’Twas the night…

Text: Daniel 12:1-3

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

            ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Wait a second! That’s not right! It’s November 17^th! But I did hear Christmas music on the radio the other day, and I thought, IT’S NOT EVEN ADVENT YET! But Advent is right around the corner and right on its heels is the joyous season of Christmas, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. That is how we are though, isn’t it. People of anticipation. Always looking forward to the next thing, often before we’ve even completed what’s currently in front of us. As we stand at the doorstep of the great and wonderful known, the birth of Jesus, we pause for just a moment to consider the great unknown, the hour and day of the final judgment.

What we hear in our Old Testament reading from Daniel today is something we can’t help but anticipate. Just as we know that in a few weeks we will be anticipating the first coming of Jesus, His incarnation, today we focus on that promised time when He will come again, and we will have the opportunity to see Him face to face. So instead of ‘Twas the night before Christmas, let’s adjust the message just a little bit today and hear about what Scripture tells us we are looking forward to. Daniel chapter 12 says this, “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been seen since there was a nation till that time.” Michael, the angel sent to guard and protect God’s people. The one who has charge over His people will be there in this time of great trouble such as we’ve never seen before. And so, the poem might instead go a little something like this:

‘Twas the night before Judgment and all were asleep
Not a creature was stirring, not one made a peep.
Their Bibles were lain on the bedside with care
Not thinking tonight that their Lord would be there.

          We’ve heard the Christmas version so many times that we know these words are setting us up for something.

The children were dressed and all tucked into bed,
With visions of candy and toys in their heads.
And Mom in her rocker with babe on her lap
Had been watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

Only now we’re no longer thinking about the jolly man coming down the chimney, but a “thief in the night” as it’s written in I Thessalonians, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape…”

It’s clear that this life, this world in fact, will end, but Jesus makes it clear in the Gospel that despite the detail He’s willing to share with us regarding the end times, there’s one thing that we will not know. The day or the hour. We go about our comfortable, peaceful, secure lives with a clock ticking in the background. Not one with a sweet alarm to wake us gradually from our peaceful slumber, but one which will rouse us in an instant with great fanfare and consequence.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew at that point this must be Judgement Day!

          That day will come whether we’re ready for it or not. As with anything that we know is coming we may have one of two possible reactions to its approach. As feeling of enthusiasm about what is to come or a sense of dread at what lies ahead. Daniel puts it this way, “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.” As you think about that day, into which camp do you fall? Enthusiasm? Fear and uncertainty? For those of us who know that this day will come, it’s natural to be feeling both of those emotions. We know that it is by grace, through faith that on that day our names will be written in the Book of Life. And this is a comfort to us. And we also know that by our own reason and strength we cannot believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, or come to Him. Our human nature is to want to do whatever we can to be prepared for that day. If we knew Jesus was returning next month, next week, tomorrow, how might we change the way we’re living? What might we do differently? Would we have the same sense of fear and uncertainty we likely have right now? Being made to think about these things which we would rather not think about.

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus!…. Returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

          As we process our thoughts and our fear and our uncertainties about the day when Jesus will return, we are reminded that whatever we have gathered, whatever we have done and whatever we might think of ourselves, is meaningless in the sight of the one in front of whom we will stand and be judged. When viewed directly, we can be nothing other than sinners, unworthy of the gifts He comes to deliver.

In the Book of all Life which He held in His hand
Was writ names of ev’ry saved woman and man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said “It’s not here” then my head hung in shame.

          Each one of us should know that by our own merit this is our fate. The Lord, our judge, has two options when He looks at us on that day. “Some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt.” We have not kept the law. We daily fall short of what God has asked us to do. We have nothing to offer and no leg of our own to stand on as we face our Maker.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He sent to His right
While all of the others were sent into night.

I fell to my knees, but it now was too late;

I’d waited too long and thus sealed my own fate.

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;

Oh, if I had only been ready tonight.

          If this were God’s will He would be fully justified in allowing our story to end here. I warned them. I told them over and over and over again what the consequences of their sin would be. But did they listen. I told them to be ready. But they didn’t listen.

Fortunately, we know that this is not God’s will for us. He desires that every person would live with Him in eternity. This does not have to be the end of our story. We need not fear; nor should we be uncertain about what the future holds for us. As believers, as people who are called by the name of Christ, our future is certain, and it is sure. Fear and uncertainty are unnecessary for those of us who have faith because

WE REALLY DO KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR US.

          This joy that we have is the knowledge that Jesus’ second coming will be just that, His second coming. He’s been here before! And what He accomplished in His first coming is the very reason we can look forward to His return with No Fear. Despite our inability to fulfil the law, Christ’s life, death and resurrection give us the assurance that we will be on the right side of judgment when He returns. And the knowledge that our story can have a different ending.

In the Book of all Life which He held in His hand

Was writ names of ev’ry saved woman and man.

He spoke not a word as He searched for my name.

When He said, “Here it is!” then again the tears came.

          And now each of us should be asking the question, How did my name possibly get in the book? I know that what I’ve done didn’t cause it to be written there. In fact, there’s not one of us who has access to the pen to write a single mark in that book, much less our own name.

I knew it was blood that had there writ my name

I had nothing to give, neither fortune nor fame.

But only my sin did He take to the cross

My long list of good works counted nothing but loss.

          It’s our understanding of our inability to earn or merit eternal life and our faith in the sacrifice made by Christ to pay the price for us that allows for our name to be written in that book.

I fell to my knees, praising God for Christ’s sake

When up from the grave people started to wake

My face started shining like Jesus the Sun

And I knew that the end of the world had now come.

God promises that we who have faith will put on the robes of righteousness that shine like Jesus. “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” What then, is there to fear? Death? Jesus has already over come this for us. Separation? In fact, the end brings eternal unity in heaven with our Creator and Redeemer. Facing the one who made us? There is no fear here, for He is the one who formed us in our mother’s womb, who walked with us throughout our lives, who gave Himself that we might conquer fear, who sent His Spirit to sustains us, and who now calls us, His children to live in glory with Him. What a marvelous promise to lean on and which should for us, drive out all fear and uncertainty.

The multitudes rose, some to death, some to life

I left behind all of my struggle and strife

We rose with His righteousness covering us

And saw with great sadness those left in the dust.

          The only fear we should hold on to is for those who do not yet know the power of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. For it is they who will hear that knock on the last day and have reason to fear. Our future is certain and has been secured by the blood of Christ as He suffered and died to pay the debt which we could not pay on our own.

I think I may have shared this quote with you before, but it’s definitely appropriate for today. Robert Abernathy once said, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future” Our future is in the hands of the One who will not leave us or forsake us. So, go ahead and anticipate. Anticipate Christ’s first coming and celebrate it with great joy, as Christ’s earthly life is the means by which He secured our future. But also anticipate with joy His second coming, for we know that that will be a day of even greater joy for us. Fear not, for your faith has made you…ready!

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.