Sermon for the Second to Last Sunday of the Church Year, 2025

The Day will come when the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, and He shall sit on the throne of His glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before Him, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And yet, in a very real sense, that separation has already occurred. It occurred at the Cross, for that is where destinies are decided. True, the results will indeed be revealed to all on the Last Day. Even so, the separation of the sheep and the goats occurred on the Cross. For consider: it was a goat who was crucified at Jesus’ left, one who mocked Him and didn’t believe; however, it was a sheep who was crucified on Jesus’ right, one who prayed in faith, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today, you will be with Me in Paradise.” Beloved, you are at Jesus’ right hand even now, for you were adopted into the family of God by water and the Word. All that the Father has is yours. And so you also are given to pray to the risen Jesus, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus responds by giving you the Paradise of His own Body and Blood, where you are with Him and He is with you. And so, He says to you even now, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” 

Readings:

• Old Testament: Daniel 7:9-14

• Epistle: 2 Peter 3:3-14

• Holy Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46

  
  

Sermon: