Grace and peace to you in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Setting Out on the Journey

Last week, we wrapped up our Glimpses of Grace in the Grain series with the celebration of the Holy Trinity, standing together in awe of the mystery and majesty of the one true God. With that we enter into the “Last Days.” That phrase “the last days” is often misunderstood. The last days are life under the New Testament. In the First Days we waited for the Savior to come. He has come and His name is Jesus. Now in the Last Days we again wait for the Savior to come, this time to take us home.

Today we set out on a new journey into those Last Days. It is a journey not of fear or trepidation but of hope, not of endings but of glorious beginnings. We are going to talk about Your End Times, knowing in Jesus the end is never the end.

Picture this: You’re out on a dusty road early in the morning, mist rising over the fields, the sun starting to color the horizon. The birds are starting to sing. Its quiet, but you know life stirs all around you. That’s what today’s message explores: Life stirring in the promises of God.

God’s Call in a Chaotic World

Have you ever stood in a field after a storm? Maybe your boots sink into the mud a bit, the air heavy with that smell of wet earth. Things look a little messed up. Maybe there’s some corn or beans knocked down. Branches are laying in the yard. But if you look closer, you see green shoots pushing through the mud. They might be just weeds, but they’re green and they are alive.

That’s what our first readings, Isaiah 65, shows us. God looks at a rebellious people, and what does He say? “Here am I, here am I.¹” He isn’t pacing the porch waiting for us to come to our senses. He trudges out into the storms and mud, through our mess and rebellion, pursuing us, calling us back.

God’s grace is not given because we found Him. It’s given because He found us. The Augsburg Confession² reminds us it is through Word and Sacraments, not our efforts, that God creates and sustains saving faith. He preserves a faithful remnant, just like that stubborn little sprout that refuses to die under the mud. Pointing to Jesus the Holy sprit whispers to us, “I have not forgotten you.”

Christ’s Authority Over Darkness

Now, you take that same storm and add some shadows that don’t belong, and you get a picture of the demon possessed man at Gerasene.³ The man is living in the cemetery, and he is scary and dangerous. They’ve chain him, but the broken chains are hanging from him. What little clothes he has are torn and frayed patches of cloth. He is a terror to himself and others.

People did what they could to try fix him. He probably spent his younger years trying to fix himself. He couldn’t. They couldn’t. The truth is, we might not be has bad off as he was, but we can’t fix ourselves. Like us, the truth is he was far worse off then anyone knew, probably then he knew. He wasn’t possessed by just one demon. It was a legion. A legion was 4,000 to 6,000 solders. He was a walking tomb of death.

It was into that darkness Jesus steps. One word from His mouth, not a fist, not a weapon, just a word and the legion of demons flees. Jesus restores the man’s mind, dignity, and his future. That is a man you might meet someday, because one day long ago, Jesus brought that word to him. That word put him on that narrow road to heaven. The very same road you are walking right here today.

We may not face a legion of demons the same way this man did, but they are always all around us. They may appear as: depression, despair, or division. We may face addictions or grief. Jesus is the One who speaks life and liberty into those places.

The Small Catechism⁴ reminds us Jesus has:

redeemed me… not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.

His authority is not distant. It is up close and personal.

Your Identity Secured

If you’ve seen a tree growing in stubborn soil, you know it’s a gamble. Rocks and clay aren’t friendly, but give it time, and you’ll see roots crack those stones, sink into that clay, and life grows.

In our second readings Galatians 3, Paul reminds us that once we were prisoners under the Torah Law of God.⁵ The Law of God shows us how messed up we are. But God’s Word does not end with Law. There is Gospel, there is good News which proclaims we are sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And if sons and daughters,⁶ then heirs.⁷ Not renters. Not guests. Not servants.

Baptism is the moment God puts His mark on you, a brand not burned into flesh but sealed into your soul through water and the Word. The Small Catechism – Baptism Part IV tells us:

Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe.

When the world’s end comes knocking, when our own earthly end creeps close, we can say with certainty: “I am Baptized into Christ.” Our future is anchored, our hope secured in the Word and promises of God.

Hope That Holds

So when the headlines howl like a storm across a field, when the tornadoes of life snap the trees and fences we thought were strong, we do not fold. We lift up our heads because our Redeemer lives.⁸ We stand firm because salvation belongs to the Lord.⁹ We face our end times knowing they are only the beginning of something far better.

The sunrise of Jesus’ resurrection already glows on the horizon. Your End Times are not written in fear, but in hope. God keeps His promises and His promise is to you: You can’t imagine how awesome your future really is.

Amen.

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