Lectionary for Advent 4 A

Lectionary for Advent 4 A

A young woman is with child, and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Collect. Let us pray (for grace to accept God’s will for us): Heavenly Father, who chose the Virgin Mary, full of grace, to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour: fill us with your grace, that in all things we may accept your holy will and with her rejoice in your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reading. Isaiah 7:10-16. The Lord God is speaking through Isaiah to King Ahaz. This is not the first time God has spoken to the king for we read, “again”. By this time Isaiah is an old man for his work began the day King Uzziah died and Ahaz is Uzziah’s grandson and is well established in his reign. The kingdom of Judah has been weakened by attacks from surrounding enemies and so Isaiah’s prophecy is to turn and ask God for help and direction. However we see the pride and stubbornness of Ahaz for not only will he not ask for help from the Lord but also is stating his own righteousness by misquoting Deuteronomy chapter 6. Rather than trust God and accept his guidance Ahaz is preparing to deliberately avoid God’s advice and follow his own plans. Hidden in this exchange is the understanding that if Ahaz had asked for God’s help he would have also have to be obedient to God and in so doing would have had to admit his failure and disobedience. Having once started on a path away from God turning around becomes more and more difficult.

Following Ahaz’ rejection of God, Isaiah then addresses the whole of the nation by referring to the “house of David”. Here is a life and death statement for the future of the kingdom. The prophecy that Isaiah gives shows Ahaz that the very kingdoms he fears will be overthrown. These foreign kingdoms will be no more but because of his disobedience Ahaz and the kingdom will not gain any benefit from their demise.

When we consider this reading from an Advent perspective it reminds us that God is active in both the short and the long term. A baby needs to be only a few years old before it can make independent choices: Ask any parent of a two year old! The foreign kingdoms were conquered by Babylon which became the dominant power but so was the kingdom of Judah. Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians and the great temple built by Solomon was destroyed. It was an exile that would be in place for seventy years.

However as the decades and the centuries passed God’s people began to realise that the prophecy was revealing God’s wider plan. There would come a time when Emmanuel would be born. He would be “God with us”. One who would stand and lead and guide and guard God’s people. Choosing once and for all to refuse evil and choose the good; walking in the way of God’s obedience. They will name him Jesus but we will call him Christ.

Prayer. Lord you are a faithful God, who fulfils every promise that you have made to your people. For your goodness and your grace we give you thanks; for your constancy we praise your Name. You alone prepare the future for us and give us confidence to face it with hope. The salvation of all your people is in our Lord Jesus Christ. As we celebrate again his coming among us may we also look forward with expectant hope to his triumphant return. To you be all power and glory now and forever as we offer this pray in his holy Name. Amen

Collect. Jesus, you are Emmanuel, God with us; you reveal yourself in startling and surprising ways. As Mary and Joseph once received your word, may we also welcome you today, for you are our liberation  now and for ever. Amen.

Reading. Matthew 1:18-25. This is such a well known reading that it is easy to miss the important points that Matthew is recording. With his Jewish background, Matthew writes from a Jewish perspective. Right from the outset Matthew claims Jesus to be the Messiah, the one for whom the Jewish people had looked forward to for centuries. Both Mary and Joseph are linked to the tribe of Judah, importantly the tribe of David the royal household. Matthew is placing Jesus firmly into the royal line from which the Messiah was to come. This lineage is planted firmly into the story through the voice of the angel, “Joseph, son of David” Alongside that human lineage is the miraculous spiritual conception of Mary to bring Jesus to birth. Jesus is a child directly from the Holy Spirit, the “mighty wind of God”, the one who in Jewish thought figured so prominently from the very beginning of creation.

The passage reveals that Joseph made his decision to marry Mary based on his knowledge of the divine conception and also because of his trust in the action of God. For Matthew, Joseph is a man of high integrity and though not his biological son is important in the raising and nurturing of Jesus. There are hints that this was a known situation from the exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees in John’s gospel where the Pharisees speak of Jesus’ illegitimacy. (John8:41) By the provision of God, Joseph’s trust in God gives Jesus a safe and secure environment in which to grow up!

The naming of Jesus is important for it sends the message that “God is salvation” and as with all things connected to Jesus, God and his actions are always central. Jesus is the one through whom God will save his people. This salvation is the fulfilment of the prophecy from Isaiah; that “Emmanuel’ would come to bring the very presence of God in order to help the people. From Matthew’s point of view it is the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy which adds the final piece that shows that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.

Through Matthew’s description we who stand in the era after the birth of Jesus, as well as the death and resurrection, can look back to the prophetic testimony but more importantly, can look forward with anticipation to the time when Jesus will return and the victory of God will be complete.

“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.”” Re 11:15. NRSV.

Prayer. Holy Lord, we thank you that you came and live among us and so we can meet you here and know of your goodness and grace. You have shared our life and in your victory have given us life. ‘For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.’ (Titus 2:11). By your obedience you have rescued us from the power of sin and death and opened up for us, new life filled with hope. In your mercy consecrate us again today through the power of your love, that our lives might reflect your goodness and our hearts and minds be so fixed on you. By your goodness and grace may everything we say and do be according to your will and for your honour and glory. This we pray, through Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord. Amen.