A Sermon for New Year's Eve
[Note: this is the first time I have ever preached on New Year’s Eve. Peace be with all of you, dear readers! — Ed.]
31 December 2025
Text: Luke 12:35-40
In the name of + Jesus. Amen.
Today is not only New Year’s Eve, it is also the seventh day of Christmas. And as we continue to ponder the miracle of Christmas, that is, the incarnation of God into flesh, we should remember that our Lord’s coming is not just a matter of “where” (that God came to us in our material, fleshly world), but also of “when” – in time.
As St. Paul said, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
“The fullness of time.”
We measure the “fullness of time” even by how we number our years. For in a few hours, we will change the calendar to 2026. And in spite of the world’s attempt to hide the reason, calling it 2026 CE (Common Era), the real designation is Anno Domini: the year of our Lord. So it is a good habit to say the name of the year this way: “In the year of our Lord, 2026.”
“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty,’” as we read in the Book of Revelation. God was in the past, is in the present, and will be in the future. He is the great I AM.
But we live in time, dear friends. We remember the past, we live in the present, and the future is unknown to us. So we approach the future by faith. We make plans, knowing that they will likely change. But one thing will never change: Jesus is God in human flesh, that He came in the past as the baby in Bethlehem, that He comes to us today in His Word and in His Sacraments, and that He will come again on the Last Day.
We don’t know the future, but we know that God never lies to us, that His promises are ironclad, that His Word is true, and that His love for us is sealed in blood. He promises to resurrect our bodies in death, and give us life that will never end.
And knowing this is why we are always ready, dear friends, precisely because we don’t know the future. Jesus may come to bring all things to eternity in the next moment, or the angels may come for us to call us home – making eternity start for us even sooner.
Jesus uses a home break-in as an example: “If the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.” And based on this reality that nobody can argue with, Jesus gives us some really good advice for the New Year, dear brothers and sisters: “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
And He says, “Blessed are those servants whom the Master finds awake when He comes.” For even as the world counts down the seconds until the New Year, so too are we counting down the seconds until the New Age, until Eternity, until the Renewal of heaven and earth, of our bodies, and of all things. The only difference is that there is no clock showing how many seconds are left, no crowds of people counting down in unison as the time ticks away.
But as sure as midnight is coming, dear friends, as sure as 2026 is on its way, as sure as the fullness of time came and Jesus was conceived, born, died, and rose again – so too is eternity coming.
So how do we stay alert and ready, dear friends? Jesus uses a military term: “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning.” Or as soldiers like to say today: “Watch your six and keep your head on a swivel.” “Stay dressed for action” means keep your armor on, wear your Kevlar vest. Don’t be caught without it when the bullets start flying. No, be prepared for anything. Keep your mind sharp. Stay attuned to God’s Word. Keep your life within the guardrails of Scripture. Eat the body and drink the blood of Christ. Remember your baptism. Don’t take a week off. Pray every day. Pray every hour. Pray continuously. Fill your minds with things that remind you of Jesus – who did come in the fullness of time to redeem us, so that God the Father would adopt us.
Every time you pray “Our Father who art in heaven,” you are remembering and confessing whose you are. You are reminding yourself that you are an heir of the King. We are servants, but we have been adopted by the King. We live in His house. We eat His food. We drink His wine. We are covered by His proclamations. We have been set free and given the riches of the kingdom. And He promises that we will reign with Him in eternity. And so we believe Him.
And even if the Master comes in the second or third watch after midnight, “blessed are those servants” who are ready, who are dressed for battle, who have been expecting the Master to come. For that is what faith is, dear friends. It is to believe the promise. In Christ, God promises to be with us, forgive us all our sins, adopt us, and bring us into His royal family. He is coming again to judge the living and the dead, but He will judge us as His own children. Jesus is coming to reconquer the world, but we are already under His command, and we have nothing to fear from His anger. Jesus is coming to visit His wrath, not on us, but upon those who have harmed us: His people, the ones that He has redeemed, those who believe on His name, who trust His Word, who are ready and waiting.
So let us celebrate the passing of time, dear friends. Let us rejoice as the seconds tick away from this past year. Let its disappointments fade into the mist of time. Let its regrets fall further into the past, as the present moves along to a new day. Let hope abound as we race toward a new tomorrow, as we count down not only the seconds until a new Year of our Lord, but also until the eternal reign of our Lord, whenever that may be.
As we count down those final seconds, let your thoughts settle on Jesus, on His coming in the fullness of time, of His crucifixion and His resurrection, and of His promise to be with us always, even until the end of the age.
And as we cheer and wish everyone a Happy New Year, let us offer a silent prayer of thanksgiving: for the fullness of time, for the fullness of life, and for yet another new beginning, a new year of our Lord, Anno Domini, 2026.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.