Advent 2

Text: Luke 21: 25-36

Surely you’ve all heard the tune “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” written by Meredith Wilson in 1951; okay, maybe you didn’t know Meredith Wilson wrote it. It was actually made popular when the legendary singer Bing Crosby recorded a version of the song in the same year. Since then, it’s filled the radio airwaves, department stores, elevator speakers, and streaming services worldwide every December. 

It’s a catchy song.

The plot isn’t thick; it’s about two young kids who have fallen for one another, and the decorations they see all around now mean that Christmas is soon coming. 

It’s a Christmas love story.

For children of all ages, Christmas songs and songs about decorations such as this tell us that Christmas is near.

And this is why it’s so hard to reconcile the songs of the radio with the Gospel reading this morning. They are incompatible. They are at odds with one another.

But remember, just as the song alludes to, it’s not Christmas yet.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”

But it’s Advent, meaning it’s time for us to prepare for Christmas.

That’s why we have a Gospel reading like this today; it is meant to prepare us for the coming of Christmas.

So then, what is Christmas?

Well, to define this more narrowly, Christmas is a compound word; it’s a combination of Christ and Mass – Christmas.

Now, while the Roman use of the word Mass played a role here, think of Christmas as the Divine Service in honor of Christ or to celebrate the birth of Christ.

So, Christmas is the day we gather here in the Divine Service to sing the wonderful hymns that celebrate the birth and coming of Jesus Christ.

And this is what the Gospel reading is all about today.

Not only the coming of Jesus but also the preparation for His arrival.

So, how do we prepare for His arrival?

Well, in the Gospel reading, there are four admonitions to the hearer. An admonition could be seen as a warning or gentle reproof and encouragement to change your behavior.

The first admonition says, “Straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near.”

Here, Jesus had just finished describing cosmic and earthly events, such as storms and enormous catastrophes, similar to those depicted in the Book of Revelation.

We discussed this briefly last Sunday in Bible Class: what do we usually do when a natural disaster or unexplained event occurs?

We call FEMA, we call the government and demand that they help us.

But when the world crumbles around us, it should invite us to rise from the ashes of life, fix our hearts on Jesus, and call out to Him for help.

Now, the second admonition comes as Jesus says,

“Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Yes, the Christmas music and the decorations remind us that the seasons are changing, much like the leaves falling to the ground each fall remind us that a cold winter chill will soon blow in.

The fig tree, in particular, was one of the only trees, from my understanding, in Israel where its leaves would drop each fall, providing a clear signal to a world without weathermen that winter was imminent.

So far, Jesus has instructed on events in the cosmos and told His disciples to prepare for what was to come.

It’s a theme of the now and not yet.

But did you notice what happens when the kingdom of God arrives?

Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

These are good words for us to remember as we travel through Advent, preparing for the coming of Jesus and Christmas.

Especially as our world finds itself engulfed in consumerism.

At the coming of the Son of Man, the material aspects of this life will be no more. The presents under the tree wrapped with love, tablets, video games, cookware, and yes, even your squishamellows will pass away.

Meaning ceases to exist.

There will be no more “candy canes and silver lanes that glow” as the stories and songs of Christmas go.

But Jesus doesn’t leave you or His disciples without hope. He says, “My words will not pass away.”

Meaning there is more to this life than tinsel and lights, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

This Word is none other than Jesus Christ, the babe born in the manger. Through His death and resurrection, you have everlasting and eternal life.

And you are going to need this Word of God because the following admonition comes and says,

But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

This is the only place in all Scripture we hear the word “dissipation.”

It means unbridled indulgence or drinking without regard. The challenge is that when one overconsumes, they lose the ability to control themselves.

In a sad and very real way, these words define our world and our lives.

Don’t fool yourself here either; there are addictions that weigh all of us down. So, use caution when pointing at others. Some struggle with alcohol, while others struggle with technology, and yet others cannot say “no” to a sale.

Our hearts and flesh are weak, and the Christmas this world knows provides cover for our weaknesses. It may be why this time of the year requires us to watch ourselves more than others.    

But then there is this final admonition, and it’s essential.

Jesus says, “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

This world’s Christmas is nothing more than window dressing upon your heart. It presents a fictional Christmas that will not aid your broken heart, pay off your debts, or give you sobriety from your addictions.

No, the Christmas you must know is the one that welcomes the Christ Child in the manger and prepares you for His coming on the final day.

For this reason, you are called today to stay awake and be alert.

So, how do you stay awake and alert? By exercising your faith, by using this time of year to give careful attention to a life of prayer and grow in God’s Word.

After all, Jesus says, “But my words will not pass away.”

It’s His Word that provides you with an escape from the calamities of this life and world. It’s His Word that leads your voice in prayer and grants you His eternal life.

My friends, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, just not the Christmas you might expect.

Look at the world around you, examine your heart, and see the brokenness.

So prepare for the coming of Christ and set aside time to seriously pray. Turn off the radio or the music momentarily, open your Bible, and read the Gospel of Luke. Begin at Chapter 1 to learn the true story of Christmas and the great love of your heavenly Father, who sent His only begotten Son into your flesh to be born for you, to die for you upon the cursed tree, and then to rise again for you.

This is what Christmas looks like. +INJ+

Rev. Noah J. Rogness

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Tomah, WI