1st Sunday of Advent: 

"Prophecy, and the birth of Jesus"

Prophecy! The word brings up mental images of wild-eyed, shaggy bearded old men thundering 'Repent, repent, the end is in sight!' It is generally associated, in my mind, with bad news being forecast by very unpopular people who met ignominious ends.

In Luke chapter one the story unfolds with Mary making a long trip down south to visit her relative, Elizabeth. It is thought that Elizabeth, given the tense of the word translated "relative," and given her elderly status, was possibly a sister of Mary's grandmother, or perhaps an older cousin of Mary's mother.

Toward the end of chapter one (verse 67) we have this statement: "Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied..." What he prophesied was a powerful benediction for the Old Testament system of law and prophets (introducing his newborn son, John, as the last of those prophets), and a prophetic announcement of the impending arrival of the "horn of salvation..."

This simple prophetic passage is packed with Divine announcement. It isn't merely the proclamation of a happy new father about his newborn son. This son would not follow in his father's footsteps as a priest with temple duties. Not only was Zechariah a priest in "the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron." This son of Zechariah and Elizabeth would be a prophet, a voice crying in the wilderness. He would be the man blessed with the privilege of publicly introducing the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God!

This arrival of the Anointed One was orchestrated to include shepherds and wise men, angels and a star...and a prophet of the genre of old Elijah. This was the event of the ages, the culmination of prophets and priests, sacrifices and saints - that which all the faithful of old had looked forward to and died, without having seen the fulfillment of the promise.

This was Jesus...Matthew 1:21 "..She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."

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