Last Sunday of the Church Year (B) 2018

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: John 5:22
Theme: Entrusted To The Son

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

You will be summoned. On that great and awesome day when the trumpet sounds, and the angels stride forth attending the Son of Man in His glory. You will be there, present with that great gathering of mortals in the company of celestial beings. We cannot now fathom the nature of that assembly. It has no precedent. It will not be duplicated. It will be a time of terror. It will be an occasion of joy. It will unveil mysteries too profound to describe until then. It will be the end of all history. It will be the consummation of our eternal union with the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, saints and angels.

At the coming of Christ in glory we will witness the judgment and acknowledgment of all accomplishments and all failures; of the great and the small. Every Tower of Babel will be revealed for what it is. Every idol will be demolished. As the Scripture says, “And the idols shall utterly pass away”.1 But each monument to the merciful Lord will be honoured. Every holy work will be exalted. Every selfless sacrifice throughout the history of time will be extolled. The people of God will be rescued. The faithful will receive the crown of life. “Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'”2

No one will stand to challenge His authority. No one will question His decrees. The words of the Psalmist will come to fruition, “The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.”3 And what is the nature of His authority? He is the Sovereign of the universe. Listen again to the words of the Risen Lord, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son…For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. And He has given Him the authority to judge because He is the Son of Man.”4

Imagine the shock of those who failed to believe that every sin will be brought into judgment? Imagine the horror of being condemned for transgressions the world labelled as good deeds? No wonder the Scripture says, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.”5 The very thought should drive us to repentance and cause us to confess every iniquity to the One who alone has the power to pardon or condemn. There will be no second chances on the Last Day.

When will that day come? We do not know. But we do know life is a pilgrimage. We’re not sitting around twiddling our thumbs until Christ returns. We are hard-pressed by Satan every hour. The temptation of sin is ever before us. Even in our frailty we are ambassadors of truth and light in a world often mired in darkness and falsehood. We are givers and receivers of love and faithfulness in our varied vocations as husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees, friends, and neighbours.

The challenge is to never lose sight of what matters in the end. The nonessentials in life cannot be allowed to squeeze out holy truth. To His good friend Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary."6 Maybe it’s a long way to the bottom of the list of things that cause you anxiety? Maybe you’re so overwhelmed you don’t know where to start? Or maybe it’s one thing? Perhaps a singular vexing trouble that consumes your time and energy like a black hole? Maybe it’s a cluster of unhealthy cycles in relationships? Maybe it’s a serious or nagging health issue? Maybe you’re struggling with lack or purpose or meaning in life? Maybe you’re just trying to survive from one day to the next? If any of these are true for you, you are not alone. The holy God journeys with you every hour.

Consideration of our mortality is confronting therefore many prefer to avoid the subject entirely. Fear of the darkness beyond can be immobilising. But that doesn’t change reality. How can sinners cross into the heavenly light? They can and do, as the Redeemer says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”7

Christ was not afraid to enter the darkness. He did not turn away because of the enormity of the task. He was not deterred by self-absorption or side-tracked by lesser tasks. He journeyed straight to the cross. Only three years of public ministry were needed to bring things to a head. He didn’t try to avoid trial. He didn’t seek to escape the authorities. He didn’t challenge His unjust sentence. He didn’t resist His cruel torturers. He carried His own cross as far as He could. And there, on Calvary, when He met His death He tasted death for all of us as the Scripture says, “… He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”8 You see, that’s the miracle of the gospel: The Son of God went to Calvary for you, on your behalf, in your place. He slammed shut the portal to hell so that you could be spared from its horrors. He rose again on Easter morning.

The apostle John, in his great vision of the heavenly realm had an angel speak to him who said, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."9 These words the Spirit had recorded for our encouragement. Blessed are those who are invited. Blessed are you, guest of the King. Honoured are you, cherished child of God. Here, in His house, you dine with the King of kings and Lord of lords. But you are no stranger to His house. You are no occasional guest in His palace. You are adopted into His family. You have a permanent place in His dynasty.

Today is the final Sunday in the Church Year. The promise of the Coming One rings out with clarity. You will be summoned. But you will not be forsaken. Your inheritance is among the baptized. The creator of all that exists will come again in His glory. You will be there. None will miss the spectacle. The prince as well as the pauper, the master and the servant, the highborn and those of humble birth, your friends, and those at enmity with you; all will behold His face. The wicked will suffer separation. Believers will be received into that paradise beyond knowing. “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.”10 “For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”11 Thanks be to God! Amen.

+ In nomine Jesu +

Last Sunday of the Church Year
25 November 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 Isaiah 2:18 2 Matthew 25:34-36
3 Psalm 50:1 4 John 5:21-22, 26-27
5 Revelation 1:7 6 Luke 10:41-42
7 John 5:24 8 Hebrews 2:9
9 Revelation 19:9 10 John 5:25
11 1 Corinthians 15:52