Malachi 4:1-7; St Luke 1:26-38
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Dear people loved by God, we continue this evening our Advent catechesis from that exceptional catechist, the holy evangelist, St Luke. Recall that he has prepared for us, lovers of God (for that is what Theophilus means) and orderly account, from the eye-witness testimony of those who witnessed the events of the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may have certainty concerning the things in which we have been catechized. For certainty is the chief comfort of the Gospel, the ground of faith and the voice of prayer even as we are taught from the Small Catechism.
Last week we were introduced to the aged Zechariah and Elizabeth, both of priestly lineage, who were righteous and blameless by faith, walking, that is living in holiness before the Lord their God according to His commandments. But they were childless.
While in the Temple offering the sacred incense, Zechariah is greeted by the angel Gabriel with a phenomenal word: Elizabeth shall conceive in her advanced state and bear a son, named John. Skeptical of the mighty messenger’s word, Zechariah is struck mute for the duration of her pregnancy on account of his disbelief. Even so, Elizabeth conceives according to the word of the Lord and waits in hiding, as with all of our Lord’s precious and wonderful gifts, which He reveals at the proper time.
In the sixth month - that is, of Elizabeth’s pregnancy - the angel Gabriel was (again) sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin dethroned to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
St Luke introduces us now to two more eye-witnesses and characters in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus. Joseph, whom St Matthew describes as being a just man (Mt 1:18), which means not merely a “good guy,” but like Zechariah and Elizabeth, is righteous with the righteousness of another imputed to him by faith. Joseph is a Christian. And as we will hear on Christmas Eve, his actions and behavior correspond to his confession and faith. He is also of the House of David. This is significant. Recall from Jeremiah last week of the covenant the Lord God made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah: He will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, a ruler to sit on his kingly throne. Joseph, to whom Mary is betrothed, is of the line of kings.
We are also introduced to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord, most highly favored lady! Greetings, favored woman, the Lord is with you! Like Zechariah beholding he “with wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame” Mary was deeply troubled at the word of the angels and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
This isn’t the shoulder touch, “Hey.” What is translated as “Greetings!” is actually, “Rejoice!” As in, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He (Zech 9:9) which you heard on the First Sunday in Advent. Mary ponders at it’s meaning because it is a rather unconventional greeting. Yet it always refers to the joy attendant on the deliverance of Israel.
Gabriel comes to announce to Mary that not only has she found favor with God, but so has all humanity. For the Son she conceives in her womb is the hope of the entire Old Testament realized! The Seed of the Woman promised to Adam and Eve has been planted in the virgin soil of Mary’s womb and Christ, the Second Adam, will crush the head of the Serpent.
This is the blessing to Abraham, the substitute for Isaac, the consolation of Israel, the Son of David, yet David’s Lord, the hope of all the faithful saints of old coming into fulfillment! The latter days of which Micah prophesies have come. All of God’s prior saving activity - Noah, Isaac, Jacob, the Exodus, the remnant from Babylon - all of it fins its source and culmination in Christ! All shall be accomplished through the Little One who shares Mary’s human nature, and thereby your human nature, yet who is also the Son of the Most High.
Catechetically we just confess it this way: “who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.”
Reason cannot fathom this deep and profound mystery. Thus does Mary inquire, How will this be, since a man I know not? This is not the skepticism of Zechariah, but simple and honest faith born out of the catechesis of the Word of the Lord from the mouth of His messenger Gabriel. Here now the culmination of those faithful women of old - Rachel and Hannah, Sarah and Eve - is heard in the word of the angel: Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. Now the prophecy of Isaiah, first spoken as a sign to King Ahaz, comes to fruition: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (Is 7:14).
For God is with Mary, not because there is something about Mary, but because she has found favor with Him. That, He favors her in His grace and mercy, according to His steadfast love and faithfulness to His Word and promises. And this favor is shown chiefly in the presence of her Baby Boy, who is with her, under her heart, growing in her womb.
For in Him God is with His people. St Luke will repeat this theme through his Gospel. At the circumcision and naming of John, the hand of the Lord was with him (1:66); Jesus declared to disciples and critics alike that the bridegroom is with them (5:34); the father of the prodigal son says to the older son, Child, you are always with me (15:31); Jesus assured the thief on the cross, Today you will be with Me in paradise (23:43); and the Emmaus disciples urge Jesus, Stay with us, because it is toward evening and the day is almost over (24:29), just as you do tonight and every night. And He entered in to stay with them (24:30).
No wonder the angel says Rejoice! For all Israel, all humanity, is to be reborn through the Son in Mary’s womb. The Lord is with her. He is with His people. He is with His Church. And of His kingdom there will be no end.
For the same Holy Spirit, the third Person of the blessed Holy Trinity, He who hovered over the face of the waters and brought forth creation through the Word, shall come upon Mary. The power and glory of the Most High who lead His people of Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, who fought, protected, and redeemed His people, will overshadow Mary. He who spoke to Moses face to face in the Tent of Meeting, whose glory filled the Tabernacle, whose cloud overshadowed the sacred places and holy objects, will overshadow Mary.
Therefore the Child will be called Holy. For He is the Son of God, YHWH Incarnate. What St John states in His prologue, The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, is exactly the same as St Luke’s, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason the Child to be born will be holy: He will be called Son of God.
As evidence for this miraculous conception and birth, Gabriel informs Mary that her relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. It is the sixth month of her pregnancy, but it is the fullness of time; as St Paul writes to the Christians in Galatia: When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (Gal 4:4-5). Elderly women give birth. Virgins conceive. The Fall is undone. The accusations and condemnation of the Law is silenced. Nothing is impossible for God.
The Blessed Virgin Mary responds as a hearer of the Word, as a true catechumen and example to us all, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word. And this, people loved by God, is the conception of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit, through the Word, conceives the only Son of the Father in Mary’s womb by way of her ear!
It is no different for you. The Word of the Gospel begets faith in the heart of the hearer where and when it pleases God the Holy Spirit. He is the promise of His Father bestowed upon you, as St Luke writes at the conclusion of his Gospel. So that in your catechesis the fruit of faith is brought forth and given birth in works of love and charity.
For by the Holy Spirit you are given to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, your Refuge and Fortress, your God in whom you trust. He who crushed the head of the Serpent delivers you from all the force of his minions: the snare of the fowler, the deadly pestilence, the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, the stalking pestilence in darkness, the destruction at noonday. He hides you under His wings and covers you with His pinions; that is, with His Mercy Seat and Atoning Sacrifice, your Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Mary, by whose blood you are redeemed. He is your dwelling Place in whom you have long life and salvation.
Rejoice! O favored ones, the Lord is with you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Dear people loved by God, we continue this evening our Advent catechesis from that exceptional catechist, the holy evangelist, St Luke. Recall that he has prepared for us, lovers of God (for that is what Theophilus means) and orderly account, from the eye-witness testimony of those who witnessed the events of the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may have certainty concerning the things in which we have been catechized. For certainty is the chief comfort of the Gospel, the ground of faith and the voice of prayer even as we are taught from the Small Catechism.
Last week we were introduced to the aged Zechariah and Elizabeth, both of priestly lineage, who were righteous and blameless by faith, walking, that is living in holiness before the Lord their God according to His commandments. But they were childless.
While in the Temple offering the sacred incense, Zechariah is greeted by the angel Gabriel with a phenomenal word: Elizabeth shall conceive in her advanced state and bear a son, named John. Skeptical of the mighty messenger’s word, Zechariah is struck mute for the duration of her pregnancy on account of his disbelief. Even so, Elizabeth conceives according to the word of the Lord and waits in hiding, as with all of our Lord’s precious and wonderful gifts, which He reveals at the proper time.
In the sixth month - that is, of Elizabeth’s pregnancy - the angel Gabriel was (again) sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin dethroned to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
St Luke introduces us now to two more eye-witnesses and characters in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus. Joseph, whom St Matthew describes as being a just man (Mt 1:18), which means not merely a “good guy,” but like Zechariah and Elizabeth, is righteous with the righteousness of another imputed to him by faith. Joseph is a Christian. And as we will hear on Christmas Eve, his actions and behavior correspond to his confession and faith. He is also of the House of David. This is significant. Recall from Jeremiah last week of the covenant the Lord God made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah: He will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, a ruler to sit on his kingly throne. Joseph, to whom Mary is betrothed, is of the line of kings.
We are also introduced to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord, most highly favored lady! Greetings, favored woman, the Lord is with you! Like Zechariah beholding he “with wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame” Mary was deeply troubled at the word of the angels and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
This isn’t the shoulder touch, “Hey.” What is translated as “Greetings!” is actually, “Rejoice!” As in, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He (Zech 9:9) which you heard on the First Sunday in Advent. Mary ponders at it’s meaning because it is a rather unconventional greeting. Yet it always refers to the joy attendant on the deliverance of Israel.
Gabriel comes to announce to Mary that not only has she found favor with God, but so has all humanity. For the Son she conceives in her womb is the hope of the entire Old Testament realized! The Seed of the Woman promised to Adam and Eve has been planted in the virgin soil of Mary’s womb and Christ, the Second Adam, will crush the head of the Serpent.
This is the blessing to Abraham, the substitute for Isaac, the consolation of Israel, the Son of David, yet David’s Lord, the hope of all the faithful saints of old coming into fulfillment! The latter days of which Micah prophesies have come. All of God’s prior saving activity - Noah, Isaac, Jacob, the Exodus, the remnant from Babylon - all of it fins its source and culmination in Christ! All shall be accomplished through the Little One who shares Mary’s human nature, and thereby your human nature, yet who is also the Son of the Most High.
Catechetically we just confess it this way: “who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.”
Reason cannot fathom this deep and profound mystery. Thus does Mary inquire, How will this be, since a man I know not? This is not the skepticism of Zechariah, but simple and honest faith born out of the catechesis of the Word of the Lord from the mouth of His messenger Gabriel. Here now the culmination of those faithful women of old - Rachel and Hannah, Sarah and Eve - is heard in the word of the angel: Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. Now the prophecy of Isaiah, first spoken as a sign to King Ahaz, comes to fruition: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (Is 7:14).
For God is with Mary, not because there is something about Mary, but because she has found favor with Him. That, He favors her in His grace and mercy, according to His steadfast love and faithfulness to His Word and promises. And this favor is shown chiefly in the presence of her Baby Boy, who is with her, under her heart, growing in her womb.
For in Him God is with His people. St Luke will repeat this theme through his Gospel. At the circumcision and naming of John, the hand of the Lord was with him (1:66); Jesus declared to disciples and critics alike that the bridegroom is with them (5:34); the father of the prodigal son says to the older son, Child, you are always with me (15:31); Jesus assured the thief on the cross, Today you will be with Me in paradise (23:43); and the Emmaus disciples urge Jesus, Stay with us, because it is toward evening and the day is almost over (24:29), just as you do tonight and every night. And He entered in to stay with them (24:30).
No wonder the angel says Rejoice! For all Israel, all humanity, is to be reborn through the Son in Mary’s womb. The Lord is with her. He is with His people. He is with His Church. And of His kingdom there will be no end.
For the same Holy Spirit, the third Person of the blessed Holy Trinity, He who hovered over the face of the waters and brought forth creation through the Word, shall come upon Mary. The power and glory of the Most High who lead His people of Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, who fought, protected, and redeemed His people, will overshadow Mary. He who spoke to Moses face to face in the Tent of Meeting, whose glory filled the Tabernacle, whose cloud overshadowed the sacred places and holy objects, will overshadow Mary.
Therefore the Child will be called Holy. For He is the Son of God, YHWH Incarnate. What St John states in His prologue, The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, is exactly the same as St Luke’s, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason the Child to be born will be holy: He will be called Son of God.
As evidence for this miraculous conception and birth, Gabriel informs Mary that her relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. It is the sixth month of her pregnancy, but it is the fullness of time; as St Paul writes to the Christians in Galatia: When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (Gal 4:4-5). Elderly women give birth. Virgins conceive. The Fall is undone. The accusations and condemnation of the Law is silenced. Nothing is impossible for God.
The Blessed Virgin Mary responds as a hearer of the Word, as a true catechumen and example to us all, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word. And this, people loved by God, is the conception of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit, through the Word, conceives the only Son of the Father in Mary’s womb by way of her ear!
It is no different for you. The Word of the Gospel begets faith in the heart of the hearer where and when it pleases God the Holy Spirit. He is the promise of His Father bestowed upon you, as St Luke writes at the conclusion of his Gospel. So that in your catechesis the fruit of faith is brought forth and given birth in works of love and charity.
For by the Holy Spirit you are given to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, your Refuge and Fortress, your God in whom you trust. He who crushed the head of the Serpent delivers you from all the force of his minions: the snare of the fowler, the deadly pestilence, the terror of the night, the arrow that flies by day, the stalking pestilence in darkness, the destruction at noonday. He hides you under His wings and covers you with His pinions; that is, with His Mercy Seat and Atoning Sacrifice, your Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Mary, by whose blood you are redeemed. He is your dwelling Place in whom you have long life and salvation.
Rejoice! O favored ones, the Lord is with you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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