Sermons at St. Dunstan's St. Dunstan's Anglican

Today is Christ the King Sunday. This Sunday is one of my favorite Sundays to preach because the preacher has one job this morning: to talk about the kingship of Jesus Christ.



A few weeks ago, I preached about the end of the biblical story, which is not disembodied life up among the clouds but rather the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead. That’s the end, so to speak, although even that isn’t precisely the end but rather the beginning of the fullness of the new creation.



But perhaps that sermon left you wondering. Maybe it left you wondering what Jesus is doing between his ascension and that last, great day when he will return, and the dead in Christ will rise, never to die again. This Sunday is the answer to that question. Jesus Christ is King; he is Lord of Heaven and Earth, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That’s the first point I want to make this morning.



‌Jesus Christ is King Now



We might be tempted to look at how the world is today and say, “I can’t wait until the day Jesus is King.” There are whole eschatologies, beliefs about the end time, built around precisely this idea. They cannot fathom that Jesus Christ is King already, and so they push his kingship out into the future. This way of thinking is not how the Bible thinks about the kingship of Jesus. ‌



In the Bible, Jesus was enthroned twice, and please notice the past tense. He was enthroned twice. The first time he was enthroned, he was dressed in purple, a crown of thorns was placed upon his head, and a reed was put in his hand as a scepter. And before the soldiers took the reed from him, beat him with it, spit on him, and ripped the garments from his body, they unknowingly spoke a truth that would change the world:




And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
Matthew 27:29 (ESV)



The king was lifted up, enthroned on a Roman cross, and the same words hung above his head.




And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
Matthew 27:37



This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. On that day, Jesus was crowned as the King of the Jews, and if he was King of the Jews, then as the Psalmists and Prophets had always said, he was also the king of the whole world. Jesus was enthroned as the king of all the earth on Golgotha, but then he died, rose, and ascended, and this is his second enthronement.



When Jesus ascended on high, he sat down at the right hand of God. We see this in several places.




After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:3




​But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
Hebrews 10:12



Even the more extended ending of Mark, which I don’t consider to be canonical but does summarize well certain early Christian traditions says,




So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
Mark 16:19



Do you know what Old Testament chapter is quoted or alluded to the most in the New Testament? It’s Psalm 110.




The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
Psalm 110:1



Jesus was enthroned at his ascension. He took his seat at the right hand of God as the Lord of heaven and earth. And notice that little bit right there: “until I make your enemies your footstool.” That last bit of the verse is what Paul refers to in our epistle reading this morning when he writes:




Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:24-26



If the question is, “What is Christ doing now between his ascension and his second coming?” that’s the answer. He is reigning as the Lord

The parable we hear this morning follows the one we heard last week. In that parable, Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom. The bridegroom was delayed, and his delay revealed which of the virgins were foolish and which were wise. The wise virgins brought extra oil with them, while the foolish virgins did not. In short, the wise virgins made provisions for the delay, while the foolish virgins did not. As a result, only those who were prepared were welcomed to the wedding feast, while those who were not were denied entry. Even worse, the Lord says:




But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Matthew 25:12 (ESV)



The final command is not spoken to the virgins but to those listening to Jesus. He says:




Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Matthew 25:13



In the history of biblical interpretation, this parable is often interpreted as a command to stay vigilant in response to what is known as the delay of the parousia.



‌The Delay of the Parousia



I won’t get into this topic now, but suffice it to say that many have argued that the kingdom of God parables containing this notion of a delay or an extended period were reshaped by the early church because Jesus didn’t return as quickly as they expected. So, the idea here is Jesus takes longer to return than we thought, so the early church reshaped or even invented parables on the lips of Jesus to be able to see, “Look, he told us all along that this would take a while.”



There is no doubt that many of the earliest Christians expected Jesus to return in their lifetime. I suspect many of them thought he would return at the fall of Jerusalem, and some might even argue that he did, at least in some sense of the word “return.” But that does not necessitate that these parables, the one last week and ours this Sunday, were reshaped or invented out of thin air.



That is to say, they make sense in their historical context if we don’t assume that WE are the original audience for the parables. So, this is a reminder for all of us, when we read our Bibles (and I expect and hope that we are reading them daily), that before we start asking what a passage means today, we must first ask what it meant in its historical context.



Before we ask what a passage means, we must ask what it meant.



Suppose we apply this principle to last week’s parable and this morning’s parable. In that case, we come away with relatively straightforward and overlapping ideas. The delay in the parable of the ten virgins and the long journey in the parable of the talents are two sides of the same Old Testament idea.



Yahweh, Israel’s husband, was supposed to come back to his land and his people at the end of the exile, but that exile had been delayed and extended. Since then, Israel has been waiting for its God to return, so the question in both parables is: What should Israel have been doing while they waited? ‌



In this morning’s parable, the man who goes on a journey is God, who has entrusted his servants Israel with his “property.” Paul says in Romans about the physical offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:




They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Romans 9:4–5



In short, God entrusted his salvific plan to his servants, and he expected them to take what he had given them and invest it back into the world. Notice that, in this parable, the master commends all the servants but one. The only one he does not commend is the one who hid his master’s talents in the ground rather than sharing them with the world.



The imagery ought to draw our mind to Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says:




“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hi

Paul begins this morning’s reading by saying, “we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep.”




But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ESV)



By “those who are asleep,” he means “those who have died in Christ,” and this is an immediately relevant topic for all of us. We all want to know what it is that happens when we die, and this type of musing is given increased energy when we are faced with the death of a loved one or friend, as all of us have been with the passing of Deacon Bill.



What I find amusing is that while Paul says that he does not want us to be uninformed about God’s plan for those who have died in Christ, many Christians today speak about what happens when we die in vague and incomplete terms that often sound much more like Plato than Jesus or Paul.



So let’s set the record straight this morning. Let’s talk about what happens to those who are asleep both now and when Christ comes again.



Those Who Sleep



Surprisingly, given what Paul says in the opening verse, he tells us almost nothing about the current state of those who have died in Christ. There is a reason for this, and it gets to the problem of most Christian thinking about life after death. The reason Paul says almost nothing about our state of existence when we die is that his focus, as should be the focus of all Christians, is not on the in-between but on the end of the story.



Paul is not so much concerned about life-after-death as he is concerned about life after life-after-death.



Life after Life-After-Death



He writes:




For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
1 Thess 4:14



But this “even so” is a questionable translation. The word is οὕτως. It means “in this way” or “in this manner”. And the preposition “through” probably goes with the verb slept, so we end up with something like:




For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way also, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through the Messiah.
1 Thess 4:14



Paul’s very first point about those who have died in Christ is not to discuss their heavenly existence but to state clearly and unambiguously that God will do for them what he did for Jesus Christ, namely, they will rise again.



This is the first thing we have to get right. When Christians die or when we think about the afterlife, the first thing we should be talking about is resurrection. The first thing that we should say is that God intends to do for us what he did for Jesus of Nazareth. But we’re getting a little bit ahead of ourselves.



One thing to note here about our existence between death and the resurrection is that while Paul doesn’t say much, he does imply clearly that we are safe with God. The metaphor he uses is one of sleep. Maybe he means that we have no conscience existence between death and the resurrection, like we were just napping. Maybe it’s just a metaphor, and all metaphors fall short. Either way, what Paul believes about our loved ones who have died in Christ is that they are safe with God, and just as importantly, when Jesus Christ comes again, he will bring them with him.



That’s the now for those who have died in Christ. They are safe with Christ in God. In Philippians, as Paul considers that his death might be imminent, he writes:




My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
Phil 1:23



Your loved ones, Deacon Bill, and you, when your time comes, will be safe with Christ in God. He will hold you securely in his embrace until that day comes when Christ returns, and he brings the dead in Christ with him.



So that’s the now. But what about the end? What about the last great day? What about the next event on the eschatological timetable

“I believe in the Communion of Saints.” 



That affirmation in the Apostles’ Creed has been repeated by billions of Christians for nearly 2000 years. 



The Communion of Saints encompasses not only linear time but also two additional dimensions of reality—physical and spiritual. You and I became part of the Communion of Saints through our Baptisms. As today reminds us, we are ALL saints, not by spiritual accomplishments, but by God’s grace. 



What does the Communion of Saints mean to us?  



We probably understand best the PHYSICAL expression of the Communion of Saints. 



Why? Because we physically see, hear, and touch each other. We regularly worship, study, fellowship, and minister with and to each other. In the physical dimension of reality, we are tangible to each other. 



One purpose of All Saints Day is to give thanks for our corporate life together. One can only imagine how empty our lives would be if we didn’t have each other. 



This, of course, raises the question, “What happens to us when we are no longer physically visible to one another?” That time will inevitably come to each one of us. Death separates us from the physical world that we now occupy. 



Does this mean that we are no longer in the communion and fellowship of the Church? Does death have the power to break our fellowship with one another? The answer is emphatically “NO!” 



How can we affirm this truth? We affirm our continuing fellowship beyond death because we stand on the most basic truth of the Christian Faith.



Jesus Christ rose from the dead! Because He lives, we live also! 



But how do we live? What is our relationship with each other after death takes place? Do we continue to be in community with each other as we are at present? 



 When we consider that the Living Jesus Christ is the basis of our community with one another, the answer is “YES!”  



Regardless of whether we function in this life or the next, our common foundation of community with each other is Jesus Christ. In this world, as well as the next, Jesus stands as the recipient of our prayers of praise, intercession, thanksgiving, and petition. We are also the focus of His prayers of praise, intercession, thanksgiving, and petition. This reality expresses an unbreakable bond between Jesus and us. What a beautiful affirmation of our eternal security! 



To affirm this bond, we can turn to today’s reading from Revelation. John has a vision of God’s heavenly community being united with  His earthly one. The first part of John’s vision is set on earth as the 144,000 are sealed from the coming worldly disaster. These 144,000 represent the Redeemed Israel.   



Since this is a vision—and visions are usually symbolic of a greater reality– we can interpret these people as the vanguard of a perfectly complete EARTHLY communion of Saints encompassing every race and culture. How do we see this biblical truth symbolically in the vision of the 144,000? 



First, 12 is interpreted as the biblical number for community. We are given in this vision the square root of this number (12 X 12=144). The square root of this biblical number 12 symbolizes the perfection or completeness of this community. We can recall the 12 apostles or the 12 Israelite tribes, which point to the symbolic completeness of God’s community in biblical language.  



Finally, 144 is multiplied by 1000, which is a biblical way of symbolizing the great worldwide extent and inclusivity of the Communion of Saints. 



This great number is being redeemed from the suffering of this earth. They include literal Israelites—since the 12 tribes are mentioned—and spiritual Israelites because the Church is often called the New Israel. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans (2:29), speaks of this New Israel when he says, “He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is not from men bu

For the last several Sundays, we’ve been hearing of the challenges to Jesus’ authority by Temple authorities. They may have thought something like this: “This small town upstart comes in here, to Jerusalem, and thinks he can just turn things upside down as if he owned the place. Who does he think he is? They call him ‘rabbi’, but exactly where did he study the scriptures? The Nazarene Podunk Synagogue?“



Since our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the powers that be were extremely uncomfortable about their hold on power and influence over the Jewish nation. The different religious and political factions, such as the chief priests, the elders, the Pharisees, scribes, Sadducees, and even the Herodians, were normally adversarial to each other, but now they were threatened by someone whom they saw as the common enemy. Their hold on power and prestige was slipping away.



Saint Matthew dedicates chapters 21, 22, and 23 primarily to the attacks of these groups, individually or in concert, to our Lord. The parables of the Two Sons, the Evil Tenants, and The Wedding Feast were all aimed directly at these groups, and they felt it. Jesus came to Jerusalem to rock the boat and cause the climax of history to come about on Calvary. The established leaders were in for a fight for which they were ill-prepared.



It’s easy to read these chapters and think about how vast and deep the corruption was in the Temple. It’s easy to read these parables and duels of wit and think about how bad the Temple authorities were and miss the lessons for our own lives.



This morning’s Gospel makes me ponder what it is that I cling to that belongs to God. It’s a question we all need to ask ourselves.



When I first became a Christian, I was often bothered, worried, and annoyed about the Tithe. I was just a “3-Striper” in the Air Force with a wife and 3 kids. How was I supposed to follow the Tithe Rule? Our big treat was frozen pizza night once every couple of weeks, and I was supposed to take a 10% pay cut? At some point in our walk in the Lord, we noticed that we were finally “honoring the tithe.”



After that time, I heard a message on the radio about tithing. This particular preacher, I can’t remember his name, suggested that we need to honor God with all our being and that the tithe was a mere representation of that honor. He even went on to say to please NOT give 10% to the church. He said that any number returned to God would be an indicator of our love for Him. He’d much rather we give 9 % or 15% or 50%, anything but 10%, because 10% was merely an attempt to follow a rule and NOT an expression of our love for God.



That was a few years ago. Around that time, Keith Green had a song called “To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice”, a title taken from 1 Samuel 15:22.  A lyric that still haunts me occasionally is:  



“To obey is better than sacrifice.



I don’t need your money



I want your life



And I hear you say that I’m coming back soon



But you act like I’ll never return.”



Later it continues…



“To obey is better than sacrifice



I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights



Cause if you can’t come to Me every day



Then don’t bother coming at all”



…Simple, strong, and convicting lyrics.



Thinking about those poor Pharisees and Herodians we heard about today who brought the proverbial “knife to a gunfight” when they tried a Catch-22 ploy with our Lord, I often thought, why didn’t they counter with the question, “What then belongs to God?” I now realize that they knew but hadn’t yet realized that  EVERYTHING belongs to God.



They knew from their studies of the scriptures that God had created all things (seen and unseen). So, they could not ask that question, certainly not in public or even to themselves. They knew in their heads but not in their hearts. They refused to be liberated from their bonds of covetousness and greed that

This morning, Isaiah prophecies a feast upon the mountain of the Lord, the Psalmist’s cup overflows, Paul commands us to rejoice, and Jesus tells a parable about a wedding. The common theme here is that a party is going on, so we should get on board.



I hear from a few of you each week who graciously say, “I thought you were preaching directly to me.” I assure you. I am never preaching at any of you. If there is anyone in that building I am preaching at, it is me, and that is especially true this Sunday. If the sermon happens to help you as well, that is a bonus.



Those who know me well know I have been frustrated lately. I will not get into the specific reasons because this is not the appropriate time for that conversation. Nevertheless, I have been frustrated. I have been anxious. I have been nervous. Some of it has to do with Synod. Some of it has to do with this church. Some of it is personal. All of it concerns money, which is probably my least favorite topic to address. I do not know how to say that our annual giving is down for the year without sounding like I am asking more from you, but I assume you are already giving what you reasonably can. I do not know how to convince the diocese that spending money for the kingdom of God is good but also has to be paired with wise stewardship of God’s gifts. And it feels like all these things and others are coming to a head, and I am a wreck because of it.



And then, I sit down to sermon prep, and I see verses like this:




Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’
Matthew 22:4 (ESV)




You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:5–6




He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:8–9




Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4–7



So what is it the Lord is telling me through these verses?



‌Christians Should Always Be Celebrating



First, I should always be celebrating, or to put this more broadly, Christians should always be celebrating. We should always be rejoicing because our joy is not based on our present circumstances but on the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.



This logic is why Romans 8 is so important. Without it, Philippians 2 is unreasonable and perhaps even unethical to say to anyone going through difficulties and hardships in their life. If all we have to say to people is, “Rejoice, the Lord wants you to be happy, not sad, so put a good smile on and soldier on,” we not only unfairly gloss over the pain people experience now but also fail to put that pain into a proper redemptive perspective.



As he does on two separate occasions, Paul can only say that he rejoices in his sufferings because his perspective is on his finite, present moment. Paul’s perspective is eternal and theological. He believes that nothing in all of creation can separate us from the Love of Christ Jesus our Lord. And so, with Paul, we should not be fixated on our present experience. I am not saying that we shoul