The world’s evacuation plans

John 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. ²² Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. ²⁴ "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. ²⁵ I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸ "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. ³⁰ By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

The Egg Harbor Township of New Jersey was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, dubbed by many as Frankenstorm. The rain was falling in sheets, the winds were relentless … and Fire Chief Bill Danz was fuming. Dozens of people who live in the sprawling coastal community were determined to ride out the hurricane in their homes – until the flood came lapping at their front doors. The Fire Chief angrily said, “We told them yesterday. We told them the day before (to evacuate). Now we have to put our people in harm’s way to go get them.”

In the middle of the worst of the storm, police officers and fire fighters had to slog through knee-deep water under dark skies, knocking on doors and telling the die-hards to get out. Many of those die-hard residents stayed because they wanted to protect their possessions. Others didn’t think the storm would be that bad. Still others had set up tents in the bathrooms and closets with their kids and told reporters, “As long as it isn’t too dangerous, it’s kind of fun and festive.” But when the rescue personnel knocked on their doors and demanded, “Mandatory evacuation!” the people were forced to leave, whether they wanted to or not.

Weather forecasters, mayors, governors and rescue personnel had been predicting for the last week that the storm could be bad, so people in the storms path should evacuate. But many ignored their warnings. Those who listened, though, found safety and shelter. Our Lord Jesus predicted 2,000 years ago that something far more dangerous and destructive than a Frankenstorm is coming. It is the Lord’s Judgment Day. He wanted to prepare the world for its evacuation. Yet most people ignore His warnings. But those who listen, will find safety and shelter in their Great Rescuer.

In John 5, Jesus healed an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda. The Jews persecuted Jesus for healing the man on the Sabbath. They felt Jesus was equating Himself with God for healing on the Lord’s Day. Jesus told the accusing Jews, “You think I claim to be equal with God. You’re right, but you haven’t seen anything yet!” Then He explained, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.” Jesus shared the Father’s power to give life and received sole authority from the Father to judge those to whom He had given life.

Jesus was sent into this world to be both its Savior and its Judge. Jesus came to save and not to judge when He said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). Now we hear Jesus say that the Father has entrusted all judgment to Him. Critics might say that these teachings contradict each other. But we Christians see that they in fact complement one another. Jesus’ sole purpose in coming into this world was to save, and whoever believes in Him will be saved. But, those who will not believe in Jesus as their Savior, will instead see Him as their Judge.

Let me explain it this way: There was a man on a crowded city street who, while distracted, stepped right in front of a moving truck. Another man grabbed his arm and pulled him back onto the sidewalk. Shaken, the first man thanked the other profusely. The rescuer accepted the thanks and disappeared into the crowd. The man who had been pulled to safety, however, had been on his way to rob a convenience store. Now safe, he saw no reason not to continue. He robbed the store, but within hours, he was apprehended by the police and taken into court. As he faced the bench, he was surprised to see that the judge was the man who had saved his life earlier in the day. When the judge asked him if he had anything to say, the man replied, “Your Honor, you know me. You saved my life this morning. Can’t you help me now?” The judge responded, “This morning I was your savior. Now I am your judge.”

Both relationships are valid and applicable.

How do you see Jesus? Is He your Judge or your Savior?

Throughout Scripture, there are a myriad of warnings about the Last Day. Have you been listening to the warnings or have you been ignoring them? Like those in the path of Hurricane Sandy, are you holding on to your possessions so tightly that you don’t want to think about losing them? Are you so distracted by what is going on in this life that you hardly ever consider the life to come? Do you think that this world is just a big party, kind of fun and festive, and you don’t want to leave it?

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” People all around us reject the Lord’s Word and warnings. They cut themselves off from the Giver of Life. They will be like the ones who ignored the warnings in Egg Harbor to which the Police Lieutenant said with disgust, “They’ll have to get the kayaks out (to bring in their drowned corpses.)”

Has your world become so noisy that you can no longer hear the voice of Jesus calling you? Do you ignore the voice of Jesus so you are nothing more than a walking corpse? Is your life is so filled with the busyness of life’s business - soccer games, basketball practices, football tournaments, band practices, spelling tests, college exams, meal preparations, carting kids, television shows, video games, Facebook posts, overtime pay, business meetings … and whatever else you do to fill up your life that you no longer have time to hear Jesus speak to you?

Jesus warns us, “A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” Good works are not the cause of our salvation. However, they will be evidence of our salvation. Those who are living good lives are not earning their salvation. Rather, they are giving evidence that eternal life has been earned for them by Jesus Christ. Christ’s Word of life produces activity within us. Good works in the lives of God’s people are evidence that we are alive in Christ.

However, when we no longer hear Jesus’ Words; when we no longer live the life of a Christian; when we no longer feel the need to worship, read our Bibles or receive the Sacrament, then we will no longer hear God’s urgent warnings. Instead, we will only hear God’s righteous judgment! “Those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” Those who by their lives have said to God, “I don’t want to be with you or listen to you,” will get what they wanted when Christ returns. In hell there will be no distractions, no possessions, no pleasures, nothing that will take your eyes off of God – because God won’t be there.

Just as the mayors, governors and rescue personnel gave strong warnings to the residents on the East Coast to evacuate, so Jesus gives all of us strong warnings today. This world will not last forever. “Great God what do I see and hear? The end of things created” (CW: 208 v1). 

A clock is ticking. The Great Day of Judgment is coming. It started the minute we were born. We don’t know how long we have, but every day, every month, every year we come closer to our last hour. Wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, gray hair, wrinkles, aches and pains are persistent reminders that the end is near.

God has set a day when His Son will return and this present world order will cease. All people who have ever lived will be raised to life and will stand before Him for judgment. Those who reject the Savior will be cut off and suffer under His wrath forever. But those who revere the Savior’s name, will receive healing and be released into the green pastures like calves leaping out of the stall (Malachi 4:2).  

Jesus promised, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” Jesus promises that you already have eternal life, so you don’t need to be afraid. This life was given you at the baptismal font, when the pastor spoke Christ’s Words over you and Christ raised you from death to life. Or this life was granted you at your conversion when Christ made your spiritually dead heart alive through His life-giving Words. Just as Lazarus heard Jesus’ voice and came out of his tomb, so dead sinners are made alive in Christ. Alive now so you may be alive with Him forever.

This happened because Jesus put Himself in harm’s way. He not only gave you the warnings, but He also stepped into the storm of sin and death to rescue you. “He has appeared once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

Now that Christ has rescued you and made you alive, you are to be doing good works continuously. A dead soul can produce no good works, just as a dead tree produces no fruit. But when you hear Christ’s Words in worship, in Bible study, in your daily Bible readings, then Christ makes your dead faith come alive. Then you begin to bear the fruits of faith as evidence that you are alive in Christ.

The guarantee and promise of this powerful life inside of you comes from Christ’s own resurrection from the dead. He died and came to life. He has the power, given to Him by His Father, to make your dead heart alive with faith. This is the first resurrection. He has the power to raise you body and soul on the Last Day. This is the second resurrection. Because He cannot die, you need have no fear of death. Because He is your Savior, you have no fear of Judgment Day.

At the second resurrection, you will hear the voice of Christ calling you. If you are in the grave, then His voice will even pierce the dirt and the coffin to find your ears. Your body will hear and awaken, and it will reunite with your soul which has been in heaven.

We will close our Last Judgment worship today with the verse, “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen” (Revelation 1:7).

Every person who has ever lived will be present at the final gathering. Every heart that has ever beat. Every mouth that has ever spoken. On that day you will be surrounded by sea of people. Rich, poor. Famous, unknown. Republicans, Democrats. Soldiers, criminals. All will be present. All will hear the voice of the Son of God.

And all will be looking in one direction. All will be looking at Him—the Son of Man. Wrapped in splendor. Shot through with radiance. It will be the great evacuation of this world before it is destroyed by fire and the heavens disappear with a roar” (2 Peter 3:10). We will either be looking at Christ with fear and trembling, for He is coming as our Righteous Judge. Or we will be looking at Him with confidence and calm, for He is coming as our Rescuer and Savior.

Listen to the warnings. Makes use of God’s Word and Sacraments. Live as evidence that Christ has made you alive in Him. Live and worship as evidence that Christ has made you to live and worship Him in eternity. Be prepared for the evacuation of the world. Amen.