December 18, 2022, Fourth Sunday of Advent (Year A)
There is a lot of history that happens in the readings for today as we hear about what it means to trust in the Lord. The First Reading (Is 7:10-14) takes place during the time that the nation of Assyria was conquering much of Palestine, when Isaiah was the major prophet. At this time (735 BC) Ahaz was the king of the Southern Kingdom of Israel, or Judah. Ahaz was being coerced by two kings, Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel to join them in an alliance to fight against the mighty nation of Assyria.
Ahaz was uncertain about what action he should take in the midst of all of the controversy. So, the prophet Isaiah was sent by God to deliver a message to Ahaz. He told him to trust in the Lord, to ask him for a sign of victory, but Ahaz refused to ask the Lord for a sign. He preferred to depend upon the nation of Assyria for protection rather than trust in the might of God in the conflict.
Isaiah even gave Ahaz a prediction of what the sign would be. It would be a young maiden giving birth to a child who would eventually bring peace to Israel and the surrounding nations. He would be named Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Isaiah supposed that this child might be Hezekiah, the child who was born to Ahaz, especially because he was of the lineage of David.
But Hezekiah eventually just became another king who failed to trust in the Lord. Thus, it would not be for a number of years before their security against enemy empires, like Assyria and Babylon, and even Greece and Roman, would be accomplished through the birth of a young child, Emmanuel, who would bring the hope of salvation.
The decades past, and the Israelites continued to struggle amidst violence and warfare. With every newborn king they hoped that the messiah had come. But none fulfilled the prophecy. Then, centuries later, something fascinating happened. We hear about it in the Gospel for today (Mt 1:18-24). A young virgin named Mary was told by an angel that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and bear the child who would become the savior that Israel had long been waiting for.
Her betrothed, Joseph, was given the same Information by an angel in a dream so he would not fear the ramifications of what would appear to be a scandalous pregnancy. Now Joseph became the recipient of the well-known prophecy from many years earlier. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” (Mt. 1:23).
However, unlike Ahaz, Joseph trusted in the Lord. He discreetly took Mary into his home and acted as a father to the boy who was also a descendant of King David and thus worthy to carry the title, Son of God and savior for the people. In fact, this child would more than fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, as Messiah he would bring deliverance not just to Israel, but to all of the world.
After his death and Resurrection, Jesus, whose name translates from the Greek as “Yahweh saves,” ultimately fulfilled the role he was sent to accomplish, and through the establishment of his Church, provided his followers the hope they needed that one day peace and salvation would come to all believers.
This is what we celebrate during Advent. The fulfillment of a prophecy. The past event of the birth of Jesus and the anticipation of his future return in glory. With the state of the world we are now living in, it is easy to have doubts that things will ever change for the better and difficult to believe in the rescue by the forgiveness of our sins through our mighty savior. But all we need do is to trust and it will occur.
