Philippians 3:20
St. Matthew 5:1–12
In the name of the
Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I’m guessing most
of you are at least a little anxious about this coming Tuesday. This has got to
be one of the craziest elections in living memory. And whether you really love
one of the candidates or you can’t stand either of them, we’re probably all a
little worried about what the future holds for our country. But you’re here,
you want to hear from God, and it’s my job to tell you: It’s going to be OK. Our citizenship is in heaven, and from
it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now,
maybe the election isn’t troubling you that much. Maybe you’ve got bigger
troubles on your mind: Sickness, fear of losing your job, fighting at home. God’s
answer is the same: It’s going to be OK. Our
citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even if things don’t turn out well here,
even if the election results turn out to be bad for America, even if the chemo
doesn’t help, or you lose your life’s savings. Even then, it’s going to be OK. Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we
await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are waiting for a Savior to come and
establish His eternal kingdom. And the reason we know we are citizens of that
kingdom, the reason we know it’s going to be OK for us, is because we know that
this Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s not a lying politician, an angry
boss, a negligent doctor, or a domineering spouse. He is the God who made us. He
is the Lord who became a man and suffered death in our place. He is the Christ,
the Holy One, who rose again. He is the Savior.
And that means He doesn’t worry quite so
much about saving a government, saving a job, or even saving an earthly life or
saving domestic bliss. He saves us from our sins with His blood. And He saves
us from eternal death with His resurrection. Our citizenship is in heaven. That’s His Kingdom. And that’s what
He saves us for: life with Him in His Kingdom.
So as you go to vote on Tuesday keep
that verse from Philippians 3 in your mind: Our
citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
But today, let’s not worry about tomorrow or Tuesday. Instead, let us contemplate
heaven and the saints who are already there. While here on earth they were poor
in spirit, they couldn’t rely on the things of this world. They mourned their
sin and they mourned the death of loved ones. They were meek, humble in how
they approached God and humble in how they dealt with their neighbors. They
were hungry and thirsty for the righteousness of Jesus their Savior. They
desired nothing but the forgiveness of their sins in Jesus’ name. But now in
heaven they are satisfied with God’s goodness. They are comforted with the
peace of God that surpasses all understanding. They see God and they have the
kingdom of God. They know better now what it truly means that our citizenship
is in heaven. Not just that we can go there someday. But we belong there now. The
saints in heaven know better now that they belong where their Lord is. Nothing
else really matters. Saints in heaven, saints on earth – our citizenship is the
same. We belong with our Savior.
Dear saints, dear holy ones, you are
holy because the Savior has made you holy with His own holiness. You have received
God’s blessings here, and you live as a citizen of heaven right here, now, so
that you may inherit the kingdom of heaven, there, then. You are baptized and
made an heir of that kingdom. You are absolved and the judgment of Judgment Day
is brought to you now, freeing you from your chains of sin and opening heaven
for you. You eat the Lord’s Supper, the true body and blood of our Savior, and
you are given the foretaste of the feast that has no end. This is how you
exercise your heavenly citizenship with all its rights and privileges. Your
citizenship consists in hearing God’s Word and receiving His Sacrament, singing
His praises and serving Him, both here in
time and there in eternity. This is how you live as a citizen of heaven
while still here on earth.
In the Holy Communion you are united
with your fellow citizens of heaven, all those still alive and all those now
asleep in Jesus. The kingdom of heaven has no physical boundaries, no walls or
limits. Instead this kingdom is a communion of its citizens, wherever they are
hearing God’s Word and receiving His Sacraments. The Kingdom of heaven is the
communion of saints because all saints, all believers, are in communion with
the King, our Savior.
And so that is really why it’s all going
to be OK. What’s so blessed about the Holy Communion is that we are with the
Lord Jesus. What’s going to be so wonderful about heaven is that we will be
with the Lord Jesus. Saints on earth, saints in heaven – our Savior and our
Kingdom is the same. Our citizenship is
in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who
will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that
enables him to subdue all things to himself (Philippians 3:20–21). Thanks be to God. It’s going to be OK. We will rise from the dead. And we will be reunited with all God’s saints. And best of all, we will live forever with
our God and Father, with our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit.
In the Holy + Name
of Jesus. Amen.
