Advent 1

Scripture Lessons

Jeremiah 33:14-16             I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line.

Psalm 25:1-10                      To You I lift up my soul.

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13       May the Lord make your love increase.

Luke 19:28-40                      The triumphant entry

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today is the first Sunday of the new Church year and the first Sunday in advent. Advent is a season mixed with penitence and joyful anticipation. Thus it is fitting that we begin with the triumphant entry. Jesus drew near to Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna. It was the beginning of Holy Week. The triumphant entry, with celebration of the coming Messiah, foreshadows and leads us to anticipate the sacrificial death of the Christ. And so, it is a mix of joyful and penitent anticipation.

Our introit this morning repeated the words of Zechariah 9:9, which is probably familiar, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” This was the prophesy of the triumphant entry given by the prophet Zechariah 520 years before the incarnation. It looks forward to the Messiah in His triumphant entry. It also looks backward and recalls the blessing which Jacob pronounced over his son Judah.

Genesis 49 records the blessing of Jacob for his twelve sons. “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come…” Jacob proceeds to address each of his sons and prophesied thus concerning Judah. “⁸ Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. ⁹ Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? ¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. ¹¹ Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. ¹² His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.” Genesis 49:1,8-12. In the course of prophetic history, the fulfillment of any prophecy can be immediate, short term, long term, and/or longer term and sometimes all of the above. This prophecy was fulfilled in the short term in the abundance of Judah’s land. Judah’s portion of the inherited land was exceedingly fertile. Normally animals would not be allowed within the vineyard. They would be fenced off and kept apart. However, in this prophecy, Judah’s land is pictured to be so full of abundance that a vine is the only place to tie up your foal. This is a relatively short-term fulfillment.

In the long term, fulfillment of this prophecy can be seen in King David, a descendent of Judah. He reigned as king 800 years after Jacob’s prophecy. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah.” When King David sought to build a permanent temple to replace the tabernacle, Nathan received a vision from God. Nathan said, in part, “¹² When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, ¹⁵ but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ¹⁷ In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.” 2 Samual 7:12-17. Here is a short term and long-term fulfillment of the same prophecy. And yet, you can see in Nathan’s vision an even longer-term fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy which points to Christ.

Jacob’s prophecy over Judah, given 1800 years before the incarnation, is multifaceted and points toward multiple coming realities. Besides the fertile land of Judah and the Kingship of Judah’s descendent David, it also pointed toward the cross where Jesus shed His blood for the forgiveness of your sins. Jesus rode into Jerusalem to be hailed as King. Within the week He would be betrayed, handed over to His enemies, condemned and suffer at the hands of Gentiles. The choice vine, that is Jesus Christ, was bound to the donkey’s colt and led into Jerusalem with Hosannas. Then He washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.

As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, “the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen.” They had just been witnesses to Jesus visiting with Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector. The crowd grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” But Zacchaeus repented of his sin. In his repentance he gave half of all his goods to the poor and returned fourfold to anyone he had defrauded. Jesus forgives sins! They were also witnesses to His healing of a blind beggar, simply by speaking His word, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” Jesus heals the blind! They were witnesses to the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus said to Lazarus’ sister Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Jesus commanded the stone to be removed and cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” Jesus raises the dead to life!

For good reason they shouted praise and celebrated the coming of Jesus with Messianic words from Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” They also shouted, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” At the birth of Jesus a multitude of the heavenly host responding to the joyous announcement, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14. Peace on earth and peace in heaven. Jesus forgives, heals, and has power over life and death. As we begin this season of joyful and penitent anticipation, consider God’s disposition toward you. The prophecies of old reflect the patient, longsuffering, steadfast loving nature of God toward each of you. He loves you. He has washed away your sins in the blood of the lamb. He comes to you this morning with His very body and blood to bring you forgiveness and faith that leads to life everlasting. Come Lord Jesus.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.