Jesus Christ: Our Promise and Desire

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Christmas Vigil, Year C, December 24th, 2021
Texts: Is.62:1-5; Ps.89:4-5.16-17.27.29; Acts13:16-17.22-25; Mtt.1:1-25
Jesus is our promise and desire. It is our desire because we wait for His coming, the fulfilment of the promise. That He is our promise is clear in today's second reading as Paul says, "God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised." This has been an age long promise. Today's gospel reading tells us numbers of generations that passed from Abraham till the fulfilment of the promise, the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It also reveals that it is part of eternal plan of God, for His origin is in God. This is clear in the revelation that God is His Father, not Joseph. This fulfills the words of today's psalm:  “He will call out to me, ‘You are my father, my God, the rock of my salvation.’”
The promise was made known to our first parents, Adam and Eve, when they fell. Right from that time we have fallen short of God's glory. Our first parents disobeyed God and were driven out of His presence. Being driven out of His presence, we lose union with Him and consequently the grace of immortality. Having found ourselves in such a situation, encumbered by sins and lying helplessly, God made a promise to save us. He says,  "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” God also made the promise to Abraham that through his seed all nations will be blessed (Gen. 17:7). God did not stop Abraham, He also made promise of a prophet like Moses; he promised a prophet that all of us must listen to (Deut. 18:15-19). David was also promised of a son whose kingdom would be established forever. This is clear in today's psalm: 'With my chosen one I have made a covenant; I have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your descendants forever, and set up your throne through all ages'.”
God constantly reminded His people of this promise till when it was fulfilled in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jacob foretold Him; Balaam, a Gentile, did remind the people of the promise; Moses prefigured Him, so also David prefigured Him in His kingship and submission to the will of God. God also reminded His people through His prophets. In today's second reading, St. Paul speaks of John's the Baptist preaching of the promise, Jesus Christ. John the baptist was the last prophet and he pointed Him out when He came.
Today we read about the prophecy of Isaiah about the promise. In the prophetic words of Isaiah God tells us that He never keeps silent about His promise. Our celebration, today, acknowledges the truth that God has not been silent about us, He always works for our salvation. As He was not silent about the promise of a Saviour, He is not also silent about His promise to come again. Our celebration should remind us of the certainty  of His coming again and also should enhance proper preparation towards it. Advent, as a season in liturgical year and within time and space, has ended but as the mystery of our life, it continues till Christ comes again.
With the birth of Christ, we are vindicated. The promise is a promise of vindication. Prophet Isaiah says, "For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch." We may ask: of what are we vindicated? We are vindicated that we are truly the people of God, for He has come to save us, He has come down to live among us. Jesus Christ is our vindication and heavens and earth announce His birth: star announces it to the wise men while the angels announce it to the shepherds. Our vindication, Jesus Christ, has gone forth as brightness and being our salvation as a burning torch He has gone forth.
The birth of Jesus Christ has given us a new dignity. We are now a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of our God. St. Paul tells us about this new status thus: "and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). Being co-heirs with Him we are now sons and daughters of God.
The birth has also given us a marital status; we are married to our God. Hence, the lost union is restored with His birth. We are now one with Him in the flesh. The God who drove us out of His presence has come to dwell with us; He has followed us out of the garden to live with us. We are no longer abandoned or be called the desolate. We are now called a new name, 'My Delight'. At the birth of Jesus Christ, we know how much God loves us. This celebration is a celebration of love.

O God, who gladden us year by year as we wait in hope for our redemption, grant that, just as we joyfully welcome your Only Begotten Son as our Redeemer, we may also merit to face him confidently when he comes again as our Judge. Amen. (Collect)

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke