The Reign and Rain of Righteousness - Sermon for the 4th Sunday in Advent, Dec. 24th, A+D 2023

Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 24^th, Anno + Domini 2023  
Our Savior’s and Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
Hill City and Custer, South Dakota
The Reign and Rain of  Righteousness – Isaiah 45:8, John 1:19-28

Podcast of the Sermon available HERE.

Rorate Coeli!  Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit! 

     The anticipation of the Advent season nears fulfillment.  Christmas is almost here.  Have your longed for loved ones arrived?  Are all your gifts wrapped?  Menus complete? 

     John the Baptist was full of anticipation, anticipating the just-about-ready to be revealed righteous reign of God, the renewal of the Kingdom of Israel, to be brought by the Messiah, the promised Savior, the Prophet like Moses, only greater.  John sees and knows that his Cousin, Jesus, is the Promised One, and so he eagerly awaits the fulfillment of the Kingdom, the new righteous reign of the Son of David, the Christ of God.

     And yet, as we considered last Sunday, there were aspects of Jesus’ reign that it seems John the Baptizer did not anticipate.  Especially that Jesus’ reign would rain down freely from heaven, showering the righteousness of God far and wide, even watering the unrighteous and undeserving.  Rorate Coeli!     

     We English speaking Christians are blessed with a terrific play on words this morning.  Because Isaiah declares the Righteous ‘r-e-i-g-n’ Reign of God comes in showers, it ‘r-a-i-n’ rains down.  It is as if the Lord wanted to share His righteousness with all people.  Rorate Coeli!    

     The ‘r-e-i-g-n’ Righteous Reign of God is certainly what Jesus came to establish. 

‘R-e-i-g-n’ reigning has to do with kingship, with ruling over a people and a place.  Without doubt Jesus came to do that.  Wise Men came and worshiped the newborn King of  the Jews.  This Child came to re-establish the throne of David, which the Lord had promised would last forever. 

      Jesus came to bring God’s Righteous Kingdom.  But the way Jesus would establish and populate His Righteous Rule and Reign is very surprising, probably the most-surprising thing ever.  Most kingdoms are established at the point of a sword; new subjects must submit to the laws and ways of their new ruler, or else.  But the prophet Isaiah, speaking of the coming Savior, declared that the heavens showered down righteousness, righteousness scattered abroad like the ‘r-a-i-n’ rain.  Which seems weird to us, because righteousness implies uprightness, law-keeping and worthiness.  But the ‘r-a-i-n’ rain falls on the righteous and the wicked, without distinctions for levels of holiness.  Rorate Coeli!     

    This is how it must be, or there will be no citizens in God’s Kingdom.  John the Baptizer knew well the level of righteousness that God requires.  The crooked must be straightened, the wicked swept away.  Only the holy can walk the Lord’s highway.  But then, where will we find worthy citizens for God’s Kingdom?  For all have fallen short.  We are all by nature children of wrath; there is not one who has earned God’s favor.  Even the faithful prophet John declared without hesitation that he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandal.  We are all sinners, falling short of God’s righteousness, every day.    

      So, God came.  Immanuel, God with us, God’s Son came, not to demand righteousness from us, but rather to fulfill all righteousness, for us.  To perfectly keep God’s commandments, not for Himself, since Jesus is God, He had no need to keep His own commands.  But rather, he kept them for us, in our stead.  The infinite and almighty man who is the Son of God, achieved all the active righteousness, all the good works that God requires of every man and woman.  And then, because we all have a great debt of sin which requires payment, Jesus also paid that debt for us.  All righteousness fulfilled, once and for all, on the Cross.  It is finished.  That’s the promise of Christmas.  That’s the fulfillment revealed on Good Friday and Easter morning. 

     So now, having done all our good works for us, and having taken away the sin of the world, Jesus is free to rain down righteousness, to give it away, as a free gift.  Rorate Coeli!     

     This is the great insight Martin Luther gained from God’s Word, which changed him from a tortured, guilt-ridden monk, into a free, bold, amazingly Gospel-focused preacher and teacher.  The righteousness of God is not the standard we sinners must achieve, in order to be accepted by God.  Rather, the righteousness of God is His free gift, given to every sinner who is brought to faith, made to trust in Jesus and His blood bought forgiveness. 

     This amazing news of free forgiveness, received by faith, apart from human works, the surprise that God rains down righteousness for all who trust in Jesus, this life-giving message changed the world.  God’s ‘r-e-i-g-n’ reign is expanded by the ‘r-a-i-n’ rain  shower of righteousness that the Holy Spirit brings, every time the Good News of Jesus showers through the proclamation of His Word. Rorate Coeli!     

     An Infant King, born in a stable, worshiped by shepherds, chased into Egypt.  Nothing in the early life of Jesus would make us think He was our everlasting king.  And truly, not much in His later life.  Nothing, for sure, in His bitter, sufferings and death.  But because He rose from the dead, never to suffer or die again, the Son of Mary is truly our dear Lord Jesus Christ, the one who rains down righteousness far and wide.  Rorate Coeli!     

     Indeed, Jesus stretches the rain metaphor, choosing to establish as His initiation rite for entry into the Kingdom the washing of water with the Word.  Plain water, combined with God’s Name, God’s promise, God’s victory, this shower delivers the righteousness of Christ far and wide.  When you wash your face or take a shower, remember your Baptism, where God claimed you as His beloved child, and gave you Christ’s righteousness.  Rorate Coeli!      

     Christmas anticipation, focused on the Babe who is our King, is excellent preparation for the life of Christian anticipation that we are all called to, the perspective on life which looks for and prays for Christ’s final return, soon.  Returning to the manger reminds us that Jesus has redeemed every part of human life, from the womb through childhood through adult life, and even  unto death.  Receiving daily His forgiving shower of righteousness leads to the fruit of good works in our lives.  We live in the anticipation and confidence that His Everlasting Kingdom and ‘r-e-i-g-n’ reign will continue forever.  From Christ the King comes the ‘r-a-i-n’ of righteousness which washes us clean from our sins, and makes us beloved citizens in God’s kingdom. 

     God grant you to eagerly anticipate and rejoice always in the Good News that Jesus comes to you, pouring out His Righteousness, in His Word, in your Baptism, in His Supper.  Rorate Coeli!  Shower, O heavens, and bind us ever closer to Jesus, today, and forever and ever, Amen.