12/10/2023 Second Sunday in Advent

THE KING SHALL COME

The Church Year begins with the season of Advent, which means “coming.” When someone is coming over, what do you do? It depends on who is coming and why they are coming. If it’s a good friend popping in for a quick visit, you don’t worry too much about how the house looks or serving a meal. But imagine the governor is coming over for an evening to give you some sort of citizen’s award. That’s a big deal. There is work to be done: deep cleaning, planning a menu, getting the yard looking its best, etc.

So, is Advent a big deal? It depends on who is coming and why they are coming. In this worship series, we get the answer to those questions. We see that the King shall come. We see why the King came on that first Christmas and why he shall come again on judgment day. In this season, we also cherish the way our King comes to us today in Word and sacrament, establishing his reign in our hearts.

PREPARE TO MEET HIM

Scriptures teach that King Jesus is the Son of God in flesh and the only hope for salvation. Jesus himself claimed that he is the only way into the glorious kingdom of heaven. You do not approach meeting someone like that casually or carelessly. You prepare meticulously. What does that mean? What does a life of readiness—ready to meet such a King—look like? In one word: repentance. If we insist on hanging onto our sins, how can we receive the One who came for the very purpose of taking those sins away?

Throughout history, God has raised up called servants—like John the Baptist—to preach a message of repentance. This repentance is central to our preparation for the Lord’s coming. Without repentance, the King’s coming only terrifies. But all those who believe and repent look forward to the coming of the King and the consummation of his everlasting kingdom.

God bless your worship.

Pastor Adam Mueller will preach on Mark 1:1–8 “Jesus Must Be Greater”

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