Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Jesus said to his disciples: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, preplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of wha tis coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.

“Beward that your hearts to do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Our Scripture readings all speak to God fulfilling His promises to His people, and of the Second Coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

This Sunday’s Gospel may sound familiar to you. It’s Luke’s version of Mark, chapter 13, which we heard just two weeks ago on what I like to call “Second Coming Sunday,” where Jesus speaks of the signs that will anticipate His Second Coming in glory, when He will fulfill the hopes of all who put their hope in Him.

I wore a button once to high school class that read, “Jesus is the answer.” A teacher asked me, “What’s the problem?” I was honestly taken aback by this. What’s the problem?” You don’t know? The problem is broken humanity caught up in sin. The problem is our hopes dashed by the false promises of deceitful men. The problem is multitudes trapped in poverty, in despair, in mindsets not based on reality, in oppression by others who keep them down for their own profit, and in themselves looking for freedom in the chains of addiction, drugs, sex, money, or the ideologies of a world seemingly set on destroying itself. What’s the problem? Do you really have to ask?

What’s the solution? Jesus! The coming of Jesus on that first Christmas Day, and the Second Coming of Jesus on the last day. Luke writes, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.” This is simply to paint the picture that the Second Coming will be obvious to all who witness it, and a dread to the nations who opposed our Lord throughout history. “People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Those who have placed their hope in things other than in God and in His Messiah will falter in the face of God’s judgment on the world. Their powers will be nothing in the face of Christ coming in the clouds.

Luke continues: “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” This is the moment of truth, the moment of judgment. Christ came the first time in humility and poverty. When Christ returns, He will come in glory and power. Then Luke extols us: “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.” See to it that when the Lord returns you do not hide or cower. No! Those of us who have been faithful to Him, who have taken up our crosses and followed Him, who have united our sufferings with His, who have placed our faith in His resurrection – we are to stand erect and raise our heads. This is the day of our redemption!

The Second Coming of Christ will be a horror for all those who rejected Him, but it will be a day of great rejoicing for us who believed in Him and followed Him. Advent is a season of joy and a season of penance – it is a season of preparation for the coming of our Lord in a manger, low and humble, meek and mild, who came to proclaim the kingdom of God and teach us the way to get there. But it is also a season of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ – when He will come from on high in power and might, in splendor and greatness with His angels and saints to gather all His faithful and take us to glory. Be ready for that day! Live the life of the Gospel in faithfulness, so that when that day comes, you will be able to hold your head up, sing Alleluia, and stand in righteousness before the Son of Man!

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.