ALL THINGS NEW

All for Love’s Sake

Sean Lucas

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All Things New

Sean Michael Lucas

There is a wonderful, yet spurious, quotation attributed to Martin Luther. The story is told that someone—perhaps a young seminarian—once asked Luther what he would do if he knew that the world was ending tomorrow. Luther allegedly replied, “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would plant my apple tree.” That quotation was meant to insist on the pursuit of beauty and life, common grace for the common good, even when it must come to an end.

The true thing, though, in that story was that Luther had an eye to the end of time. In fact, he was fairly convinced that he was living in those end times. And really, who could blame him for thinking that? After all, God was reviving and reforming his church, even in the face of the opposition of official Christendom represented by the Roman pope and his religious-political bureaucratic state. Surely, the sixteenth century was the end of the age, the final battle with the Antichrist, the time when Christ would return and make all things new.

Here we are five centuries later, still planting apple trees, still waiting for Jesus’ return. If we aren’t careful, we might even become a bit cynical or, worse, thoughtless, doubtful that he is coming again.

Starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving, many Christians around the world observe the weeks leading up to Christmas as “Advent.” At IPC, I usually tune my preaching toward biblical texts that prepare us for Christmas Day, helping us see that the entire Bible points us toward Jesus’ incarnation as well as his death, burial, and resurrection. But in other Christian traditions, the focus of Advent is not on Jesus’ first coming, but his second coming.

I wonder how it might shift our focus this December if we were to meditate on Jesus’ second coming?

For one thing, we would have to focus on Jesus’ return in power and glory. Jesus himself taught us that when he returns at the end of the age, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt 24:30). The trumpet will sound so that all the earth will see Jesus revealed in his true character: the God of all wisdom, glory, honor, and power. And every knee will bow before him, every tongue confess him, as Lord (Phil 2:9-11). Surely it would be good for us to focus our hearts on Jesus’ coming again in power and glory this December.

But it would also be good for us to meditate on Jesus’ determination to judge in his Second Advent. Jesus told his theological opponents, the Pharisees, that “the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father” (John 5:22-23). There will come a day when everyone will appear before the

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would plant my tree.” judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), where there will be a separation between the sheep and the goats (Matt 25:31-46, notice that it is “the Son of Man” who judges). At the end of the age, when Jesus returns, there will be judgment. It is good for us to consider this. But above all, if we were to consider Jesus’ second coming, we would focus our hearts on Jesus’ making all things new. In Revelation, John sees a vision of the new heavens and new earth and he hears “a loud voice from the throne” declare, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev 21:3, 5). And this one who sits on the throne, Jesus himself, will dwell amidst his people and wipe away every tear from their eyes. He will For those of us who are sorrowful in this season, raise us from the dead fearful, alone; for those lamenting the sadness of this and give us new bodies, hard world and these dark times or wondering about the world that appears to be melting down around us; for those who are weary or who wonder if their labor in this world matters at all—maybe Martin Luther wasn’t so wrong after all. empowered by the Spirit, that are immortal (John 5:19-24; 1 Cor 15:50-58). And all the good gifts that he gives us in this world, “the glory of the kings” (Rev 21:24, 26), will endure into the next, purified for his glory and our good. For those of us who are sorrowful in this season, fearful, alone; for those lamenting the sadness of this hard world and these dark times or wondering about the world that appears to be melting down around us; for those who are weary or who wonder if their labor in this world matters at all—maybe Martin Luther wasn’t so wrong after all. Certainly, plant a tree, but also look forward to the end. For the Christ who came is the Christ who is coming again—this time to make all things new.