Sermon: Victory in Jesus
Opening
When I sat down to write this sermon, I did not know how to begin. There are so many layers to this message, and I wanted to get it right, God willing. I could have started with the history, and there is plenty I could tell you. But I do not want to only look back. I want to speak to us here and now.
The world is scary. So much is uncertain. The unknown can be terrifying. Not being able to see where we are going can freeze us in place. The fear of what might be coming, the danger we cannot yet see but can already feel, can stop us from really living. It can steal our hope. It can make us dread tomorrow.
But here is the truth. We are not promised tomorrow in this world. What we are promised is greater. Jesus has promised us eternity. He has promised us that if we hold on to Him, no matter the fear and no matter the unknown, we will see His tomorrow. We will see His kingdom. He has already given us victory. Jesus holds tomorrow. Victory.
Trumpet Imagery
What does victory sound like? Imagine the roar of a crowd when their team wins the championship. Imagine the cry of freedom when chains are broken. Imagine a trumpet blast echoing through the air, loud and unstoppable. That is the sound of victory.
Think of a scene from the movie Braveheart. The soldiers have fought hard and long, facing fear and uncertainty. Then the moment comes when freedom is declared with a cry that shakes the battlefield. That cry is more than noise. It is the sound of victory, the sound of a people rising, the sound of a promise fulfilled. The trumpet in Scripture carries that same force, a sound that breaks through fear and declares triumph.
The Bible uses this same image. Trumpets in Scripture mark decisive moments when God shows His power.
- Joshua 6:20: “So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it.”
- Psalm 47:5: “God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:52: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
Victory is not only seen on battlefields or in stadiums. Victory is also personal. It is the cry of someone who has walked out of the shadows of addiction and into the light of freedom. It is the shout of someone who has found a home after years of homelessness. It is the relief of healing after illness, or the peace of hope after deep loss. Each of these moments echoes with the sound of a trumpet, declaring that darkness does not win. Jesus gives victory in the most personal places of our lives.
The Feast of Trumpets
The trumpet blasts were not random. They were tied to a special day God gave Israel. Leviticus 23:23–24 says, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the people of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of complete rest, a holy convocation commemorated with trumpet blasts.” This day became known as the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah, which means the Day of Shouting or Blasting.
The trumpet was not like the polished brass instruments we think of today. It was often a ram’s horn, called a shofar, curved and rough, carried into both battle and worship. Its raw sound cut through the air as a call to attention.
The blasts of the shofar marked a time of remembrance and a call to gather before God. They prepared the people for the holy days to come, leading up to the Day of Atonement. The sound of the trumpet was a signal of God’s presence, a call to repentance, and a reminder that God reigns as King. The Feast of Trumpets gave shape to the trumpet imagery we see throughout Scripture, and it pointed ahead to the ultimate victory in Christ.
Historically, the Feast of Trumpets began the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, the month of Tishri. It marked not only a new agricultural season but also a spiritual reset for God’s people. The shofar blasts called the community to stop ordinary work, rest, and prepare their hearts. This feast led into the most sacred period of the year, the Days of Awe, culminating in the Day of Atonement. Rabbis later taught that the trumpet blasts were a summons to repentance, a wake‑up call to turn back to God. This began what became known as the Ten Days of Awe, a sacred stretch of time between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These days were a time of self‑examination, repentance, and preparation, when God’s people sought to repair their relationships with one another and with Him. It all led to the Day of Atonement, described in Leviticus 16, the holiest day of the year. On that day the high priest entered the Most Holy Place to make atonement for the sins of the people. Blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, our High Priest, who entered once for all into the heavenly sanctuary and secured eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12).
The shofar itself carried symbolism. It was made from the horn of a ram, recalling the ram God provided in place of Isaac in Genesis 22. Every blast reminded Israel of God’s provision, mercy, and covenant. It was both a warning of God’s holiness and a celebration of His kingship. Over time, the Feast of Trumpets also came to be associated with God’s final judgment and renewal, imagery that the New Testament writers draw upon when they speak of the last trumpet and the return of Christ. In Revelation we see the trumpet blasts unfold as part of God’s plan for history. Revelation 8:6 says, “Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made ready to blow them.” Each trumpet blast marked a movement of God’s justice and warning, shaking the world and calling humanity to repentance. Finally, Revelation 11:15 declares, “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.’” The Feast of Trumpets finds its ultimate echo here, pointing us to the day when the trumpet will announce not only warning but also the final victory of Christ as King.
Why This Matters for Us
This is not just ancient history. When we study the Old Testament and step into the culture of our Savior, we discover that none of this was random. Every detail of Israel’s story, every feast and every symbol, was pointing to Jesus. When we hear about the trumpet blasts, we are hearing echoes of a greater promise. They call us to remember that Jesus has acted in history, that He is acting in our lives today, and that He will act again when He returns.
Studying these feasts deepens our faith. It roots us in the reality that our salvation did not appear out of nowhere. It came through God’s covenant faithfulness. It shows us that Jesus is not only the Lord of the New Testament but the fulfillment of the Old. When we honor these connections, we celebrate the whole story of God. And in that story we find strength, identity, and hope.
So when we hear the sound of the trumpet, let it remind us that we are part of something bigger. Let it stir our hearts to live awake, grateful, and ready. Let it push us to see the Old Testament not as a book of laws we no longer follow, but as a foundation that shows us the heart of God and the victory of Christ.
Now, let us blow our trumpets with a joyful noise as we welcome in this season. Let us taste this new wine as new wine skins. We are God’s holy people. We are shouting His victory in our lives and being the light in this dark cruel world.
Pastor Alex