Fresh hope
Commentary
As we enter into the last week of the year, it is customary for the media to recap the highlights of the world, our nation, our culture. It has become an annual tradition. This year, some may bring up again the matter of the millennium, whether it is actually ending now rather than last year, as the populace accepted. There will be those who will recount this past year as the first glimpses into what the new millennium will portend. Either way, this end-of-the-year reprise usually is characterized by such a note as this: "Who is like us?"
Still in this season of Advent, yet on the threshold of Christmas, the church raises a different question for the world to hear: "Who is like Yahweh?" At this time of endings, God is working new beginnings, as our texts recount from previous years. This marvelously active God is still bringing about fresh hope in the world today through the power of his word applied to today's events and our longings for tomorrow.
Micah 5:2-5a
Preaching for Micah is like standing at once on all the peaks of a mountain range, from the foothills to the summit. From the advantage of hindsight, one can see how his word applies to so many periods in history with prophetic precision. True to his name (Micah means "Who is like Yahweh?"), Micah takes on the nations of the ages and lifts up his God against them, like a harvester gathering "sheaves to the threshing floor" (4:12).
Prophesying in the latter half of the eighth century B.C., Micah provides a word of hope for a people who are hard pressed on every side. At this time, both the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom are oppressed by Assyria. The people long for deliverance. The North does not get it; the South is reprieved, but only for a time.
Micah speaks of God raising up a ruler in Israel who will champion the cause of God's people. This ruler, whose "origin is from of old, from ancient days," will bring God's recompense to the people (see 7:18-20). For those who take seriously the Old Testament as a Christological and Trinitarian seed bed, this reference pertaining to origin will provide a springboard to reflect upon these weighty issues of Christian doctrine, perhaps bringing one back to the primal conversation of God prior to our creation (Genesis 1:26). For those who want to remain grounded in more historical references, the emphasis will be on God's activity and promises to the patriarchs, which will unfold with relevant clarity as God redeems his people (see again 7:18-20).
Either way, the point is to pay attention to what God is doing, for "Who is like Yahweh?" Even out of the small clan of Bethlehem, God can counter the moves of the great empires of the day. This does not mean it will be easy. Earlier, Micah prods his listeners to face the reality of the day: "Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail" (4:10). He anticipates exile, but as the very place where God will rescue his people. Only through the pain of judgment will there come the pleasure of salvation. The prophet Isaiah would also conjure up such a dialectical image: "With his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).
Indeed, who is like Yahweh? Mary herself will find out very soon, as she enters into travail in the little hamlet of Bethlehem and gives birth to the one who will put flesh on all these promises and past activities of God on behalf of Zion and the entire world.
Hebrews 10:5-10
Within the rich and ingrained Judeo history of sacrifice, the writer to the Hebrews lifts up the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ to fulfill the requirements of the system. The system was established as a visual and experiential way to express relationship and reconciliation with God. Sacrifices were used for purposes of joy and thanksgiving, and also for confession and repentance. In the system, the grains and incense and animals were a symbol of the people, who offered their lives before the Holy One in adoration, humility, and service. As with the systems of all other people, the actions of sacrifice were of necessity continually repeated. Now, with the advent of Jesus Christ, the recurring actions of the system are replaced with his single, "once for all" action on the cross -- his body given for all.
The theme of the entire letter (apologetic treatise) is the all-sufficiency of Christ to fulfill the law, the demands of the system. The first sentence sets the tone: "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son ..." (1:1). The work of the Son replaces the work of the priests and the people within the confines of the sacrificial system. The replacement does not come without cost. Herod will see to it that even children are sacrificed to retain the authority of human will (Matthew 2:16-18). Caiaphas will argue that the expeditious death of Jesus will preserve the nation and its heritage, which includes the priestly cast and the temple sacrifices (John 11:45-53). They both properly perceived the threat to their human traditions of power and ritual, but they misjudged the ability of God to implement his divine plan despite and even through their efforts.
Reporting the words of the Psalmist on the lips of Jesus (10:5-7 parallel Psalm 40:6-8), the writer of the Letter of Hebrews comments on the meaning of Christ's ministry in relationship to the entire sacrifice system. Burnt offerings were the most common and most general sacrifice, providing thanksgiving or atonement. The animal was offered on the altar and completely consumed with fire (except the hide, which was given to the priest). Sin offering, actually a cleansing offering, prepared the person or the place for a pure sacrifice. These offerings, it is announced, are now superceded by Jesus, who will do God's will with his body, offering himself for the thanksgiving, atonement, and cleansing of the people and the world God created. Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane was to live out God's will, even when that will led him to the cruciform altar on Golgotha. His body was literally given for the sake of the people, just as the animals had been in rituals past.
In perhaps the most central line from the television mini-series Jesus earlier this year (May 14 and 17), Jesus says to his mother who questions why he has to give himself over to death at such an early age in his life: "I have to give everything so that they will know." What the people will know by his doing this is that indeed God loves them and calls for them to live out love in their relationships daily.
The hermeneutics of Hebrews is that Jesus abolishes the ritual sacrificial system through his own sacrifice on the cross. This action of offering his own body is what makes us holy before God. A refreshing translation by David Stern (Jewish New Testament) expresses the thoroughly Jewish setting in which Christians can declare, "Who is like Yahweh?" He renders 10:10: "It is in connection with this will that we have been separated for God and made holy, once and for all, through the offering of Yeshua the Messiah's body."
Luke 1:39-45
Family visits are not new. But, this particular family visit announced to the world a new thing that God was doing for the world. A new age was dawning, a time pregnant with the promises of God being fulfilled, as the wombs of Elizabeth and Mary were being filled full with the children of the promise -- first Elijah, then the Messiah; John, then Jesus.
Elizabeth's "reproach among men" was similar to Hannah's (1 Samuel 1). Both were favored by God with sons, whom they dedicated to the Lord's service. Samuel ushered in the age of kings for the people of God; John, the age of the King of kings for the people of the world. Even before John would speak his first prophetic words in the wilderness, he announced the coming of the Lord from the womb, as he leaped/kicked when Mary arrived and greeted Elizabeth.
For now, however, the scene we have to witness is simply a meeting of two women, who come together to compare notes in response to the acclamation, "Who is like Yahweh?" God has blessed each of them respectively. In a moment, Mary would utter her beautiful Magnificat. First, Elizabeth sets the tone, voicing a blessing over Mary and the fruit of her womb. Elizabeth is awe-struck that Mary, the mother of the Messiah, would visit her. She is certainly grateful for the inexpressible gift given to her in her barrenness; yet, she is able to recognize an even greater gift soon to be given to the world through the birth of Mary's child. Indeed, who is like Yahweh? Blessed are all those who believe the word of Yahweh, who fulfills his promises!
Here with these two women of no particular repute, God confirms his power to do what he wills to do. If God can do so with them, he can certainly do so with others. No matter what circumstances surround one, it is only necessary to believe "that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken" (1:45). With haste Mary went to Elizabeth to verify what had been told her. With haste the shepherds would go into the village of Bethlehem to verify what had been told them. God's promises bring into seasons of waiting and longing an eagerness for the truth, to know if what the Lord says is. Joy is discovering that God is faithful to his word. The season of promises and waiting is ready to become the season of fulfillment and joy. Anticipation and preparation are ready to give way now to celebration. Really, who is like Yahweh?
Application
Last spring a columnist for The Washington Post suggested that the church "rewrite the Passion," so as to absolve the Jews from guilt for the death of Jesus, since it was Pilate's judgment that sent him to the cross. Unfortunately, political correctness is poor scholarship and the syncretistic mood of the day is a poor remedy for facing the hard realities of truth and history. Addressing a world ruled by relativism and revisionism, the preacher has the daunting task to proclaim the radical authority of God which establishes the course of events and reveals the divine purpose. Micah provides mountain-top real estate on which to stand to see God striding through history, unfolding his judgments and mercies upon the world. Assyria will be vanquished (5:5-6); yet, the people will be deported into Babylon (4:10). God's people will be dispersed throughout the nations and there will be judgment against all disobedience (5:7-15); yet, God's delight is in his love and there will be forgiveness (7:18-20). God's participation in our own lives today can be understood by this dual movement. Let us examine ourselves carefully with prophetic passion to see where the threads of our lives are becoming unraveled from God's design. Let us also affirm with prophetic confidence that God's faithfulness will be expressed from consummate judgment to compassionate consummation. This is the warp and woof of history's tapestry for times past and into times future.
In the midst of this history, Jesus comes. "Lo, I come," he says. "This is my body given for you; my blood, shed for you." Through a single, human lifetime, the divine life puts to rest any other claim to save the world. It is a fait accompli, once for all. His good work puts our good works into their proper place. Our good works are a thankful response to what God has already done for us so well through Christ Jesus. It is through him, and him alone, that we have access to the grace in which we now stand (Romans 5:2 and Acts 4:12). Set aside as part of the old order, the system of law and human sacrifices/offerings, are the notions that "You have to be good to get to heaven," "If anyone deserves to go to heaven, he/she does," "I try my best and that's all anyone/God can expect," "We are all striving to go to the same place after all."
The story of Elizabeth and Mary before the births of their sons is a delightful account of how it is God who shapes our lives and blesses us with favor that is even beyond our expectations. Elizabeth was only hoping for a child. She was blessed with John the Baptist, forerunner of the Messiah. Mary was not even expecting a child, because she was not even married yet, nor had she been intimate with a man. She was blessed with the Messiah himself. Elizabeth and Mary give any person in any situation cause to hope in the wonderful activity of God. Who is like Yahweh?
Yes, who is like Yahweh, who even gives the unborn the privilege of heralding God with us? John's in utero response to Mary's voice is a vivid expression of the value of all human life and the capacity of all human life to respond to the presence and power of God with us and within us. It is time now to set aside our waiting expectations and embrace with joy what God so graciously provides for us himself. It is time to welcome the Christ of Christmas.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Micah 5:2-5a
Micah 5:2-4 is quoted in the Septuagint version of Matthew 2:6, and both Luke 2:4 and John 7:42 understand the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem to be the fulfillment of this promise from Micah. However, the lectionary pairs the text with Mary's Magnificat, looking forward to that fulfillment. Certainly the Micah text helps prepare us for Christmas by describing in part the nature of the Messiah who is to come.
The historical context of our stated text is the siege of Jerusalem by the troops of Babylonia in 588 B.C. The two passages in 4:9-10 and 4:11-13 that precede our text also are set in that context, and all three begin with the word "now" (4:9, 11; 5:1). In addition, all three portray Judah's desperate situation during the siege and then describe God's salvation yet to come. Micah 5:1 is almost unreadable in the Hebrew, but apparently refers to the effort of the Judeans to gather together their remaining troops to turn back the siege. The last half of the verse, however, is a reference to the humiliation of the davidic king Jehoiachin, who was carried into Babylonian exile in 597 B.C.
Perhaps the important point for our purpose is the fact that in the midst of the most desperate situation, God promises his rescuing Messiah, his anointed davidic King, in fulfillment of his promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:13. That promise stated that there would never be lacking a davidic heir to sit upon the throne. Now, in concert with Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6, and Ezekiel 34:23, 37:24, God declares that the Messiah will come. He is not promised when everything is peaceful and beautiful or when everyone has turned to the Lord, however. He is promised when Judah is fighting for its life and freedom, in the midst of war. He is promised when everything looks dark and hopeless, and life seems to be at the end of its rope. He is promised in the midst of suffering and strife, when there is anguish and fear, and despair and darkness inhabit human hearts. In short, he comes into real human life, into the turmoils of history, into your life and mine.
The Messiah doesn't come from some magnificent background, however. He is from one of the smallest clans, one of the smallest collections of families, in Israel, and he is born of a hitherto unknown peasant woman named Mary, whose husband will be a humble carpenter. So he shares in the ordinary life of you and me, doesn't he? That always seems to be the way with this God of the Bible -- choosing what seems insignificant to work his will, designating what is weak in the world to shame the strong (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29), so that the glory belongs to the Lord and not to human prowess.
We human beings cannot save ourselves, however, and so our Messiah not only shares our ordinary human life. He also comes from God, because God is the only one who can save us. The Messiah's "origin is from old," says our text, "from ancient of days." And that has an air of mystery about it, doesn't it? Our Messiah comes from an eternity beyond our human knowledge, from a realm that we do not inhabit. And his birth was planned long, long ago. Our Messiah is not an accident suddenly dropped from the blue. He follows a long history of God working with the people called Israel. His origin reaches back beyond Moses and Abraham, beyond David and Saul, and yes, beyond the rulers and empires of our world. He comes from the God who created in the beginning, who set the galaxies whirling in space, who filled the earth with the races of humankind, and who watches and guides earth's progress until it becomes good and fair again. Our Messiah comes from God. And he comes to save us all.
The people of Judah are told in verse 3 of our text that they will undergo their suffering and exile to Babylonia. And you and I will experience many vicissitudes and travails in this crazy, wayward world of ours. Christmas does not exempt us from the consequences of our own foolish choices and actions. We sometimes put on a false cheerfulness in this season in the hope that it will banish the troubles in our lives. And perhaps this final Sunday in Advent is the time to repent of some of that foolishness. But, you see, beyond Judah's deserved suffering for her sin which is the cause of her exile by God, the Lord promises in our text a return of Israel to her land and a future for them. Beyond all the failures of our lives, the Lord promises a rescuing Messiah. As our Epistle Lesson from Hebrews says, God promises the Messiah's forgiveness for our sin. Indeed, our text from Micah promises us that our Messiah can give us a different life.
What does Micah say about this Savior, this davidic heir whose birthday we will celebrate on Monday? First of all, the prophet says that the davidic Messiah will stand. That is, his rule over our lives, over yours and mine, cannot be defeated. It will stand, it will endure, it will never pass away. There have been lots of tyrants and lots of evil forces that have tried to do away with the rule of Jesus Christ, haven't there? Every despot in history has tried to banish Jesus' name and disband his followers. And they have not been able to do so. Even in this secular society of ours, where it is against the law now to mention the name of Christ in school or public prayer, where the Christian way of life has sometimes been seen as naãve or ignorant or a crutch just for weaklings, Jesus Christ is still the figure that not even the most rabid atheist can discredit, because he stands, friends. His kingship endures. His sovereignty will never be overcome. So our lives are in mighty hands, aren't they?
Second, this Messiah, says our text from Micah, will feed his flock. Kings in the Bible are frequently referred to as the shepherds of their people, and our Messiah, Jesus Christ, is our invincible King and our Good Shepherd. And he can feed us, can't he? Not only does he faithfully give us our daily bread, but under his rule we can daily be fed by his Spirit. He can give us strength in the midst of our weakness, hope when we despair, healing when we know pain or loss, forgiveness when we are crushed by guilt. And the joy, friends, the joy with which he is able to flood our hearts -- that can be almost overwhelming -- when we realize that he is with us every moment, that he will never desert us, and that we are wrapped about with his love and mercy as if with air.
No wonder, then, in the third place that our text from Micah tells us that our Messiah also can give us security, for what have we to fear since our Messiah, our Christ, comes to us? As the words of the Apostle Paul remind us, "Who can condemn? Only Christ. And Christ died for us, Christ was raised for us, Christ prays for us" (Romans 8:34). Nothing in heaven or earth, and not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so too with the psalmist you and I can affirm, "In God I trust without a fear. What can a mere mortal do to me?" (Psalm 56:11). Surely, surely in that faith, we all can have a merry Christmas.
Still in this season of Advent, yet on the threshold of Christmas, the church raises a different question for the world to hear: "Who is like Yahweh?" At this time of endings, God is working new beginnings, as our texts recount from previous years. This marvelously active God is still bringing about fresh hope in the world today through the power of his word applied to today's events and our longings for tomorrow.
Micah 5:2-5a
Preaching for Micah is like standing at once on all the peaks of a mountain range, from the foothills to the summit. From the advantage of hindsight, one can see how his word applies to so many periods in history with prophetic precision. True to his name (Micah means "Who is like Yahweh?"), Micah takes on the nations of the ages and lifts up his God against them, like a harvester gathering "sheaves to the threshing floor" (4:12).
Prophesying in the latter half of the eighth century B.C., Micah provides a word of hope for a people who are hard pressed on every side. At this time, both the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom are oppressed by Assyria. The people long for deliverance. The North does not get it; the South is reprieved, but only for a time.
Micah speaks of God raising up a ruler in Israel who will champion the cause of God's people. This ruler, whose "origin is from of old, from ancient days," will bring God's recompense to the people (see 7:18-20). For those who take seriously the Old Testament as a Christological and Trinitarian seed bed, this reference pertaining to origin will provide a springboard to reflect upon these weighty issues of Christian doctrine, perhaps bringing one back to the primal conversation of God prior to our creation (Genesis 1:26). For those who want to remain grounded in more historical references, the emphasis will be on God's activity and promises to the patriarchs, which will unfold with relevant clarity as God redeems his people (see again 7:18-20).
Either way, the point is to pay attention to what God is doing, for "Who is like Yahweh?" Even out of the small clan of Bethlehem, God can counter the moves of the great empires of the day. This does not mean it will be easy. Earlier, Micah prods his listeners to face the reality of the day: "Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail" (4:10). He anticipates exile, but as the very place where God will rescue his people. Only through the pain of judgment will there come the pleasure of salvation. The prophet Isaiah would also conjure up such a dialectical image: "With his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).
Indeed, who is like Yahweh? Mary herself will find out very soon, as she enters into travail in the little hamlet of Bethlehem and gives birth to the one who will put flesh on all these promises and past activities of God on behalf of Zion and the entire world.
Hebrews 10:5-10
Within the rich and ingrained Judeo history of sacrifice, the writer to the Hebrews lifts up the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ to fulfill the requirements of the system. The system was established as a visual and experiential way to express relationship and reconciliation with God. Sacrifices were used for purposes of joy and thanksgiving, and also for confession and repentance. In the system, the grains and incense and animals were a symbol of the people, who offered their lives before the Holy One in adoration, humility, and service. As with the systems of all other people, the actions of sacrifice were of necessity continually repeated. Now, with the advent of Jesus Christ, the recurring actions of the system are replaced with his single, "once for all" action on the cross -- his body given for all.
The theme of the entire letter (apologetic treatise) is the all-sufficiency of Christ to fulfill the law, the demands of the system. The first sentence sets the tone: "In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son ..." (1:1). The work of the Son replaces the work of the priests and the people within the confines of the sacrificial system. The replacement does not come without cost. Herod will see to it that even children are sacrificed to retain the authority of human will (Matthew 2:16-18). Caiaphas will argue that the expeditious death of Jesus will preserve the nation and its heritage, which includes the priestly cast and the temple sacrifices (John 11:45-53). They both properly perceived the threat to their human traditions of power and ritual, but they misjudged the ability of God to implement his divine plan despite and even through their efforts.
Reporting the words of the Psalmist on the lips of Jesus (10:5-7 parallel Psalm 40:6-8), the writer of the Letter of Hebrews comments on the meaning of Christ's ministry in relationship to the entire sacrifice system. Burnt offerings were the most common and most general sacrifice, providing thanksgiving or atonement. The animal was offered on the altar and completely consumed with fire (except the hide, which was given to the priest). Sin offering, actually a cleansing offering, prepared the person or the place for a pure sacrifice. These offerings, it is announced, are now superceded by Jesus, who will do God's will with his body, offering himself for the thanksgiving, atonement, and cleansing of the people and the world God created. Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane was to live out God's will, even when that will led him to the cruciform altar on Golgotha. His body was literally given for the sake of the people, just as the animals had been in rituals past.
In perhaps the most central line from the television mini-series Jesus earlier this year (May 14 and 17), Jesus says to his mother who questions why he has to give himself over to death at such an early age in his life: "I have to give everything so that they will know." What the people will know by his doing this is that indeed God loves them and calls for them to live out love in their relationships daily.
The hermeneutics of Hebrews is that Jesus abolishes the ritual sacrificial system through his own sacrifice on the cross. This action of offering his own body is what makes us holy before God. A refreshing translation by David Stern (Jewish New Testament) expresses the thoroughly Jewish setting in which Christians can declare, "Who is like Yahweh?" He renders 10:10: "It is in connection with this will that we have been separated for God and made holy, once and for all, through the offering of Yeshua the Messiah's body."
Luke 1:39-45
Family visits are not new. But, this particular family visit announced to the world a new thing that God was doing for the world. A new age was dawning, a time pregnant with the promises of God being fulfilled, as the wombs of Elizabeth and Mary were being filled full with the children of the promise -- first Elijah, then the Messiah; John, then Jesus.
Elizabeth's "reproach among men" was similar to Hannah's (1 Samuel 1). Both were favored by God with sons, whom they dedicated to the Lord's service. Samuel ushered in the age of kings for the people of God; John, the age of the King of kings for the people of the world. Even before John would speak his first prophetic words in the wilderness, he announced the coming of the Lord from the womb, as he leaped/kicked when Mary arrived and greeted Elizabeth.
For now, however, the scene we have to witness is simply a meeting of two women, who come together to compare notes in response to the acclamation, "Who is like Yahweh?" God has blessed each of them respectively. In a moment, Mary would utter her beautiful Magnificat. First, Elizabeth sets the tone, voicing a blessing over Mary and the fruit of her womb. Elizabeth is awe-struck that Mary, the mother of the Messiah, would visit her. She is certainly grateful for the inexpressible gift given to her in her barrenness; yet, she is able to recognize an even greater gift soon to be given to the world through the birth of Mary's child. Indeed, who is like Yahweh? Blessed are all those who believe the word of Yahweh, who fulfills his promises!
Here with these two women of no particular repute, God confirms his power to do what he wills to do. If God can do so with them, he can certainly do so with others. No matter what circumstances surround one, it is only necessary to believe "that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken" (1:45). With haste Mary went to Elizabeth to verify what had been told her. With haste the shepherds would go into the village of Bethlehem to verify what had been told them. God's promises bring into seasons of waiting and longing an eagerness for the truth, to know if what the Lord says is. Joy is discovering that God is faithful to his word. The season of promises and waiting is ready to become the season of fulfillment and joy. Anticipation and preparation are ready to give way now to celebration. Really, who is like Yahweh?
Application
Last spring a columnist for The Washington Post suggested that the church "rewrite the Passion," so as to absolve the Jews from guilt for the death of Jesus, since it was Pilate's judgment that sent him to the cross. Unfortunately, political correctness is poor scholarship and the syncretistic mood of the day is a poor remedy for facing the hard realities of truth and history. Addressing a world ruled by relativism and revisionism, the preacher has the daunting task to proclaim the radical authority of God which establishes the course of events and reveals the divine purpose. Micah provides mountain-top real estate on which to stand to see God striding through history, unfolding his judgments and mercies upon the world. Assyria will be vanquished (5:5-6); yet, the people will be deported into Babylon (4:10). God's people will be dispersed throughout the nations and there will be judgment against all disobedience (5:7-15); yet, God's delight is in his love and there will be forgiveness (7:18-20). God's participation in our own lives today can be understood by this dual movement. Let us examine ourselves carefully with prophetic passion to see where the threads of our lives are becoming unraveled from God's design. Let us also affirm with prophetic confidence that God's faithfulness will be expressed from consummate judgment to compassionate consummation. This is the warp and woof of history's tapestry for times past and into times future.
In the midst of this history, Jesus comes. "Lo, I come," he says. "This is my body given for you; my blood, shed for you." Through a single, human lifetime, the divine life puts to rest any other claim to save the world. It is a fait accompli, once for all. His good work puts our good works into their proper place. Our good works are a thankful response to what God has already done for us so well through Christ Jesus. It is through him, and him alone, that we have access to the grace in which we now stand (Romans 5:2 and Acts 4:12). Set aside as part of the old order, the system of law and human sacrifices/offerings, are the notions that "You have to be good to get to heaven," "If anyone deserves to go to heaven, he/she does," "I try my best and that's all anyone/God can expect," "We are all striving to go to the same place after all."
The story of Elizabeth and Mary before the births of their sons is a delightful account of how it is God who shapes our lives and blesses us with favor that is even beyond our expectations. Elizabeth was only hoping for a child. She was blessed with John the Baptist, forerunner of the Messiah. Mary was not even expecting a child, because she was not even married yet, nor had she been intimate with a man. She was blessed with the Messiah himself. Elizabeth and Mary give any person in any situation cause to hope in the wonderful activity of God. Who is like Yahweh?
Yes, who is like Yahweh, who even gives the unborn the privilege of heralding God with us? John's in utero response to Mary's voice is a vivid expression of the value of all human life and the capacity of all human life to respond to the presence and power of God with us and within us. It is time now to set aside our waiting expectations and embrace with joy what God so graciously provides for us himself. It is time to welcome the Christ of Christmas.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Micah 5:2-5a
Micah 5:2-4 is quoted in the Septuagint version of Matthew 2:6, and both Luke 2:4 and John 7:42 understand the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem to be the fulfillment of this promise from Micah. However, the lectionary pairs the text with Mary's Magnificat, looking forward to that fulfillment. Certainly the Micah text helps prepare us for Christmas by describing in part the nature of the Messiah who is to come.
The historical context of our stated text is the siege of Jerusalem by the troops of Babylonia in 588 B.C. The two passages in 4:9-10 and 4:11-13 that precede our text also are set in that context, and all three begin with the word "now" (4:9, 11; 5:1). In addition, all three portray Judah's desperate situation during the siege and then describe God's salvation yet to come. Micah 5:1 is almost unreadable in the Hebrew, but apparently refers to the effort of the Judeans to gather together their remaining troops to turn back the siege. The last half of the verse, however, is a reference to the humiliation of the davidic king Jehoiachin, who was carried into Babylonian exile in 597 B.C.
Perhaps the important point for our purpose is the fact that in the midst of the most desperate situation, God promises his rescuing Messiah, his anointed davidic King, in fulfillment of his promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:13. That promise stated that there would never be lacking a davidic heir to sit upon the throne. Now, in concert with Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5-6, and Ezekiel 34:23, 37:24, God declares that the Messiah will come. He is not promised when everything is peaceful and beautiful or when everyone has turned to the Lord, however. He is promised when Judah is fighting for its life and freedom, in the midst of war. He is promised when everything looks dark and hopeless, and life seems to be at the end of its rope. He is promised in the midst of suffering and strife, when there is anguish and fear, and despair and darkness inhabit human hearts. In short, he comes into real human life, into the turmoils of history, into your life and mine.
The Messiah doesn't come from some magnificent background, however. He is from one of the smallest clans, one of the smallest collections of families, in Israel, and he is born of a hitherto unknown peasant woman named Mary, whose husband will be a humble carpenter. So he shares in the ordinary life of you and me, doesn't he? That always seems to be the way with this God of the Bible -- choosing what seems insignificant to work his will, designating what is weak in the world to shame the strong (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29), so that the glory belongs to the Lord and not to human prowess.
We human beings cannot save ourselves, however, and so our Messiah not only shares our ordinary human life. He also comes from God, because God is the only one who can save us. The Messiah's "origin is from old," says our text, "from ancient of days." And that has an air of mystery about it, doesn't it? Our Messiah comes from an eternity beyond our human knowledge, from a realm that we do not inhabit. And his birth was planned long, long ago. Our Messiah is not an accident suddenly dropped from the blue. He follows a long history of God working with the people called Israel. His origin reaches back beyond Moses and Abraham, beyond David and Saul, and yes, beyond the rulers and empires of our world. He comes from the God who created in the beginning, who set the galaxies whirling in space, who filled the earth with the races of humankind, and who watches and guides earth's progress until it becomes good and fair again. Our Messiah comes from God. And he comes to save us all.
The people of Judah are told in verse 3 of our text that they will undergo their suffering and exile to Babylonia. And you and I will experience many vicissitudes and travails in this crazy, wayward world of ours. Christmas does not exempt us from the consequences of our own foolish choices and actions. We sometimes put on a false cheerfulness in this season in the hope that it will banish the troubles in our lives. And perhaps this final Sunday in Advent is the time to repent of some of that foolishness. But, you see, beyond Judah's deserved suffering for her sin which is the cause of her exile by God, the Lord promises in our text a return of Israel to her land and a future for them. Beyond all the failures of our lives, the Lord promises a rescuing Messiah. As our Epistle Lesson from Hebrews says, God promises the Messiah's forgiveness for our sin. Indeed, our text from Micah promises us that our Messiah can give us a different life.
What does Micah say about this Savior, this davidic heir whose birthday we will celebrate on Monday? First of all, the prophet says that the davidic Messiah will stand. That is, his rule over our lives, over yours and mine, cannot be defeated. It will stand, it will endure, it will never pass away. There have been lots of tyrants and lots of evil forces that have tried to do away with the rule of Jesus Christ, haven't there? Every despot in history has tried to banish Jesus' name and disband his followers. And they have not been able to do so. Even in this secular society of ours, where it is against the law now to mention the name of Christ in school or public prayer, where the Christian way of life has sometimes been seen as naãve or ignorant or a crutch just for weaklings, Jesus Christ is still the figure that not even the most rabid atheist can discredit, because he stands, friends. His kingship endures. His sovereignty will never be overcome. So our lives are in mighty hands, aren't they?
Second, this Messiah, says our text from Micah, will feed his flock. Kings in the Bible are frequently referred to as the shepherds of their people, and our Messiah, Jesus Christ, is our invincible King and our Good Shepherd. And he can feed us, can't he? Not only does he faithfully give us our daily bread, but under his rule we can daily be fed by his Spirit. He can give us strength in the midst of our weakness, hope when we despair, healing when we know pain or loss, forgiveness when we are crushed by guilt. And the joy, friends, the joy with which he is able to flood our hearts -- that can be almost overwhelming -- when we realize that he is with us every moment, that he will never desert us, and that we are wrapped about with his love and mercy as if with air.
No wonder, then, in the third place that our text from Micah tells us that our Messiah also can give us security, for what have we to fear since our Messiah, our Christ, comes to us? As the words of the Apostle Paul remind us, "Who can condemn? Only Christ. And Christ died for us, Christ was raised for us, Christ prays for us" (Romans 8:34). Nothing in heaven or earth, and not even death, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so too with the psalmist you and I can affirm, "In God I trust without a fear. What can a mere mortal do to me?" (Psalm 56:11). Surely, surely in that faith, we all can have a merry Christmas.
