“Savior of the Nations, Come”
Original sermon given on the First Sunday in Advent, Sunday, November 30, 2025 written and delivered by Pastor Jeff Leininger at First Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church.
Watch the sermon live.
“Savior of the Nations, Come”
Luke 19.28-42: Triumphal Entry
In the name of the Living God and the Christ who comes soon. Amen.
We’re experiencing something like “liturgical whiplash” this morning. Here we are, clearly in Advent at the beginning of the church year — first candle lit (thank you baby Catherine for your assistance), blue paraments draped, hymns and prayers anticipating Christ’s arrival.
And yet, today’s gospel swings us forward to Palm Sunday — Christ’s triumphal entry on a colt, cloaks spread on the ground, palm fronds waving in the air, shouts of “Blessed is He” echoing off the Jerusalem streets. What’s going on here? Did someone mistakenly put the wrong reading in the bulletin and now Pastor Jeff has to make up a sermon on the spot? (Not that I couldn’t do it!)
In fact, this account of Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem has a long history of use on the First Sunday in Advent. And when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. The saving king draws near; preparation is needed; how will you respond? Are you ready yet?
The best illustration I can give you this morning is for you to imagine someone really, really important coming to your house for dinner. Perhaps it’s your in-laws for Thanksgiving; or a king for Christmas. Maybe your favorite artist? Taylor Swift, perhaps? And she’s bringing the slightly less famous NFL player from the Chiefs, Travis Kelsey. And they’re coming to your house. For dinner. Soon and very soon.
How do you react? Time for some deep cleaning; throw all the dirty laundry into the closet; bring out the wedding china; paint the garage? The anticipation is exciting but also stressful. It’s great the king’s coming, but the preparation is equally great.
In Luke 19, the word for “draw near” is used three times as Jesus approaches Jerusalem: first, when Jesus draws near to Bethpage and Bethany, two little villages just a couple miles outside of Jerusalem; second, when he’s even closer, going down the mount of olives; and third, when he draws near to the city itself and weeps. This geographical picture — Jesus getting closer — is why the church for centuries used this reading at the beginning of Advent, even though it’s obviously a Holy Week event: he’s drawing near, he’s getting closer, the time for preparatory action is now.
And the fact of his drawing nearer — both in anticipation of the Babe in Bethlehem, but then finally as king and judge over all the nations — this “he’s coming closer” fact brings forth two equal and opposite responses: acceptance and acclamation; resistance and rejection.
When Jesus draws near on a colt, in fulfillment of prophecy, the disciples and the crowds throw their cloaks on the ground in recognition of their Lord. They rejoice and praise God with a loud voice. They acclaim him as the Davidic King, the messiah, come to save. They shout out, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” — a reference to messianic prophecy.
The Pharisees on the other hand reject all of this because they reject Jesus as Messiah. They rebuke Jesus and order him to rebuke the crowds and the disciples. Jesus’ response is perfect (of course) because he knows all hearts — no argument or apologetic is going to make them accept and acclaim him as Messiah. And yet, all of creation — the stones themselves, if necessary, will cry out in praise. His rebuke of them is subtle but penetrating. They’re dumber than rocks, stupider than stones because they’ve closed their eyes and their hearts to King Jesus drawing near.
Two equal and opposite responses to one event, one claim, one king. There can ultimately be no other. If Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Lord himself, the awaited redeemer and liberator and savior — then we throw down our cloaks (and anything else we got) and shout in acclamation and anticipation and praise; and if he’s not, we tell him to shut up, and all his disciples with him.
Perhaps that’s what can be so frustrating about our present world and culture. So many are neither hot nor cold, neither throwing down their cloaks (and their lives) before him, nor actively opposing him. Rather, the mealy-mouth middle dominates. It’s a “meh”, “whatevs”, a dulling ourselves with entertainment and distractions, with meaningless and ultimately empty activities all the while never confronting the one most important and eternal question: who is this Jesus who is coming soon?
My Brothers and Sisters, in this season of Advent we anticipate and prepare for and long for, even, the arrival of the babe at Bethlehem — God with us, Emmanuel. And we also are reminded of his final return at the consummation of the age, when every eye will see him, every knee bow and tongue confess. In either case — Christmas, or the End of the World, there is only one question that ultimately matters: who is this Jesus who draws near?
St. Luke and the gospel writers and the Christian witness for millennia calls each of us — call us even this morning in this sacred moment — to accept and acclaim that he is indeed the messiah, our messiah. He drew near to Jerusalem not to establish an earthly kingdom, but to make an eternal kingdom which begins now through faith but lasts forever in eternity. He draws near to conquer and liberate — but in the most upside-down, otherworldly way by suffering on the cross and giving himself to all in love and forgiveness. He draws near to save — but not from worldly oppression or earthly enemies, but from the great enemies of sin, death, and the power of the devil.
And in Advent we are also called to get ready, prepare, anticipate, repent. None of this saves us — only the King can do that. But he is drawing near, he’s getting closer, the time for preparatory action is now.
Begin with reflection and repentance in our own hearts and lives —like cleaning up your apartment before your parents arrive.
But also then work for the furtherance of his kingdom in this place and time — telling others about Jesus. Working for peace and justice. Being a beacon of light in a darkening world.
