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This Week's Sermon THE FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT 02 December 2007 "Who Is This?" Matthew 21:1-11 LSB Series A Pastor Philip G. Meyer Soli Deo Gloria!

Today is the first day of the Church's new year. The Christian calendar begins today, not on 01 January. By God's grace we begin to rehearse again the history of our salvation as we trace the coming of the Christ into our sin-stained world. The Collect of the Day sets the tone:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come,
That by your protection
We may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins
And saved by your mighty deliverance.

So it is that Advent begins the liturgical year, remembering Christ's coming in the flesh at Bethlehem, his continual coming to us in Word and Sacrament, and his final Advent on the last day. If the focus is on his coming, then preparation is our continual activity. Advent focuses our attention on preparation to receive Christ.

The Gospel is probably more closely associated with Palm Sunday than with Advent, yet it has been the appointed Gospel reading for the First Sunday in Advent for many centuries. We don't want to make this into a mini Palm Sunday because the mood of the other Propers is one of joy. The Gradual tells us to "Rejoice greatly . . . shout aloud" because "your King is coming to you." The Verse exhorts, "Lift up your heads, O gates" so that this King of glory may come in.

"Who is this?" is the question raised by the crowd as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling what had been written by the prophet Zechariah centuries beforehand. Most kings ride horses, big prancing warhorses as a show of strength and force, but Jesus doesn't ride one of those. He rides a donkey, a beast of burden, an animal of humility.

"Who is this?" A more important question could not be asked. It is very similar to the question Jesus asked of his disciples earlier: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" [Matthew 16.13]. Who is this Jesus and what has he come to do?

Zechariah says that he is a king. So do many other Old Testament scriptures. He is descended from the line of David, but we won't hear that until we get much closer to the celebration of his birth. That he is a king is true, but he doesn't look like an earthly king. His humble entrance seems to belie his kingliness.

It is true that there aren't very many kings left in the world anymore. Most monarchs are mere figureheads. They don't really rule. They don't do much of anything except appear regal, wearing the crown jewels and elegant clothing. So, take our culture's other kings, for example, the people we tend to regard as royalty. Santa comes to the mall and ascends his throne to receive the requests of his subjects. He flies through the air on a sleigh full of goodies pulled by gravity-defying reindeer. He appears very much a king who distributes gifts to his subjects.

Or take our sports champions. They are crowned and ascend to their glorious thrones basking in the triumph of their wins, arms thrust into the air. We seem to treat them like kings because they make us happy by winning. Or celebrities who travel with entourages and live lavish lifestyles. Never mind that they act like common pigs in the pig pen, many regard them as equal to kings.

But Jesus? A King? Indeed he is, but he is not the world's idea of a king. The Scriptures proclaim him a King but it is a strange kingship because there doesn't seem to be much glory about his kingdom. The donkey gives us the clue. He is a beast of burden. He carries a load. He is docile and humble. Jesus the King has come to carry your sins in his own body to the tree of the cross. That is what your King does for you. He makes your burden his own. He shoulders it completely.

"Who is this?" This is your King! Dollars, political power, and vast kingdoms don't constitute his mission. If we depended on all that and died, our lives would be nothing. But it is his office and work that we know that through his suffering and death we are redeemed. You see, you need his righteousness because you have none of your own. "Righteous and having salvation" is how Zechariah says it. That's what Jesus has for people who have none of their own. It is the whole reason for his Advent into human flesh.

Can there be any doubt that our world is an ocean of unrighteousness? Scan the news on any day and there are countless reports of unrighteousness. Story after story in the media focus on horrible acts of brutality, dishonesty, disobedience, and hatred of people against each other. And it is not only hatred of each other, they also hate God because he holds them accountable. Human beings stand before God clothed only in the rags of their own unrighteousness.

And at the very time of the year when we get our hopes up about things getting better, we often experience the most brokenness in our own families. For many people this season becomes a very unhappy season because they cannot produce their own happiness. Their false expectations come back with a vengeance.

What is more, people continue to pin their hopes on things that have no lasting worth. Most of the effort we expend in the holiday season ends up being useless. We tend to run ourselves ragged trying to do everything to make it a "perfect" Christmas season. The right gifts at the right price seem to occupy most of our attention. From reports, consumers and merchants seem to be disappointed because there was not enough buying of merchandise! The perfect holiday party. The perfect decorations. We even want perfect weather, you know, a white Christmas! I have often wondered what people in the Southern hemisphere sing about weather wise. Do they dream of palm trees swaying in the warm breezes? Of coconuts dancing in their dreams? And does Santa wear shorts and a Hawaiian-like shirt? We pin our hopes on all of that but we end up disappointed. Human beings cannot make themselves happy by accumulating things or even by having good times. They need what this King brings, namely, his righteousness.

What you really need is Christ and his righteousness. Through his righteousness you are justified, that is, declared forgiven. To do this Jesus became poor and lowly. Think of it: Here is the King of all creation who goes humbly to the cross for his rebellious creatures! He lets himself be nailed to the cross for your offenses in order to make you holy and to get rid of your sin and death.

For this reason Christ instituted Holy Baptism, to clothe you with his righteousness, his innocence. No matter how great your sins, his righteousness is greater. In your Baptism Christ strips your sin and death from you and puts on you the finest clothes imaginable, the clothes of his righteousness. That's why Christ the King came. That is what he came to do, namely, to give us his righteousness and life in place of our sin and death.

On this First Sunday in Advent this King still comes to you. His coming as an infant is history. His death on the cross is history. But his continual Advent will not cease as long as this world stands. He comes to you even now in the words you hear and especially in the Sacraments. In the Sacrament of the Altar he comes to you every week in his body and blood to bring you his righteousness and life, and take away your sin and death.

Luther says that there are two parts to this Gospel. "First, we need to receive this King, for he is sent for us, to help us. Every troubled conscience therefore should pay heed to this King's word. Second, we need to guard against being offended and should say: It matters not a whit that this King is despised; I will nonetheless treasure him like a precious jewel" [Luther's House Postils, p. 36].

Today again, and throughout this Advent season, treasure this precious gift of God, this gift above all gifts. See who it is who gives himself to you. "Who is this?" It is none other than Christ himself, your Savior, your King!