Psalm 122, Matthew 24:36-44, and Romans 13:11-14
Through today’s sermon, I would like to meditate on the present and future events. Jesus Christ is our hope. How do you feel when you hear this? The Lord is our hope. His coming to this earth allows us to dream of heaven. His coming to this earth gave us a new vision of the afterlife. His coming to this earth will enable us to trust in God’s promises, for Jesus Christ is the proof of those promises. From today until Christmas, we will meditate on hope, peace, joy, and love. What is the hope that Christ shows us? It is a record of hope written in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is a journey that has raised the lives of those who were broken because they could not dream. It is a journey of light that leads people living in despair to a life of hope. It is the hope that liberates those who feel guilty and say, “I am a sinner,” because they failed to keep the numerous provisions of the law. It is the hope that lets me know that I, too, can be saved. Jesus Christ is hope itself.
Jesus foretold his death to his disciples in Matthew 24. At the same time, he told them that he would return after these tribulations. Jesus, who died on the cross and was resurrected, came to visit his disciples. And the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven. However, through the Gospel of Matthew and the Book of Romans, we have hopeful anticipation of Jesus’ return. You can have hope for that salvation. Can we know the time of that salvation? No, it isn’t. Perhaps it’s impossible. There have been countless heresies throughout history that claimed to know this, but it’s impossible. Although we may not realize it at that time, we can see that it has come close to our lives. Some might ask, as the Apostle Paul said, “If it came close two thousand years ago, how much closer must it be?” But here we must understand the concept and philosophy of time in the kingdom of God, which goes beyond the scientific concept of time.
When the ancient Greeks thought about time, they used two terms: chronos and kairos. Chronos refers to the concept of 24 hours in a day, which are physical and given to everyone equally. It’s the same time for everyone. However, Kairos is a concept of time that is given a subjective and special meaning. So, even though it is the same hour for everyone, when we pray, some people feel it is long, while others think it is short. It also means the time when God’s time is fulfilled. What is important is that when the Apostle Paul says in Romans that the time of God, the time of salvation, is near, he is applying the concept of kairos. We have to prepare. It is to put on the armour of light, to clothe ourselves only with the Lord Jesus Christ, and to meditate on heavenly things.
Dear friends, let us therefore hope for salvation in the future. It will happen soon. Over the tens of thousands of years of Earth’s and the galaxy’s history, the time we humans have lived on this Earth is very short. But in that short time, if we dream of Jesus Christ and hope for his life, it is a historic time. This is the time when God comes into our lives. At the same time, it is a moment when we participate in God’s holy history. At this very moment of worship, some people may be working or spending time in other aspects of their lives. But the time given to us now is a time to embrace Jesus Christ in our hearts. It is a time to wait for him and remember the love of God who sent him to us. We will have communion shortly. Let us deeply meditate on Jesus, who came to this earth for us, through our Communion. Let us reveal to the world the blood he shed and the life he gave me. Let us live out that ministry today. Let us share his will and love with our neighbours. And here at Knox, let us sing of hope that transcends past, present, and future. With the Lord! Amen.