Luke 21:25-36 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. ²⁶ Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. ²⁷ At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." ²⁹ He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ³⁴ "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

Have liturgist read text as Gospel lesson. Preach on Luke 21:25-28. Reread.

What are you afraid of? I know someone who is afraid of turtles. That doesn't make sense. Who can't outrun a turtle? How could one ever sneak up on you? What could a turtle do if he did? Still, this person's fear of turtles is very real. I also know someone who is afraid of chickens. Just the thought of their little beaks pecking at her gives her the "willies." Some people are afraid of heights. Two or three rungs up the ladder and their heart beats faster. Shake the ladder and they hold on for life, shouting: "That's not funny!" When I was younger I was afraid of one particular sheep on our farm. At one of my birthday parties, my friends and I were in the sheep pen, when this sheep snuck up on one of my friends and WHAM, got him right in the behind! For years after that on the farm, I always kept one eye on that evil sheep.

There are a lot of things people can be afraid of. So I ask you, can someone be afraid of Jesus? Now that would be silly, wouldn't it? Still, we are afraid of him sometimes, aren’t we? Caught with your hand in the cookie jar, there's a stab of fear when Mom or Dad comes around the corner. Jesus knows every time that we dip into the "cookie jar" of sin. Jesus knows every bad thought that races across our mind. Jesus knows the painful, hurtful things that we do on purpose. Jesus knows our "pet sin" - the one that we perfected through patient practice. Jesus knows the thoughtless sins - rude and crude, we do every day. He also knows about the kind, gentle, thoughtful things we somehow never get around to doing or saying.

Afraid of Jesus? You bet! A part of us is always afraid of Jesus. Our sinful flesh wants to run for cover. Our sinful nature tries to hide all our sins from the all-seeing eye of Jesus. We cower in fear because we know Jesus is coming again.

In our readings for Palm Sunday we hear about Jesus entering Jerusalem in honor. But in our sermon text we hear about how Jesus will come again to this earth in power and great glory.

How will we react when Jesus comes again? Children, imagine that you've been playing with matches (and you know that you're not supposed to be playing with matches) and suddenly your father comes into the room and catches you. As soon as you see him, do your eyes go up to meet his? Or do you look down in shame? You look down, don't you? I'm sure when Jesus comes on the Last Day, we will still be committing some sins we've long tried to overcome. We may even be in the middle of committing a sin when he comes again. Will we look up to see his face? Or will we look down in shame? Jesus says in our text, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (v. 28). Only Jesus can make us look up on the Last Day!

The setting of our text has Jesus and his disciples having left the temple on Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus chose this moment to tell his disciples about the Last Day. As Jesus looked ahead to his suffering and death, he wanted to comfort his disciples with the promise of the Last Day. But the thought of the coming of the Last Day doesn't always bring us so much comfort. Many times the thought of Jesus' return fills us with fear. Yet Jesus tells his disciples to look upward when these terrible signs begin to take place. Only Jesus can make us look up on the Last Day!

When will he come again?

We don't have an answer to that question. Anyone who sets a date for Jesus' return must be a false prophet, because Jesus himself said no one knows the day or the hour when he will return. But Jesus has given us signs to watch for. Those signs can be put into three categories. First, there are signs that remind us that Jesus IS coming. Second, there are signs that remind us he is coming SOON, and finally, there are signs which will tell us HE'S HERE.

In chapter 21 of Luke, Jesus gives us a catalog of signs that reminds us that he is coming. In verse 8 Jesus says that people will come and claim to be the Messiah. He goes on to say, "When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away" (v. 9). The Lord Jesus also speaks of earthquakes, famines, terrible plagues, and fearful events in nature. These events will affect all of mankind. But there are some troubles that only Jesus’ true followers will endure during the last days. The believers will be persecuted for their faith in Christ. These persecutions, though, will enable Christ’s disciples to give a powerful witness of their faith before kings, rulers, and authorities.

Why did Jesus give these signs? He gave us these signs so that when we see these terrible things happening in the world that we wouldn't lose hope and despair. "Stand firm!" Jesus says. "Hang on!" he says. "Because I will not forget you. I will come again. I will come for you." We have these signs so we remember that Jesus is coming again. This first set of signs are to remind us that Jesus is coming.

These signs certainly tell us Jesus will come, but they don't tell us when. There are other signs that tell us he will come soon. Matthew 24:14 says, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Is there a continent or nation where Christ has not been preached? Should we sit up and take notice that the gospel is again proclaimed in the former Soviet nations? Should we take notice that Christianity is growing in Africa and India at an astounding rate? We are closer to the Lord's return now than a hundred years ago-even fifty years ago. Yes, Jesus must be coming soon!

Again in Matthew 24:21,22, Jesus says, "Then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened." Can the world become worse than it is now? We already have abortion, euthanasia, the burning of churches, hate crimes and ethnic cleansing. Perhaps it will get worse, but the godlessness of our generation and the evils we have seen in our lifetime make us believe that he must be coming soon! This second set of signs reminds us that Jesus is coming soon.

Then there is the third set of signs in our text. "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (vv. 25-27). It will be as if creation is falling apart. Laws, religions, governments, nations will be entirely dissolved by these unparalleled calamities. Utter confusion will follow. Peter describes the end this way: The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. (2 Peter 3:10,12) This will be a day of terror and destruction for the unbeliever. It will cause a great fear. "Men will faint in terror." This final set of signs let us know that Jesus is here.

Do these warnings of Jesus' return frighten you? Do you see the suddenness of his return as a threat? Does the nearness of the Last Day cause you alarm? It doesn't have to, not if you understand why Jesus will come again.

To be honest, all this certainly sounds frightening! His coming certainly will not be in secret. It sounds as if the heavens and the earth will come apart at the seams. The people of this world will "faint from terror" when they see such things. Listen to the description of that day found in the Book of Revelation: Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (6:15-17).

The unbelievers will finally be convinced, when it is too late, that Jesus was really the Messiah. Those who do not see Jesus coming in the power of his grace to save them shall instead see Jesus coming in the power of his wrath to destroy them. Those who would not have Christ reign over them, shall now have Christ triumph over them.

It doesn't sound as if people will be "lifting up their heads" on that day, does it? They will more likely be crawling under the rocks in fear. Will it be different for us? Will anyone want to see Jesus on the Last Day? We know that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. Will we look up to greet him when we sin every day and may well be committing a sin on that day or hour when he comes? Will any of us want him to come, when we know we are sinful through and through?

Remember, though you are a sinner, you are also a forgiven sinner. We believe in Jesus, that he has taken away our sins. When others are looking down, we will look heavenward in faith, hope, and prayer. We will lift our heads with cheerfulness and confidence, for our redemption is here. When Jesus comes to destroy the unbelievers, he will also be coming to redeem the Christians who were persecuted and oppressed by them. When he comes to judge the world for its wickedness, he will once again announce his forgiveness upon believers for their sins. Judgment Day will be a day of horror and fear for the ungodly and wicked. It will be a day of joy and glory for the forgiven and redeemed. We will stand up and lift up our heads with joy knowing that our redemption is drawing near. We are about to be taken from this veil of tears to be with our Redeemer forever.

The events Jesus describes here are terrifying. Yet for the believer they have a comforting significance. The end means the final redemption, the final salvation, the final deliverance from all the evil of the world – sin, death, and the power of the devil. For good reason Jesus urges his disciples to lift up their heads in hope when these end-time signs unfold.

When Jesus comes again, he won’t be coming humbly, gently or riding on a donkey. He will be coming on the clouds with hosts of angels surrounding him. He will have trumpets announcing his return. We won’t just be giving him our cloaks and palm branches. We will be giving him our eternal souls. We won’t just be singing his praises for one Sunday. We will be joining with the saints and angels in singing "hosannas" for all eternity.

If you've ever entertained such fears or doubts in the face of Jesus' coming, listen to the words which Jesus speaks to his disciples-and to you, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (v. 28). Jesus says, "Lift up your heads when I come!"-and he has shown you why you have nothing to fear on that day. The fear inside your heart comes from the knowledge that you are a sinner. But the comfort Jesus offers to you and all believers comes from him and only him. Jesus has clothed you with his own righteousness. Jesus died to forgive all your sins, including those you try to hide from everyone else. Do you think that he comes to condemn you on that day? No. He comes to announce personally that your sins are forgiven. He comes to usher you into heaven. The Bible announces the wonderful news of Jesus' suffering and death: "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:28). When we look up to see him in the clouds, we will see the nail prints in his hands and know in our hearts that we have nothing to fear.

Have you ever heard the expression "Face the music"? Here’s how that phrase came about: Many years ago, a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra, but he couldn’t play a note. Since he was a person of great wealth and influence, however, he demanded to be allowed to join the orchestra so that he could perform in front of the king. The conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row of the orchestra. Even though he couldn’t read music, he was given a flute, and when a concert would begin, he would raise his instrument, pucker his lips, and move his fingers. He went through all the motions of playing, but he never made a sound.

This deception went on for two years. Then one day a new conductor took over the Imperial Orchestra. He told the orchestra that he wanted to personally audition all the players to see how well they could play. The audition would weed out all those who weren’t able to meet his standards, and he would dismiss them from the orchestra. One by one the players performed in his presence. Frantic with worry when it was his turn, the phony flutist pretended to be sick. The doctor who was ordered to examine him, however, declared that he was perfectly well. The conductor insisted that the man appear and demonstrate his skill. Shamefully, the man had to confess that he was a fake. That was the day he had to "face the music."

A time is coming when all of us will be called to stand before the judge of heaven and earth and "face the music." No one will be able to hide in the crowd. The phonies will be separated from the true players. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, though, we can "face the music" without fear.

Don't run from Jesus. Don’t hide from him. Come for safety in his powerful, loving, and forgiving arms. Let him hold you tight in his nail-marked hands. Hear him say, "I love you. I died for you. I forgive you." Don't be scared. Believe, hope and trust in his complete forgiveness and never changing love. In the face of the dangers you face in this world, look forward to the Last Day and hang on. In the face of the temptations you face every day, look forward to the Day of Judgment and continue to struggle with the confidence that when Jesus comes again our struggles will finally be over. And be ready. Be ready to look up when Jesus comes! Amen.