Jesus: Christ, Messiah, Anointed One

Advent 1

Christ
Messiah
Anointed One

SERMON TEXT: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Christ also suffered once for sins in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in flesh but was made alive in spirit, in which he also went and made an announcement to the spirits in prison. These spirits disobeyed long ago, when God’s patience was waiting in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In this ark a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He went to heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Bible Readings

FIRST LESSON: Genesis 6:1-3, 5-14, 17-22

This is what happened when mankind began to multiply on the face of the earth. When daughters were born to people, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives for themselves any of them they chose. The LORD said, “My Spirit will not struggle with man forever, because he is only flesh. His days will be years.” The LORD saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts and plans they formed in their hearts were only evil every day. The LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with sorrow. The LORD said, “I will wipe out mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, along with the animals, the creeping things, and the birds of the sky, because I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. This is the account about the development of Noah’s family. Noah was a righteous man, a man of integrity in that generation. Noah walked with God. Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In the sight of God the earth was morally corrupt, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked at the earth and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh was corrupt in all their ways on the earth. So God said to Noah, “I have decreed the end of all flesh, because the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. “Make an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark. Seal it inside and outside with pitch. “I myself am about to bring a flood of waters on the earth, in order to destroy all flesh under the sky that has the breath of life. Everything that is on the earth will die, but I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. You shall bring a pair (male and female) of every kind of living flesh into the ark with you to keep them alive. Include the birds according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, every creeping thing on the ground according to their kinds. Two of every sort shall come to you, so you can keep them alive. Take with you every type of food that is eaten, and store it for yourself, so it can be used as food for you and for them.” So that is what Noah did. He did everything that God commanded him, just as he had been told.

SECOND LESSON: 1 Peter 3:18-22

See Sermon Text

VERSE OF THE DAY: Revelation 22:20

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

GOSPEL: Mark 13:32-37

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Watch! Be alert and pray, because you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going away on a journey. When he left his home, he put his servants in charge and assigned what each one was to do. He also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the owner of the house is coming: whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”