Today is the 26th Sunday after Pentecost, and that means the end of the church year is close at hand.  Nov. 1 was once celebrated by Irish and English pagans as the beginning of the new year.  The early church "christianized" the day by making it All Saints Day, to remember the martyrs and saints.  One of the themes of the Sunday lessons this time of year is the End Times, Judgment Day, when Christ will come back.  Christians have been waiting and wondering when for 2000 years.  But like the bridesmaids waiting for the groom to come, the Church must be patient and ready.  One day He will come back, so we must be ready.

          Jesus is coming back.  That simple statement is either good news or bad news.  His return will either be desired or dreaded, longed for or loathed, it all depends on where your faith is.  When Jesus comes back, Christians will rejoice in seeing him, and non-Christians may well wish they had never been born.

          Some of us today might remember an event that happened in 1942.  The Japanese had begun to invade the Philippines and General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the Pacific Fleet, was ordered by Pres. Roosevelt to leave the Islands.  Because of his devotion to the Philippine people, the General promised as he left: "I shall return."  And from that moment on, everything MacArthur did was to fulfill that promise.  Two and a half years later, as the news cameras rolled, MacArthur stepped on an island shore and said, "People of the Philippines, I have returned!"  May it help remind us, Jesus is coming back!

          Over the years, many people have promised that they would come back.  On October 31, 1926, the great escape artist, Harry Houdini died.  Before that time, he could get out of anything.  If you sealed him in a coffin, Houdini got out.  If you locked him in a safe or bolted him into a boiler, he got out.  If you sewed him into a sack or threw him chained into a river, Houdini managed to escape.  He could get out of anything - jail, straightjacket, handcuffs, chains - it didn't matter.  Somehow he always got out.  But on October 31, 1926, Houdini died of acute appendicitis, and then he never came back.  Some time before, thinking about his death, Houdini said to his wife, "If there is any way back, I will find it.  If there is any way out, I will find you and I will make contact with you on the anniversary of my death."  In short, Houdini believed he could defy death.  And so Bess, his widow, kept a light burning by his picture every night.  After ten years and numerous attempts to reach him, she turned out that light and said, "I do not believe that Houdini can come back to me, or to anyone."

          But we believe Jesus is coming back.  He will because He said He would, and He has always kept His word.  To many people, this promise is impossible, irrational.  But remember, Jesus has always kept His word.  During His earthly ministry, He had said He would die and He would come back.  Houdini couldn't do that, but Jesus did.  On Resurrection Sunday, a living Jesus of Nazareth emerged from the tomb, back from the dead, showing the world He was the Son of God.  For a month and a half after, Jesus showed Himself alive, not a figment of imagination, not a fairy tale.  He personally appeared to many, encouraged them to touch Him, eat with Him, and talk with Him.  In every way possible He showed He was alive, that He had come back as He promised He would.  Then He went back to His Father.  But before He did, He made a promise, "I am coming back."  And we know He will, for Jesus keeps His word.

          When people hear this, they will react in one of four ways.  Their first reaction might be disbelief.  "No way! He can't come back," they say.  But those folks will find out, soon enough, that it's they who are wrong.  When Christ returns, everyone will see Him, and all unbelievers will wish they had believed Him.

          The second reaction people might have is indifference.  When they hear about Jesus' return, their mind turns the message off.  Their brain says, "Bla bla bla - I've heard all this before.  But I have things to do - watch the game, rake the lawn, visit the dentist, wash the dog, service the car.  Go on a date.  I'm just too busy!"

          Years ago, when the government's first high altitude balloon was launched from Wallops Island, VA, residents in the area were given no advance warning.  Suddenly something huge glistened in the sky, and everybody had a theory about what it was.  Some thought Martians had landed; others said it was the Russians.  One lady said, "Maybe it's Jesus coming back," to which her neighbor said, "I sure hope He doesn't come to my house first - it's a mess."  Like somehow we can ask Him to come back later when we've done the cleaning or the shopping or raising the kids!  Like those foolish young women who didn't have oil for their lamps.  We think we'll have time before He comes.

          Around 1910, so the story goes, a man was waiting to ride the New York subway and was bumped so hard he began falling in front of the oncoming train.  Another passenger grabbed him and saved his life.  A few years later that man found himself standing before a judge.  When the jury pronounced him guilty he seemed unworried because he had recognized the judge as the same man who had rescued him at the subway.  When the judge asked if he had anything to say before he pronounced sentence, the young man rose and said, "Judge, you remember me, don't you?  I'm the man you saved at the subway.  You remember me, right?"  The judge replied, "I do remember you.  That day I was your savior, but today I am your judge."

          A lot of people believe they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, and as long as they want because good ole' Jesus, old buddy, old friend Jesus, will cut them a deal.  But on that day, there will be no plea bargains, no appeals, no mercy.  When Jesus comes we'll either be saved by our faith or lost by our lack of it.  There will be no second chance.

          "But when?" we ask.  "When will He come?  How long will it be?"  That's the third group.  They believe He is coming; they know He will be their Judge, and they're pretty sure if they can get some advance notice, they'll be able to do some quick cramming for the final exam.  You've heard of these folks.  They're obsessed with the End Times.  Every time a country changes governments, every time sabers rattle in the Mideast, they turn to Revelation.  Every time a hurricane or earthquake hits, they say the world is ending.  Every time a suicide bomber takes out a bus, they turn to the book of Daniel to see what the news has to do with Jesus' return.

          Now, it's good that people want to be ready for Jesus' return, but it doesn't work to plan your calendar around His arrival.  In the early 1800s, William Miller spent 14 years studying about when Jesus would come back.  He settled on April 3, 1843.  Somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 people believed him and went to mountaintops and cemeteries awaiting the supposed great reunion.  But April 3rd came and went and Jesus did not return.  Miller picked another date and then another, but people got discouraged and walked away from him.  Some walked away from the Christian faith as well.

          On November 2, 1992, Korea's "Mission for the Coming Days" church disbanded.  The congregation's founder, Rev. Jang-Rim, had promised that Jesus would come back on October 28, 1992.  Thousands of believers sold their property, left their families, quit their jobs, and deserted their military posts.  When the prophecies were wrong, people became disillusioned.  Rev. Jang-Rim?  He went to jail.  Seems it was discovered that he had $4.5 million in bonds; bonds that didn't mature until six months after October 28, 1992.

          Better they should have followed Jesus who said, "Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

          Which takes us to the fourth group of people.  They're always ready.  Day or night, they're prepared, by faith in Jesus.  It's interesting how Christian leaders over the years have dealt with this.  13th century St. Francis of Assisi said that if Jesus were coming tomorrow, he would keep on watering his garden.  16th century Martin Luther said he would plant a tree today.  18th century John Wesley said he would spend his last day exactly like this one.

          Did you catch that?  Three representatives from three different branches of Christianity, speaking from three different centuries, and all are in agreement.  The best way to prepare for Jesus' return is to be ready at all times.  More important than their advice or example, however, is that of Jesus Himself.  Our Lord says in today's text, "Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

          A father was swimming with his two children in the Atlantic when the tide pulled them too far out to sea.  He told his daughter, “Honey, I've got to get your little brother to shore.  Don't swim, just float on your back till I return."  Hours later they found her, exhausted but alive.  One of the lifeguards asked her, "Were you frightened?  Did you think no one would come?"  She answered, "No, Daddy told me to float on my back until he came back, and so I waited.  Daddy always does what he says."

          That's how we can wait.  The Lord expects us to be ready for His return.  He hasn't forgotten us, and we don't need to be afraid.  Epiphany Lutheran Church is here to help each of us wait.  But we won't be doing nothing while we wait.  We will work to serve God and serve each other.  We will worship God and teach the faith.  We will do our best at work and love our families.  In short, we will live each day as it comes, looking forward with hope to the day He'll come back.  And when we do, we'll be like the little girl who sees her Daddy coming and jumps into his arms.

          So wait with me.  Wait in service and wait in patience.  Wait in hope, and doing the good work of God while we wait.  Praise Jesus for the day He will come again.  Amen

Copyright © 2005 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.