Amidst the chaos of the Christmas season, I wanted to take a moment of quiet reflection and remember who we really celebrate at Christmas.
The word Advent means arrival–the imminent anticipation of a king or monarch, a great leader or person of great acclaim. Those who have studied the Old Testament know that the entire Hebrew Scriptures point to a man who will come and be the Savior of the world–first Israel, then all of humanity. The anticipation, the waiting, begins in Genesis and builds to a climax in the book of Malachi. Three of the themes surrounding this coming Messiah are highlighted many times throughout Scripture:
Davidic King
From the beginning of the people of Israel, the LORD promised to David, the man after His own heart, that his kingdom would never end. That one day a man from his lineage would bring a kingdom of righteousness that would be everlasting.
“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it, with justice and with righteousness, from this time forth and forevermore.” Isaiah 9:6-7
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.” Isaiah 11:1-2
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’” Jeremiah 23:5-6, Jeremiah 33:14-16
“And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.” Ezekiel 34:23-24
“My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd….David my servant shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Ezekiel 37:24-27
Forgiveness of sins
Surrounding the image of the Messiah is God’s cleansing of His people, and ultimately the whole world. Over and over again this Messiah is said to bring righteousness, a Kingdom of pure justice, where “none shall hurt or destroy.” (Isaiah 11:9). Along with this comes suffering; but in the end there is purity of heart and a new Spirit.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD; though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 2:18
“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:33-34
“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statues and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20, Ezekiel 36:25-28
“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?’ Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ And to him he said, ‘Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.’ And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments.” Zechariah 3:1-5
God’s presence with His people
Somehow tied up in the Messiah figure is the theme that God Himself will be the one to come dwell among His people. That God is the only one who can save. In fact, the Good News that is proclaimed in Isaiah is that God is the King, and He will be faithful on that day to rescue His people and to bring the whole earth into submission to Him (Isaiah 40).
“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3
“‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are young.” Isaiah 40:10-11
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1-2
“Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 3:13-14
“Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away the judgements against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.” Zechariah 3:14-15
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:1
Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures there is a longing for the day when the LORD will come and make all things right. In fact, the final book in the Hebrew Scriptures, 2 Chronicles, ends on a note of expectation:
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.” 2 Chron. 36:23
The story seems unfinished; after a long chronicle of the kings of Israel, the reader is left wondering what will happen next. Israel is finally leaving exile–will they have another King? Will they be faithful to the Lord? The reader is left waiting for the next King in the David line.
After centuries of expectation, after promise after promise from the LORD and a longing, a groaning, among the people of God, the Messiah arrived in the most unexpected way.
As an unborn child in the womb of an unwed mother.
As a young woman, probably no more than 14 or 15 years old, Mary would have been ostracized from her family and community, and potentially could have been stoned to death. But even in light of the hardships which she knew were coming, even as she understood the shame which she would endure, Mary replied in obedience, humility and courage: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
If only more of us today would hold this kind of faith. This resilience and trust that the Lord’s plan is greater than our deepest fears. The understanding that perhaps our story is part of a greater story that God is telling for the sake of all humanity.
And through Mary’s obedience, the world was changed forever.
Israel's waiting was over.
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’” Luke 2:29-32 (emphasis added)
Davidic King
“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:2
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.” Luke 1:68-69
Forgiveness of sins
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 (emphasis added)
God dwelling with his people
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:31-33
This Christmas, let us reflect on the power of the incarnation. The reality that God himself, Creator of heaven and earth, the LORD of hosts, eternal, all-powerful, and holy, chose to lay aside his throne and identify with us in our weakest moment, as a pre-born fetus, dependent and finite. Because he loved us.
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