Advent 1 Matthew 24:37-44
November 27, 2016
If you are over 21 or so, you might remember where you were and what you were doing on September 11, 2001. On that day the whole nation watched, mostly onTV, in stunned disbelief as two stately 110-story World Trade Center buildings were hit by hijacked passenger jets and were reduced to smoldering rubble in less than two hours. A total of 2,996 people were killed.What had begun as a normal day ended in a most unexpected way. No one could have anticipated it.
A Day is coming when we will see a much more stunning sight. The Son of God will suddenly appear from heaven to judge the people of the world and destroy all traces of sin in the universe with fire. Every person who ever lived will witness it -not on TV – but in person, and everyone will remember where they were and what they were doing.
Only this time it can be expected. Today we begin a new Church year with the season of Advent. It’s a time of anticipation, when Christians focus on Jesus’ first coming at Christmas and his second coming on the Last Day. The Scripture lessons today assure our waiting hearts that Jesus truly is coming, and in this chapter of Matthew Jesus himself tells us what to expect on that Day. He compares it to another time when God judged the people of the world by sending a Flood to wipe every unbeliever from the face of the earth and to rescue those who believed in him. That word-wide event has given every generation of people in history a good idea of what to expect when Jesus returns to undo the ravages of sin and rescue those who believe in him. It’s what makes Advent a time of anticipation for all who are waiting for Jesus.
1. The world is ripe for judgment
In Genesis 6 God tells us why he had to destroy the world in Noah’s day. It was totally lost in sin and hearts were hardened in unbelief. Conservative estimates of thepopulation at that time put it in the billions, perhaps even more than our current world population, but no matter how many were alive at that time, it’s appalling to hear that only 8 people were saved from God’s terrible judgment! Every single person and every land and air creature outside the ark drowned!It makes you think twice, doesn’t it, about using the excuse, “But everyone else is doing it!” No wonder Jesus warned, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13,14)
In the New Testament Noah is called a “preacher of righteousness,” so we know that he was warning the people around him about the coming disaster. In addition, building a 450 foot long barge in his backyard for 120 years was a pretty conspicuous visual aid, but how did the people respond? Most of them didn’t care! For them it was "business as usual" as they went about their everyday routines: going to work, running errands, looking forward to the weekend. People were planning their long-range hopes & dreams: getting together for good times, setting dates for their marriages, paying off their loans, talking about having families, raising their kids, building their dream homes, making their retirement plans.
Jesus said it will be exactly the same when he returns. Most people will only be concerned about what’s going on here and now and will not accept the truth of God’s Word. So when God thunders from His Word against evil in all its ugly shades, we shouldn’t be surprised to hear people say, “Nobody has a right to tell me what to do with my own life!” We shouldn’t be surprised when people scoff at the thought of being held accountable to God or laughat the truth of his judgment or reject the need for a Savior from sin. Instead of using this time of grace to see their sin, repent of it, and receive God’s forgiveness in Jesus, multitudeswill spend their lives running away from God and his salvation. But they will not be able to run away from God’s judgment. Like a thief in the night, Jesus will returnwhen people are sure he won't."While people are saying, "Peace and safety" destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (1Thessalonians 5:3)
The approaching end of the worldmay be a joking matter to many, but so was the great Fl0od. It came just as God said it would, and so will the end of the world.Peter describes it in his 2nd letter: “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:3-7)
The Lord has given more than fair warning. The countdown has begun. Time is running out on the human race. As it was in the days of Noah, the world of unbelief is ripe for destruction. But when it happens,
2. The family of believers is ready for deliverance
Noah's family went about their daily business like everyone else. The difference was that the Lord kept their hearts focused on his Word.That’s how the he protected them from getting caught up in the temptations around them and kept them preparedfor the day when he would fulfill his gracious promises to them. When the day came for God to shut the door of the ark, they were ready to drop whatever they were doing and leave. When God slammed shut the door of the ark, it separated Noah's family from the unbelieving world and sealed their futures forever. This is just what Jesus meant when he said about the Last Day,“one will be taken and the other left.”
Those eight believers must have watched wide-eyed in awe as the almighty God unleashed his power in horrific, catastrophic judgment… and shouted praises of joy overhis power to save!Under his grace theyknew they would survive the Flood, but that was only the beginning. God had promised to build them a far better ark for a much greater salvation. Through the promised Savior, Noah and his family would find shelter from the coming wrath on the Last Day.Jesus would cover their every sin with his perfect life and death so that “whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life.”(John 3:16)
God has brought you and me into that same ark – Jesus, our Savior – through another kind of water, the water of baptism. As the Flood destroyed the world in Noah’s dayyet saved him and his family, the water-and-Word of baptism has washed away our sinand now saves us also. This is why every believer in Jesus eagerly anticipateshis return, for“if God did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others...then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment." (2 Peter 2:5,9)
“As it was in the days of Noah”God still gives the world time to repent. Hehas built into his fallen creation signs that it is dying and groaning under the effects of sin. He has built intoeach of us a conscience that makes us uneasy with guilt when we sin and senses the reality that we must answer to a holy God.As it was in the Noah’s day, God ‘s love“is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."(2 Peter 3:9)This is why he’s made each of usa “preacher of righteousness” as we witness to others the need to repent and proclaim to them God’s forgiveness in Jesus while there is still time.
Jesus is coming!We are going home with him! That’s what makes Advent a time of great anticipation.
You know how you can tell if someone is ready to go somewhere? Their coat is on, their hand is on the doorknob, and they’re waving good-bye. You can tell if someone is readyfor Jesus' return, too. They’re wearing his robe of righteousness by faith, their livesare busy serving him, and they’re waving good-bye to the things of this world. That’s what “business as usual” looks like for a child of God. That’s how it was for Noah and his family, too. “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). Amen