Resurrection Lutheran Church, St Catharines

“Your day will come.” Often that is an ominous promise from someone with more experience to someone with less experience. When a group of young rookie athletes chuckles at the slowing and weakening play of an aging superstar, the response (“Your day will come”), is a sobering reminder to consider what awaits them in the future as their own bodies will begin to age, and perhaps even an encouragement for them to make the most of the days of their youth and strength.

 

The prophet Isaiah used a similar phrase to warn nations of the coming day of judgment. If they found it satisfying to watch the nation of Israel fall from the height of its power under kings David and Samuel, the prophet warned them to watch out. Their time of judgment was also coming.

 

You can find examples in every sphere of life. Those who have been humbled in a time of judgment warn those who feel that they are in their prime, that there will come a time of decline and humiliation. One generation of the family warns another; history points it out in empires that have risen and fallen; even church history bears out the warning, “Your day will come.”

 

We know a day of judgment is coming because we know of our sins, especially our sins of pride when we look down upon others who used to be ahead of us, but have slid down the ladder of success and are now a few rungs below. We know we shouldn’t look down upon them, but how can we not? But at the same time that we are aware of our new found superiority, we hear the warning voice reminding us, “Your day will come.”

 

A day will come when God will humble us for our sins of pride. A day will come when we will no longer be top dog, but have to lower our head and put our tail between our legs. A day will come when all of our sins will be exposed, and our weaknesses shown. A day will come when it will be obvious that we didn’t deserve the blessings that we took for granted.

 

A day like that may come in life when others surpass our achievements, when we are proven wrong, when our cunning minds begin to lose their acuity, when our bodies begin to fail, when we see that death is on the horizon. The words of the prophets recorded for us in the Bible, the Word of God Himself, resounds louder and louder as the Holy Spirit works to bring us to repentance for our many sins.

 

When we see other people taken by death we are reminded that our day will come. As we are given a longer list of ailments and more and more appointments with the doctor, we know that our day is coming. And when finally we are laying in our bed waiting for the final days and weeks to pass by, then we will know that our day has come.

 

The prophet Isaiah announced to Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, and all those nations who were troubling Israel that the day was coming when they too would be humbled before God. Then they could either join with Israel in confessing their sins and pleading for God’s forgiveness, or face His wrath and the destruction that it brings. Look at what God did to Egypt when the day had come for Him to bring His people out of slavery. A day is coming that will make that day look like nothing.

 

Isaiah had warned Israel also about their sins. Although it was becoming obvious to God’s chosen nation that their day was not far away, Isaiah continued to point it out to them, and to call them to repentance. God wanted that day of judgment to be for them a day of vindication, a day when their salvation would be made known to all those nations who were trying to squash Israel under their thumb. So, the coming day could also be a day of joy and gladness for them as they would see their salvation from sin, from their enemies, and even from death.

 

Similarly, Jesus promised His disciples that the day would be a day in which they would be able to rejoice. “But now I am going to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away...” (John 16:5-6).

 

Jesus would be taken from them when He was arrested and condemned and crucified. It was a time of great sorrow. Jesus had spoken repeatedly that His day and hour would come. And when it finally did, the disciples were filled with great sorrow. Death took their Lord away from them. Jesus had told them that it would be a day of great judgment, a day to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:9-11).

 

On that day they would be sorrowful, but their sorrow would turn to joy. After Jesus suffered the judgment of God against the sins of the whole world by dying upon the cross, He rose again from the dead to turn our sorrow over that day into joy. On that day the world was convicted concerning sin because they did not believe that Jesus had come to take their sins upon Himself and to suffer the full penalty for them all. On that day the world was convicted concerning righteousness because Jesus went victoriously to the Father having completed the will of the Father to be the Saviour of the world. On that day the world was convicted concerning judgment because Satan had received his public condemnation and sentencing.

 

But all of that is good and glad news for you. And as the testimony of the Holy Spirit continues through the words of the prophets and apostles, you are being told again and again that your day is coming. Your day of forgiveness, restoration, vindication, resurrection, your day of salvation.

 

Likewise the day of judgment that Isaiah prophesied would befall the nations who were oppressing Israel, would be a day of victory and joy for God’s people. He would accomplish a greater deliverance for them than when He brought His people out Egypt with mighty signs and wonders.

 

You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to You, O LORD, for though You were angry with me, You anger turned away, that You might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:1-2).

 

That day for you also is a day of praise. In that day of judgment you will give thanks for God’s saving presence. In the day when you are convicted of your sins, you give thanks to God that though He was angry with you, His anger turned away because His Son, Jesus Christ, died for your sins upon the cross. When you hear of His condemnation, the Word of God also proclaims your salvation in Christ. It tells of the forgiveness of sin that you have in Him and the reconciliation that you have with the heavenly Father.

 

Your day will come. It came today and it will come again and again. Your day will come when your sins are shoved in your face and you will know that you have fallen. Your day will come when your strength fails and you know that you cannot escape death and judgment. Your day will come when you are passing your final hours and moments and you know that you will soon stand before the throne of God.

 

Then “With joy will you draw water for the wells of salvation. And [remembering the water of your baptism] you say in that day: ‘Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His name is exalted’” (Isaiah 12:3-4). The deep well of God’s promises given to you in Holy Baptism proclaim that He has called you by name to be His own dear child. He has washed you clean of all of your sins. He has united you to Jesus Christ who died and rose again to crucify your sinful flesh and to give you new life in Him. He has filled you with the Holy Spirit to guide you into the truth that you are a holy child of God. Drink deeply from this well of your baptism in that day.

 

As the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, He acquits you of every charge. As He proclaims the righteous vindication of Christ, He proclaims you righteous in Him. As He judges the ruler of this world, He frees you from captivity to live and die and live forever justified before God in Christ Jesus.

 

You will say in that day, “Give thanks to the LORD.” On this day let us give thanks to the LORD our God. It is right to give Him thanks and praise, especially on this day for the glorious resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world. The Holy Supper is called the Eucharist (Greek for giving thanks), and so we do give thanks as we have heard the judgment of God from His Word. We have confessed our sins and received His holy absolution. His anger has turned away and He has comforted us with the body and blood of His dear Son.

 

Our day has come and we want everyone to know it. We want them to know so that they will not oppress us, but join us in repentance before God, so that His anger is turned away from them too, and they find comfort in the judgment of God as a judgment that pronounces them forgiven in Christ Jesus along with us.

 

The deliverance of a few hundred thousand of His people from slavery in Egypt is really a pale comparison to the great act of deliverance that the LORD has accomplished for His people in Christ Jesus. People from every nation, tribe, and language, a countless host praising and giving thanks and awaiting with great anticipation for their day to come.

 

“Sing praises to the LORD, for He has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 12:5-6). Yes, right here in your midst is the Holy One, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of the Father, here to give the judgment in your favour. Your day has come.