Today’s Scripture

Psalm 98         Malachi 4:1-6              2 Thessalonians 3:6-13           Luke 21:5-19

 

            “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace.”  The first verses of the last book of the Old Testament wake us up.  Look out!  It is an alarming warning.  It is pointing to the “Day of the Lord.”  And this means the day our Lord and Savior Jesus comes in judgment to stand on the earth.  This warning tells that this is not a pretty sight at all for those who are arrogant against God and his love in Jesus Christ.  This warning is the greatest comfort to those who love God and who believe and trust in his love to you in Jesus Christ.

 

            For many in this world the “Day of the Lord,” the day of final judgment is something far different than what God tells.  Some just blow it off.  Some do not believe that God’s judgment does not include the terrors of hell.  Some do not accept the true God, the triune God, and his love from creation to eternal salvation.  For many there is always time to do enough good or to put off God because that time is not just around the corner.  Try telling that to anyone who, at any time has experienced the sudden and unpredictable death of a loved one from pre-natal to any age.  Try telling that to anyone whose loved one lay ill for a length of time, yet that final breath came so quietly and unexpectedly and one more moment for closure escaped. 

 

            God’s judgment exists from creation on.  He separates light from darkness and calls the light “good.”  God creates all things and calls each part of creation good.  God makes man in his image and now calls creation “very good.”  That is judgment, knowing and declaring the difference between good and what is not good.  God declares that eating of the knowledge of good and evil will result in death.  That is judgment.  In God’s language, death means removing the breath of life, the tree of life, anything that is good.  When Satan tempted Adam and Eve and they decided to try out that evil, Satan thought that he had won out.  Wrong.  God declared judgment on his terms, that of love and forgiveness and faith in that love and forgiveness.   God declared that he would bring another judgment, the final one on Satan, on sin, and death itself.  God declared that he would resolve this brokenness, remove sin, and bring the tree of life, the breath of life, and his perfect image into being again. 

 

            Satan missed his mark that day.  He thought he had all of God’s goodness in his sights as he led Adam and Eve to that first sin.  It was like Tom Kelley one day in the Battle of the Bulge.  My father watched as he ran over a knoll.  A sniper fired and hit Tom’s heels.  Later when they captured the sniper’s nest, they found his sights were set low.  And he eventually lost the battle.  Satan’s sights did not take into account the power of God’s love.  Stan’s sights did not take into account the power of God’s forgiveness.  Satan’s sights did not take into account the power of God’s son who would win the battle over sin, death, and Satan himself.  Satan’s sights did not take into account that God would prevail on the final day of judgment that would separate light from dark, good from evil, for all eternity.

 

            The “Day of the Lord” meaning the final day of judgment is announced:

• Isaiah 13:9  See, the day of the LORD is coming--a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger-- to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.
• Joel 2:1  Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand--

 

• Joel 2:31  The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
• Zephaniah 1:14  "The great day of the LORD is near-- near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there.
• Act 2:20  The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

 

            Jesus tells of the unquenchable fire [Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17].  The complete destruction with nothing left is described as not even a root or branch will be left to those who are left like stubble.  Stubble has no life left.  Stubble cannot resurrect itself and bring new life to its roots.  Stubble is too short to redeem for useful fodder or bedding.  Stubble is easily set afire and completely destroyed.  Stubble is what those who are under judgment will be like.  God’s final judgment on sinners who do not repent and trust in his graces in Jesus Christ is that terrifying.  It is that complete.

 

            God changes the account of judgment as he says, “but for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings,” [v. 2].  In the same breath that God declares judgment, he declares his love for his people and his saving grace.  Jesus is called the sun of righteousness, the rising sun from heaven.  The rising sun is a new day.  Baptism in Jesus brings you to the beginning of each new day afresh and alive in him, with sins forgiven and his glories are placed on you.  At judgment, you are declared “not guilty” as Jesus took your sins, your guilt, your corruption, your dead sinful nature to the cross and restored to you the joy of his salvation [Psalm 51]. 

 

            The next verse gives quite a picture of eternal rejoicing.  “You will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”  We would purchase yearling calves from the Great Plaines states.  After two days in railroad cars, short respite in pens, and a couple of hours in the truck to our farm, they would romp and kick up their hooves as they were released into the pasture.  It was enjoyable to see their liveliness in their new-found freedom.  Through Malachi, God gives us this picture of your joy when you are released from being bound by sin in this world to the freedom of nothing but good in everlasting heaven. 

 

            Judgment happens.  It is a real thing.  Judgment, as in the court system, serves two purposes.  It sentences and punishes the guilty.  It frees the innocent.  Those who reject Jesus will receive judgment, “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day,” [John 12:48].  Those who receive the Son receive the one who sent him [Matthew 10:40] as Jesus took your sins upon himself so that when he was freed from the tomb, you too will be freed from the grave, from judgment, and receive eternal life through him.

 

In Jesus’ undying love.

 

Amen.