Readings:
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- Isaiah 7:10–16
- Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19
- Romans 1:1–7
- Matthew 1:18–25
What does God’s love look like? It is summed up in one word: Immanuel. This is a compound Hebrew word combining the word im-anu, which means “with us” with the word el, which means “God.” It only appears twice in the Hebrew scripture, both times in Isaiah 7.
Isaiah was a prophet who was called to confront Ahaz, the corrupt King of Judah. Isaiah’s wife was going to have a child. The child’s life was going to serve like a time piece. Ahaz’s plans would be laid to waste by the time this child gets old enough to eat solid food on his own. The child was to be named Immanuel. Isaiah’s child was a sign to the people that, no matter how bad it might seem, God is with us.
Fast forward six centuries. Joseph is engaged to Mary. She is pregnant and he knows it is not his. He is distraught as Mary is cast in the shadow of disgrace. A messenger from God visits Joseph in a dream and tells him not to be afraid. Name the child Jesus, the messenger says, because that name means “God saves.” This child will grow up to save his people.
Matthew, the author of the Gospel, interprets this dream for us by quoting Isaiah 7:14. Matthew tells us that Jesus is God-with-us. Our reading from Romans shows us that the Apostle Paul fully believed that this baby born to Mary did grow up to be the savior. Through the crucified and resurrected Son of God we have received grace.
As we light the candle of love this week, may you remember that God is with us. No matter how dark it may seem outside, the light of God’s love lights the way.
The reading this week officially marks the beginning of the Narrative Lectionary’s journey through John. We open with a beautifully crafted poem, known as the Prologue. Here John paints a portrait of Jesus in which he is: The Logos of God, was with God in the beginning and is God; the source of life and light itself; the incarnation of God in human flesh.
There is so much packed into this text that we could spend the rest of the year unpacking it. In fact, that is exactly what we are going to do. The stories that unfold in this Gospel are designed to demonstrate what God-in-the-flesh-bringer-of-grace-and-truth looks like.
Here is one preachable point from this text. John 1:14 says that the Word “lived among us.” The Greek word is skanao, which can be translated “pitched his tent.” I argue that John is demonstrating that Jesus is the new Tabernacle in which is housed the glory of the relationship between God and humanity and the promise of God to never give up on us. Like the children of Israel in the Exodus, we are invited to encircle our tents around Jesus and follow wherever the Spirit of God may lead us.
