Sermon Summary for Sunday Next Before Advent, 24 November 2024 Anno domini, the Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
The Epistle
Jeremiah xxiii. 5.
BEHOLD, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
Today is the Sunday-next- before-Advent, or the 25th Sunday after Trinity. It matters not the terminology or semantics of the name for “a rose is a rose by any other name.” Regardless of our terms, this Sunday is not simply the last in Trinity – it also introduces the Advent season. The Scriptural texts clearly point out this principle.
In our text from Jeremiah, we see the glowing promise of a coming Redeemer in the Branch, unlike every other, that shall also be a King and Judge over all the earth. The believing Jew, as well, as the gentile, each of which designates the Israel of God, shall be saved. He shall be called “The Lord our Righteousness.” This is definitely an Advent promise. This name conveys a particular meaning to us. We are not righteous under the terms of our own merit, but through the imputed righteousness and merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. Does this not herald the advent of Christ is a powerful manner? The promise of salvation is no longer simply a physical salvation illustrated by the crossing of the Red Sea, and a salvation from the tyranny of the bondage in Egypt, but a salvation of the soul and spirit of His Elect who are the true seed of Abraham – those who have believed in both the promise and the fulfillment of that Promise of the coming Redeemer. (Galatians 3:7-22)
In this text from Jeremiah, we clearly see the Promise made to Abraham being fulfilled in the coming of Christ at Advent. We find in this passage the threefold Promise of a Coming King, the blessings of His reign, and the greatness of His Redemption.
The Gospel
St. John vi. 5.
WHEN Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
Just as the text of Jeremiah points to the Promise of a coming Savior, so this Gospel text proclaims the fulfillment of that Promise. He comes as King though not correctly understood by the multitudes at the time. They sought after an earthly king, and could not yet comprehend a Heavenly King. In Luke 9:11 our Lord proclaims the fulfillment coming of the promised Kingdom of God. John the Baptist, in whom many placed the wrong level of trust, had been beheaded. Now the people resorted to Christ alone as their King to save them from the bondage of Rome. They misconstrued His kingly realm as being not of this world, but that of Heaven and all beneath.
We observe, too, the absolute blessings of His Reign. He had counseled that we first seek the Kingdom of god and all needful things would follow. Though in a level of ignorance of its full meaning, the multitudes had followed the Lord into the desolate mountain at which He had made good His Promise of supplying their need. He did so with a miracle of His own power unlike that of Moses whose power came from Another on high. In supplying the needs of the multitude in the wilderness, it was found that even more left of bread than at the beginning and after the feeding of the five thousand-plus. It was the charity and faith of a young lad that supplied the small quantity of bread that led to the feeding of an enormous multitude. So it is in the lives of the Elect, our results in following Christ are multiplied by our faith in Him who supplies the need an hundred-fold.
We also see in this Gospel the demeanor of His people in serving others. Though Christ can do without the labors of any man, He nonetheless allows us the privilege to serve others as He did His disciples in serving the multitude out of his miraculous bounty. We are bound by the same obligation and privilege.
On this Sunday, we recognize the fulness of the gospel taught in the preceding season of the church year; and we gather the fragments to insure nothing is lost as we observe the Promise of Advent Season – His coming as a Babe in Bethlehem and the Promise of His coming again in great power and glory. All things done in good order is illustrated. The disciples served the people, and the people sat down to partake of the blessing. This also demonstrates the inadequacy of any labors on our behalf apart from that labor done in Christ and His salvation.
I have written a fuller explanation of the Prayer of Collect in a separate devotion which I append to these notes; however, we can simplify the question by noting the three-fold import of that prayer:
1) To have our wills quickened, or stirred up, to insure that we take upon us the Mind that was in Christ and not the carnal self-will of the suppliant. The self-will of man is dead until quickened to take upon our souls the Will of god. That is true life and liberty.
2) The hope of greater fruitfulness in Christ. We must be ready to serve others in our service of God. If we are true in spirit, we would no allow our neighbor to starve to death while we have a full cupboard. In Christ, we have the abundance of riches that exceed those of the world. Will we allow our neighbor to live in ignorance of that blessedness we enjoy in Christ? and,
3) The reward will be according to our labors in Christ. Our abundance of good works will be abundantly rewarded, but all is attributed to Christ and not us, for we lack any merit apart
4) from the workings of our Lord Jesus Christ in and through His people.
5)
As we prepare for the second Advent of Christ, let us also acknowledge and cherish the Gospel which we have loved and received in His first Advent and ministry.
