Trinity 25 Sermon

TEXT: Matthew 24:15-28
“So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), 16 then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; 17 the one on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; 18 the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. 19 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’—do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

The abomination of desolation. It’s a term of judgment. The abomination of desolation has also been referred to as the “desolating sacrilege” (RSV). The idea is that something has been made so completely shameless, repulsive, and unclean that it is judged not fit to be lived in or used… therefore it must be disposed of or abandoned. It brings to mind items such as used toilet paper or a toothbrush that has fallen into a port-a-pot tank full of waste… some things are best not reused and flushed away or left where they are.

So what is it that Jesus is referring to? What is this abomination of desolations? There are various opinions about what Jesus is referring to. Some have suggested that Jesus was referring to the attempt of a Roman Emperor, Caligula, in A.D. 40 to set up a statue of himself in the Jewish Temple. Others take it to refer to the Roman general Titus and his conquering of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. And still others presume that Jesus was referring to the end-time antichrist or “man of lawlessness.” (See Scaer, Discourses, pg. 380)

Perhaps Jesus is referring to all of these shameless and repulsive times of judgment. Yet, another possibility must be considered… that Jesus was referring to his own death on the cross.

Jesus death on the cross is certainly the abomination of desolation… the desolating sacrilege. His gruesome, shameful death was repulsive. You’ve heard the Good Friday story… you’ve seen the movies. When you think of all that happened on Good Friday, don’t you wince to hear the blow of the hammer that drove the nails into his hands and feet? Don’t you look away in horror to see and hear and even feel the pain of the Roman whips on his back? The whole thing is disgusting. It’s repulsive.

But it gets worse... on the cross Jesus bears the sin of the world. Jesus who knew no sin, became sin. Cursed is he who hangs on a tree. Jesus takes into Himself all the sin of the world. Its more than a figure of speech or theological platitude. Jesus really truly becomes the prostitute, the murderer, the idolater, the thief, the drunk driver, the sex addict, the abusive husband, the wife who sleeps around… all of it and more. That’s why the Father forsook Him… “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” Jesus really truly becomes the repulsive and shameful chief of sinners. On the cross, Jesus is the abomination of Desolation… and so his disciples flee from Him and His Father turns away from Him.

Jesus said, “Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles (vultures) will gather.” The eagle was the insignia of the Roman soldier. There on the cross, the Roman soldiers gathered around his corpse. One of them even stuck a sword in his side and out flowed water and blood. Some guarded His tomb.

Jesus death even foreshadows the Last day itself. St. Matthew records that immediately after Jesus had died, the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened and many of the bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised… St. Mark and St. Luke add that there was darkness over the whole land from the 6th hour until the 9th hour while the sun’s light failed. So it will be on the Last Day… there will be a worldwide earthquake. The sky will roll up like freshly cut wax paper. The sun will turn black and the moon will be made red. The Crucified and risen Jesus will come with a cry of command and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will be raised first. And those who are alive to see it will then be caught up themselves with them together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.. and then you will be with the Lord forever.

Until then, there will be times of tribulation and trouble. The devil is out to get you. He won’t stop until he’s made you his own. There will be false christs and false prophets. You must test your pastors… beware of the clergy because it is these men and even women who will come to you in clerical collars wearing albs and stoles and officiating baptisms and administering the Lord’s Supper who will be liars and agents of satan. You will know them because they will not preach Christ and Him crucified…. But rather they will tell you whatever sinful ears want to hear. They will preach themselves… not Jesus…. So beware of them!

And when the last day comes, believers in Jesus will not want to look back to the fallen earth and wish that they could stay as Lot’s wife wished to stay in Sodom and Gomorrah. On the Last day, don’t worry about where the kids are, the angels will care for them. Don’t cling to your riches, you won’t need them where you’re going.

In that day rejoice to be a believer. Rejoice to be one who is baptized and who wears the heavenly robe of righteousness. Rejoice that the Lamb of God no longer bears a corpse but lives and reigns to all eternity. Rejoice that the abomination of desolation has been swallowed up in victory!

Encourage one another with these words.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.