setting One with Holy Communion: page 154-160
Prayer of the Day
The Ministry of the Word
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Romans 13:11-14
Gospel Acclamation: Advent pg.161
Matthew 21:1-9
Sermon Hymn: #305
Sermon: Matthew 21:1-9 Christ Is Coming.
The Nicene Creed pg.162
Our Response to the Word
Prayer of the Church: pg.164
The Offering
The Lord Blesses Us
Preparation for Holy Communion Hymnal page 165-169
(Visitors: Please read above regarding Holy Communion)
Consecration and Distribution
Distribution Hymn: #320
Thanksgiving & Blessing Hymnal page 170
Closing Hymn: #932
Silent Prayer
First Sunday in Advent – Historic Series
Old Testament Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Promise of the New Covenant
31 Yes, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant of mine, although I was a husband to them, declares the Lord.
33 But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds, and I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 No longer will each one teach his neighbor, or each one teach his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,”
because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their guilt, and I will remember their sins no more.
Epistle Lesson: Romans 13:11-14 – Christ Draws Near.
11 And do this since you understand the present time. It is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is drawing near. So let us put away the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let us walk decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual sin and wild living, not in strife and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not give any thought to satisfying the desires of your sinful flesh.
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 21:1-9 – Jesus Enters Jerusalem.
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Immediately you will find a donkey tied there along with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 Tell the daughter of Zion: Look, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their outer clothing on them, and he sat on it. 8 A very large crowd spread their outer clothing on the road. Others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them out on the road. 9 The crowds who went in front of him and those who followed kept shouting,
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) © 2019
Calendar & Announcements for Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
| Today
Dec.1 |
Mon.
Dec.2 |
Tues.
Dec.3 |
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Thurs.
Dec.5 |
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Dec.6 |
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Next Sun.
Dec.8 |
| 9:00 am
Divine Worship Service with Holy Communion online -Facebook 10:15 am Fellowship & Bible Study Church Decorating
Advent 1 |
9:00 am
Divine Worship Service online -Facebook 10:15 am Fellowship & Bible Study
Advent 2 |
A Brief Bible Study on God’s Word for Today
With Advent God’s people enter a new year of grace. The word “Advent” means “coming.” While we generally think of Advent as preparing us for our Savior’s first coming to this earth, the Sundays in Advent also seek to prepare us for Christ’s second coming on Judgment Day. God urges us to be ready for Him with a life of ongoing repentance, watchfulness, and spiritual renewal.
The Epistle Lesson: Romans 13:11-14 (the answers are found on the back side)
- In what way is our salvation “nearer now than when we first believed”? (v. 11)
- How do you “clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ”? (v. 14)
Those We Remember In Our Prayers: Greg Miller; William & Laurie Moon; Libya, (Jodi Milam’s granddaughter); Barbara Long; Norine Richardson; Liz Lisenby; Barbara Long; Pastor Roger Neumann from Oskaloosa, IA.
Church Decorating for Christmas Today We hope you can stay following the Fellowship/Bible Study time today for getting the church ready and decorated from the Advent and Christmas Season.
Next Call Meeting Presently, the next Call Meeting is planned for Thursday evening, December 12, at 6 pm in the fellowship hall at Zion.
What’s Coming Up in the Next Months In thinking of ways to reach out into the community around church and in order to foster our own fellowship at church, the planning committee has been brainstorming on possible activities. Some ideas will need further explanation as we seek to reach out, but we hope to sponsor situational awareness and firearm safety seminars in February, setting doorhangers and letter out to the area towards the end of January; a women’s Bible study follow-up on the book of Esther in April; and a meal at the Ronald McDonald House when it can be scheduled. Such activities are more in the character of pre-evangelism efforts to try and make connections with others in our area with whom we might be able to share the gospel. We also have an idea for gift-giving in the week just before Christmas that we hope to share with you after the worship service today. We are sorry that we did not explain that better following last week’s worship service.
Upcoming Services and Events
Sunday, December 3, following worship and fellowship time – Help decorate the church for Christmas.
Thursday, December 12, 6 pm – Call Meeting
Next Sunday’s Lessons:
Advent 2: Malachi 4:1-6; Romans 15:4-13; Luke 21:25-36 (Historic Pericope Series)
Answers to Today’s Epistle Lesson Brief Study:
- Each day of our life brings us that much closer to the goal of our faith, eternity with our God.
- You clothe yourself with Christ through faith in him. While an unbeliever has no natural ability to believe in Jesus or come to him, a believer in Christ, a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17), chooses to read Scripture, attend worship, study the Bible with others, and apply the Bible to his or her life. To “clothe yourself with Christ” practically means to immerse yourself in God’s Word.
This week I am praying for……