"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."

Isn't it fitting, during this season of Advent, that we should recall John's confirmation verse? After all, just this past Sunday we heard John the Baptizer proclaim that the valleys will be filled in and the mountains and hills will be made low. This, John proclaimed, will happen in preparation to meet a coming king; the valleys will rise to meet Him, the mountains will bow down to greet Him.

Still, valleys and mountains are magnificent things. Certainly, with faith as small as a mustard seed, they can be moved, but otherwise, they are massive structures, stalwarts of creation. When they tumble and collapse into themselves, something terribly fierce is happening. In the midst of all that, however, the coming king is steady. Though the earth may give way under our feet and even our earthly lives fail, the kindness of our God will not fail us. His promise is ever sure.

It is this sure promise that God made to John that will stand forever. When water was applied to him in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, God promised to John to love Him always as His own dear Son, not weighing His sins against Him, but seeing in Him the merits of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. It was at his Baptism that God gave him faith in his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and that very same promise. It was at his Baptism that God placed His Spirit in John to keep him in that promise until this past Wednesday morning, when the promise made to John Q. Public was fulfilled.

Some time after that, John was reminded of this promise. John stood before the congregation of saints and spoke the Creed, affirming his faith in the Triune God into whom he was Baptized years before. By the very same Holy Spirit given to him in Baptism, He confessed that he was created by God the Father, redeemed by God the Son, and kept in the one, true faith by God the Spirit. And it was in this one, true faith that he was kept until the day of the consummation of his Baptism. And on that day several years ago were read these words to remind him of the promise made to him when he was claimed as a son of God:
"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."

Still, throughout his new life, John was reminded of the promise God made to him. You see, from the day of his Baptism to his last days on earth, John was still a sinner, though also a saint. John still needed God's intervention in his life, and this he received by the forgiveness of sins through the Holy Spirit in the words of Holy Absolution and in the Sacrament of the Altar. In these ways, God was fulfilling His promise to John: keeping him in the covenant of God's peace. In these ways, God the Spirit was keeping Him in the one, true faith, feeding it on the very words uttered from the mouth of God.

Now, while we are still expecting and eagerly waiting for the return of our king, John's wait is over. Though his body may remain, awaiting the resurrection, John is now with the saints in Christ, who plead "How long, O Lord?" before the throne of God on behalf of the saints on earth. In the eyes of John Public, the valleys have been filled in and the mountains have been made low, and he forever lives in the kindness promised to him when he was Baptized. Having been Baptized into the way, the truth, and the life, He has known and seen God through His mercy and Sacraments. Now, he sings with Job who said, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another." Now, he eagerly awaits a reunion with those of us still in the Church Militant.

Praises are due to God and to His Christ. The same promise He made to John he has also made to us. We, too, have had water applied to us in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. We, too, have or will soon (God willing) affirm the faith we have been given in Jesus Christ. We, too, who are constantly in need of God's intervention, have been reminded of God's grace and mercy as we have received forgiveness in the words of Holy Absolution and (as we recognize the true body and blood) the Sacrament of the Altar. We, too, await the return of Christ and the resurrection of the dead. On that glorious day, all shall see God with their own eyes, and the Church Triumphant, including John Q. Public, will be reunited with the Church Militant. On that day, the faith and hope of all Christians will be realized, the promise He made to all Christians brought to fruition.

"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."