Luke 1:39-45
And Come!
There are many things to love about Christmas. The gatherings, the presents, the food, the joy and feeling of the season, and many other things. But for me, one of the biggest reasons I love the Advent and Christmas seasons is because of the music. The hymns we sing during this time of year feel different from most other seasons. One hymn in particular is my favorite to sing, our Hymn of the day, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. This hymn has deep roots in Church history. It’s use begins all the way back before the eighth century. Each verse we sing was actually a prayer. These are called the great “O” antiphons... antiphon is the term for a chanted prayer. The church used these great antiphons during the seven days leading up to Christmas. For I want you to notice what our hymn says. Each verse uses a different title for Jesus which comes directly from Old Testament Prophecy. Emmanuel, Wisdom, Lord of Might, Branch of Jesse’s tree, Key of David, Dayspring, and Desire of nations. For each name is meant to teach us something different about what Jesus does. For instance, Emmanuel means God with us. The coming Messiah is to be God incarnate, God dwelling amongst man just as he did in the tabernacle and temple. Branch of Jesse comes from the promise to King David to have an heir on the throne forever. Key of David tells us that Jesus has the authority over the whole house of God, to unlock for us the door to salvation. And I could go on... but the point remains... the hymn isn’t just singing praises to Jesus. In each verse, we also say, “Come.” Come, Lord... because we need you to be these things for us.
Today, in our Gospel lesson, we begin to see how our prayers are answered. For already, in the womb of Mary, God has become incarnate for us. With eager anticipation, we await his birth, even as we say:
COME, O LORD, AND BE OUR IMMANUEL!
I.
We’re in this weird in-between time today. On the one hand, we’re still waiting and praying for Jesus to come. Like God’s people of Old, we’ve been told all the promises and prophecies. We simply have to wait to see them fulfilled. Yet, today, we get a glimpse of their fulfillment even before it happens. We follow along with Mary as she goes to visit her relative Elizabeth. Mary is fresh off a visit from the angel Gabriel, who tells her of the miraculous pregnancy she will have. But that’s not the only pregnancy Gabriel tells her of; Mary finds out that Elizabeth is pregnant as well—well past the normal childbearing age. Thus, she goes to visit, as we read, “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Luke 1:41-43. Jesus hasn’t been born yet, but Jesus is still present. John recognizes it before anyone else too… and he’s still in the womb also! The incarnation of our Lord begins with our Lord’s conception in the womb of Mary. Thus, Elizabeth calls Mary “the mother of my Lord.”
But we all understand that the promise isn’t that Jesus would become incarnate in the womb only. This is why we realize that he’s here, but we still pray, “Come.” We still await with eager anticipation the birth of our Lord. For our waiting isn’t without its pain. While we wait, we suffer under the weight of our sins. We wait longingly for his coming to finally deliver us from the evil and sin that wear us down. For that which has been conceived in us is the promise of everlasting life. We have the promise ever before our eyes, yet must wait through sin, evil, and death before it may give birth to a new man in us. Just as Paul teaches, All creation groans together in the pains of childbirth (Romans 8:22). With Mary, then, we wait. We celebrate our Lord’s coming, but are eager to be relieved of the pains we endure.
II.
Turn your gaze with me back to Mary and her visit to Elizabeth and let us see. Our Lord’s incarnation is the source of joy and hope for not just one promise, but every promise of God. By our Lord coming to dwell with us in our flesh, we foresee the fulfillment of all our Lord has spoken. Just as Mary believed all that Gabriel told her concerning our Lord’s incarnation, may we believe all Jesus has told us about his presence among us and his coming again. Just as Elizabeth said, “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord,” Luke 1:45. Mary is such an integral figure in salvation’s history, not only because she is the mother of our Lord, but because she believed in her own child. She believed that her child, Jesus would be everything that God had promised. She believed… that the child in her womb was Immanuel… God with us. And if God should so deign to come among us, how much more shall he fulfill every promise he has made?! Mary isn’t the only one who is blessed. Blessed are you who believe that the Lord shall fulfill his word to you. Blessed are you who believe not only in our Lord’s coming in the flesh through his conception in the womb of Mary, but in his coming through Word and Sacrament. Blessed are you who with eager anticipation await from the Lord the gift of eternal life!
So, stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy. And he does come. He comes to dwell among us, even face to face. Jesus came to be born in our flesh so that he may bear our sins upon himself and take them to the cross. For he who began this great work in you will see it to its completion in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus shall see to completion the work of your salvation. He shall come to you and be everything you need.
As we wait the return of our Lord, let us rejoice with Mary and Elizabeth, and all God’s people that our Lord has come. We rejoice with John that our Lord still comes to us through Word and Sacrament. But we also pray, come Lord… come and help us by Your might, be our Immanuel that we may rejoice with you for all eternity. In Jesus’ name! Amen!