His Gospel Is Peace: No Fear of the Future

The First Sunday in Advent

December 1, 2024

Luke 21:25-36

 “His Gospel Is Peace: No Fear of the Future”

To be human is to understand what it means to fear, and it starts early in life. Our childhood fear of the dark gives way to other things: fear of rejection, fear of not having enough, fear of not being in control, fear of looking foolish, fear of dying. Fear can cause us to do strange things as we look for security in various places. In this Advent season, we will look at some of the fears that haunt our lives, overlaying these with the truth that the Prince of Peace has come to address these fears. He has come to live for us, die for us, and rise for us. In doing all of this for us, he has overcome death itself, cleansed us from our sin, defeated the power of the evil one, and made us righteous. Through faith in this Jesus, we cannot be rejected, we have nothing to be ashamed of, and we have the promise of everlasting life. It is in Christ alone that fear is exchanged for peace. Over these Sundays in the Advent season, and culminating with the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas, the theme for preaching is entitled, “His Gospel Is Peace.” Today, based on the words of Jesus in the Gospel lesson, we focus on “No Fear of the Future.” May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” – that’s how the holiday song goes. But if that’s true, why are we so anxious? The holidays are supposed to provide an escape from the worries and fears of life. And yet, within our celebrations, uncertainties abound and fears are lurking there in the shadows. Advent, Christmas and life in general are filled with things we can’t predict, outcomes we can’t control, and futures we can’t anticipate. The sum total of these can easily take us to a place of fear. The good news of Advent is that our days of anxiety and fear are numbered. The birth of Jesus and his imminent return mean that peace which has no end has broken into our world and into our lives. It is a peace that conquers fear, and although this peace will not be fully realized until Christ comes again, it is available here and now to each one of us today.

Our list of fears is long, and at the top of that list for many is fear of the future. This is a very real thing for many people right now. A good number of you have spoken to me about the fears you have for what may come with the change in administrations. Lots of fear out there. I think of this in light of today’s Gospel lesson as Jesus spoke to his disciples about the future: “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on 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” (Luke 21:25-27). Jesus’ coming again will be preceded by fear and foreboding. That’s the world’s reaction, but notice what Jesus says to us here: “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). Fear can cause us to hunch our shoulders, hunker down, and sort of turn in on ourselves. In the midst of all that fear and foreboding, Jesus calls on his children to do the opposite. He calls us to straighten up and raise our heads – not a body posture of fear, but one of confidence and hope. Jesus is coming again for us! That is the gift Jesus brings because his Gospel is peace.

In order to face the future without fear, the way forward is backward. Heading into the future with confidence, with peace, with joy – despite all its unknowns – begins by looking backward at what God has already done for us. This season of Advent points us to the God who gives – gives life and breath, gives daily bread and countless blessings, but above all, gives us a future and a hope in that One who is the righteous Branch of David, whose Name is “The Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:14-16). Advent calls us to rejoice in the God who stepped out of eternity into time; who was unwilling to abide the distance and dysfunction that separated us from him; who set up camp among us as one of us so that he might through loving life and sacrificial death guarantee for us a future without fear. And so the way forward with peace is looking backward with grateful thanks and holy reverence. The best way for us to prepare for the future is to anchor ourselves in God’s goodness in the past so that the unchangeable truths of what God has already done for us might fill us with peace for today and confident hope for tomorrow. 

In this hectic season that is now underway, here is a call to action: let go of the fear that seeks to control your life. Lay it before the feet of our Advent Lord whose time is coming and whose day draws near. What if we use this Advent season, with all of its activities and busyness, as an opportunity to invest in the future? So often we think of investing as something financial, but here is something of far greater value. Seeing our future through the lens of hope and peace in Christ Jesus is something that money cannot buy. In Christ Jesus, there is no risk of loss as there always is with monetary investments. When the holidays are over, when the tree is taken down, when the lights are removed, the gifts of God don’t get boxed up and put away for another year. In Christ Jesus, we have lasting peace and enduring hope, come what may. The God who has done such a marvelous thing in our past by sending his Son to live and die for us can be trusted with our future. In fact, God’s work in the past opens up the future, and it all begins here and now, here in the present moment.

Life is filled with things we can’t possibly predict, but take heart: our days of anxious fear over the unknown are numbered. We have peace as we face the future. The God who has shown his power in the past holds all of our tomorrows in his hands. This God who came in the flesh at Christmas is coming again for you, and he reigns over every moment in between. In Jesus, we need have no fear of the future because his Gospel is peace. Amen.