Advent, 20th December
Isaiah 7:10-14 / Luke 1:26-38
Isaiah prophesies; A virgin shall bear a son.
Today's gospel reading is presented as fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy that a “virgin shall ... bear a son." Gospel writers—Matthew in particular took pains to present Jesus as fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies. An important point needs to be noted here. The word fulfilment means far more than fulfilling the utterance of some prophet. It means, above all, the fulfilment of a hope that burned in people's hearts the fulfilment of a plan That existed in God's mind from all eternity. In this sense, especially, Jesus fulfils the Old Testament prophecies. In Jesus, people's dreams come true. In Jesus, God's plan becomes reality.
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What dream does Jesus fulfil in our lives? "In him all
broken lines unite; in him all scattered sounds are gathered into harmony.”
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, The Everlasting Man
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The two beautiful texts of today correspond to each other as
promise and fulfilment of the promise.
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The child to be born of a young maiden as a sign of Israel’s
salvation probably spoke directly of a son to be born to a king; yet, in later
tradition and particularly in the Christian understanding, the text came to be
understood as a messianic prophecy, which was fulfilled in Mary and the child
born from her.
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One of the great themes of Advent is this theme of fulfilment. It is the fulfilment of a prophecy, as well as the fulfilment of a promise. In the 1st reading, when the prophet Isaiah prophesied to king Ahaz about the sign that God will give, it was for that particular situation in time. But that prophecy was also a future event that would be fulfilled 700 years later.
The prophecy in both cases was about the salvation that was promised by God. Yet the promise of salvation can also be accepted or rejected. Mary accepted the promise of salvation even though she had her questions about it. But she believed, hence the promise was also fulfilled in her.
On the other hand, king Ahaz rejected the promise. He relied on other powers to save him in that time of danger. Christmas is also a time of fulfilment of the promise of salvation. Jesus came to save us from the punishment due to our sins.
How we welcome Him depends very much on how aware we are of
our sins and on our need to be saved by Him. When we know how awfully our sins
are destroying us, then we will see the great love that God has for us by
sending His only Son to save us. That is His promise. He will fulfil it again
and again. Let us believe and accept it.
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The incarnation of Christ was the beginning of a real
turning upside down of values, for example: salvation comes to the poor and
humble, expresses itself in obedience and humble service, God’s power and
majesty shows itself in his unostentatious approach to people, God becomes near
in people, even death becomes a way to life.
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Opening Prayer
God of the poor and the humble, we thank you today for
choosing Mary as the Virgin Mother of Jesus, your Son. Her faith and willing
service opened the way to your new world. Dispose us to seek your will and to
cooperate with your plans, that we, too, like Mary, may give to the world its Saviour,
Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord. Amen
