December 13, 2015 Text: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Dear Friends in Christ,
Baby showers and bridal showers are celebrations before the celebrations. The actual event has not yet occurred; that is, the baby is not yet born, and the couple is not yet married. So the real celebrations are yet to come. Still people bring gifts in anticipation of what is coming. Even in a sin-corrupted world, where tragedies such as miscarriages and stillbirths cut short an otherwise joyful pregnancy, and called-off engagements end hope-filled wedding plans, people nevertheless come seemingly without any thought of these possibilities. They celebrate, believing the joy will happen and they are sure of it’s coming.
The prophet Zephaniah wrote some six centuries before the birth of Christ – and at a time of impending judgment on God’s people. Yet already he writes as if there’s a reason to celebrate: “Sing aloud!” “Rejoice!” “Exult!” Already he writes that the Lord has taken away his judgments against the people. Why? Because even during those centuries of the “first Advent,” Zephaniah was certain that the baby, the Messiah, was coming. We know what is coming so we can celebrate that . . .
“CHRIST IS OUR JOY, NO MATTER THE SORROW”
It would seem we have many reasons not to celebrate. We have rebelled against God and His commandments just like the people of Zephaniah’s day. We live in sin-stained world. We fight daily against evil. Our relationships – family and work – suffer from the brokenness of our sinful world: marriage challenges, conflict among children and parents, power struggles between co-workers, the stress of dealing with the public. Then comes Christmas and we have our own lists we are trying to fulfill. Oh, it can be a struggle.
This is where the church lives. The church is our sanctuary in the midst of the challenge. We live in a world that wants little or nothing to do with the Triune God. Because of that the church suffers in the midst of that! Sorrows in the midst of that! Cries out to God in the midst of that!
And look at what God is once again impressing upon us this season of Advent; from our text: “On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.’” (vs. 16-18)
Jesus “is in our midst” through his Word and Sacraments to forgive your sins and “quiet you by his love.” We are calmed from our everyday stresses by Christ’s coming and his strengthening presence. He rejoices and exults over us. God is celebrating with us and sharing our joy.
Then look at what God says to the church regarding that Final Moment – the Day: “Behold at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord. (vs. 19-20)
A Pastor wrote, “As God gathers us, there are joys we celebrate. The birth of a child. A positive response to chemotherapy. And there are sorrows we mourn. A divorce. A grandmother developing dementia.” And you are probably thinking, “Yea, that is just the beginning!”
Most of bring certain sorrows into this sanctuary on a regular basis. An event that has disappointedly altered the course of life. A family member in trouble. An affliction that has no real cure. The loss of a loved one. The loss of meaning for life.
And that doesn’t even take into consideration the regrets that dog us; the offenses we commit over and over again even after promising we are done with them.
The world can remove Christ from the public square holiday, but it cannot remove Christ from our hearts, from our lips, from our hopes. The fact is this – in the midst of all earthly sorrows there is joy for the child of God. There is Jesus who has loved us all along and will continue that love into eternity. There is joy in that even when the earthly tears roll down our cheeks.
There is that wondrous promise the Holy Spirit inscribed across the forehead of His church; the one we hang on to: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)
Thus Advent is a forward look. And this Advent we once again look at the past to prepare for our celebration of Christ’s birth and the Day when He returns. The world can have its holidays. It can spend billions to celebrate. But what? Celebrate what? A holiday for what? And that’s just like the world and its wisdom. Concocting something that leaves everyone spent – physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and financially – spent with nothing left but some memories – good or bad.
But we have Jesus. The One who promised, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26) We have Christ the Savior. And He is our joy, no matter the sorrow.
Amen.