1st Sunday in Advent November 27, 2022
Pastor Tim Patoka Come, Lord Jesus! – As King Come to Your Savior King Isaiah 2:1-5 1) Who Reigns on the Mountain of the Lord 2) Who Brings Complete Peace
On Tucson’s northern border are the majestic Catalina Mountains. You have the Sky Islands and their rich biodiversity giving us Tucsonans the chance to “visit” Mexico and Canada in a single day. You have Summerhaven with its cool summer getaways and snowy taste of winter. And don’t forget the breathtaking views of the desert floor, rugged canyons, and tree-studded mountain peaks. Yet, out of all the Catalinas offer us, there is one that stands out. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the Cookie Cabin. Rather, it’s Mt. Lemmon. As the Catalinas’ highest peak (just over 9,000 feet), it towers over all below, provides UofA a great place for an observatory, and is reachable by anyone with a reliable car. In this magnificent mountain range, it is the most magnificent. In our verses this morning from the prophet Isaiah, we hear about the magnificent mountain of the Lord. Its magnificence doesn’t come from its height, natural beauty, or amenities. Rather it’s from its connection to the Lord. For it is here, as Isaiah says in his prophetic vision, that our Savior King, Jesus Christ, reigns and from where he brings complete peace. As we prepare to welcome our Lord in this Advent season, we see him come as the King of kings and Lord and lords which every eye will certainly see on the Last Day. So we plead, “Come, Lord Jesus!” as we come to our Savior King. Who Reigns on the Mountain of the Lord It can be difficult for us New Testament Christians to fully understand the “mountain of the Lord.” In Isaiah’s Old Testament times, it was physically located at Mt. Zion where the Temple was and Israel’s life centered. It visibly stood in for the one true God and his glory among the nations. In these New Testament days, God no longer attaches his reputation to a single people group or geographic location. As such, we understood the “mountain of the Lord” as a symbol for God’s reign and glory among the nations. After all, Jesus is now reigning at God’s right hand in heaven. Isaiah’s prophetic vision is speaking about the Last Day and describes Jesus’ second coming in terms of the Old Testament’s “mountain of the Lord.” When Christ comes back, he will assume his throne on the mountain of the Lord. This will make it more magnificent and important than anywhere, hence its rising above every other mountain. Not only does Christ our King reign from here, but many peoples come to receive instruction. 1
Pastor Tim Patoka Come, Lord Jesus! – As King
1st Sunday in Advent November 27, 2022
Picture yourself within Isaiah’s prophetic vision. Before you is the magnificent mountain of the Lord and seated on top is the King of kings and Lord of lords himself: Jesus Christ. Going up the mountain are streams of people from every racial demographic and age breakdown so that they can be instructed by the law and the Lord’s word. Do you join them to go before your King? Maybe you’re hesitant because you don’t want to hear God’s instruction. You’ve already heard more than you cared for or want to keep playing “I didn’t know better” card. Maybe you stay down the mountain to remain hidden in the crowd. No one wants to be singled out by a person in authority because it probably means you did something wrong. And we know how many wrongs things we have done before the King of kings himself. Perhaps you remain at the bottom of the mountain because of how insignificant you’d feel. When you see someone excelling with their God-given and practice-makes-perfect skills, how do you feel? If you’re like me, you’re not only filled with awe but also how insignificant you are in comparison. Now imagine that before God himself. Could you imagine how insignificant you’d feel? As we look up that mountain, we hesitate to go up it because we know that there is something wrong and missing within us. As we look at Christ’s second coming as our King, we need to look at him through the lens of his first coming as our Savior. We heard in our Gospel how Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem on a baby donkey to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy. Five days later, he would trade in the people’s shouts of “Hosanna!” for “Crucify him!” and their palm branches and outer clothes for dank and dark sins. Within eyesight of the Temple, where countless sacrifices had been offered because of sin, one final sacrifice would be made with Jesus’ death on the cross. The mountain of the Lord that formerly had been magnificent because of the Temple’s location would now be magnificent because of the site where Jesus our King also became Jesus our Savior. This identification of Jesus, as our Savior King, that changes everything. He gets rid of your reasons that keep you at the bottom of the mountain in Isaiah’s prophetic vision. Jesus makes you significant for he personally had you in mind when he suffered death on the cross. It was for you and me that he died, not for some other sinner. Jesus singles you out in a good way as he takes his power and authority as your King and gives you his forgiveness and salvation as your Savior. When he says that your sins are taken away, he means it and does it. Jesus instills a desire within us to receive his instruction. What we’ve heard today is just one of many things your Savior King has done and promised you. And there’s a lot more to hear that’s just as wonderful. Knowing that Jesus is both your Savior and King, that changes what you do in Isaiah’s prophetic vision. The streams of people going up the mountain of the Lord to Jesus’ throne now 2
1st Sunday in Advent November 27, 2022
Pastor Tim Patoka Come, Lord Jesus! – As King
includes you. Because it’s your Savior King you are coming to who not only has taken away your sins with the power he wields as God himself, but who desires to instruct you in everything he has done and said for you. But you don’t have to wait until the Last Day to come to your Savior King. You can do so whenever you come to the methods he uses to instruct: his law and Word that we call the Bible. Find those places where the Bible is front and center with learned people to teach it and eager classmates to discuss it like here at Grace. Open up your Bible at home and on your phone so you can drink straight from the tap and come up with thoughtful questions for your pastor. And never forget who is instructing you: Jesus who reigns on the mountain of the Lord as your Savior and your King. Who Brings Complete Peace Jesus does more than instruct from his throne. He also judges and mediates between the peoples. We’ll talk more about this in next week’s service so I won’t now. But what I will talk about is what comes from his reign: complete peace. We hear Isaiah talk about weapons of war like swords and spears getting hammered into tools of peace like plowshares and blades for trimming vines and nations not warring against each other. This won’t happen because there is one superpower threatening all others, but because war will cease to exist and people will forget its tactics and strategies. In the North Garden of the United Nations (UN) international headquarters in New York City is a particular bronze statue. It depicts a man holding a hammer as he shapes a sword into a plowshare. Across the street on a wall is inscribed this verse from Isaiah. This statue and inscription artistically represents the UN’s mission to promote peace in our world. Sadly, it’s impossible for the UN to instill complete peace. How frustrated are you by that? When countries wage pointless wars and commit needless violence? When people suffer loss of life and limb as happens every day in Ukraine? Who do you blame for your frustration? Is it selfish leaders and callous countries? Is it groups like the UN? Is it our Savior King who reigns on high? People sometimes ask, “If God is all-powerful and loving, then why doesn’t he stop war and needless loss of life?” This question puts God in the hot seat and implies that our lack of peace is his fault. There are a handful of ways to answer that question that still uphold God’s power and love. Yet those answers do not get rid of our frustrations or temptations to point the finger at God and blame him for our problems. When we talk about Isaiah’s prophetic vision, remember the day we’re talking about. It’s not today, but the Last Day when complete peace is fully realized. As such, we shouldn’t expect 3
1st Sunday in Advent November 27, 2022
Pastor Tim Patoka Come, Lord Jesus! – As King
complete peace until then. Yet as we wait for swords to be forever hammered into plowshares, we now have peace from our Savior King. The peace of mind that comes from the forgiveness of sins since our guilty consciences no longer accuse us. The peace between us and God as he looks down on us as his beloved children instead of his persistent enemies. The peace that we currently enjoy in our country and pray will continue for a long time to come. But we still look forward to the complete peace our Savior King will bring when he comes back one final time. When armories are emptied and toolsheds are filled. When generals and military strategists will be no more because war will happily become a lost art. When sin and its devastating effects will never again mar our lives because we will have our Savior King reigning before us on his throne. We earlier heard how Jesus as our Savior King makes us want to come to him and receive his instruction. The purpose of that instruction is so that we may live for God with thankful hearts or, as Isaiah says it, to “walk in his paths...[to] walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:3,4 EHV) This requires us to remain in God’s Word so that we know what his paths are and which ones are illuminated by his light. Though it can be difficult to make time for the Lord in our every busy lives, there is nothing more important than to remain in his light so that we never lose sight of who it is we come to: Jesus, our Savior and our King. Closing Encouragements In this Advent season, we focus on Christ’s coming. Because he first came as our Savior, we now look forward to his second coming as our King. As Isaiah’s prophetic vision shows us, we know what to expect when he comes again: our Savior King assuming his throne on the magnificent mountain of the Lord, streams of people coming to him so they may be instructed in his ways and walk in his illuminated paths, and complete peace when war and its weapons will be no more. With hearts that are now guarded by the peace that comes from above, we therefore come to Jesus with joy and thanks and join with countless Christians in saying, “Come, Lord Jesus, our Savior King.” Amen.
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