Posted on 12/22/2024 8:14:28 PM PST by lightman
At the heart of the Christmas story, nestled in the opening verses of two Gospels, lies the birth of Jesus, the long awaited Messiah. These words speak of a King born not in the grand halls of a world capital, but in the squalor of a manger—a place of vulnerability. As the angels proclaimed peace on earth, humanity was presented with the ultimate paradox: the Prince of Peace, born unexpectedly, in the midst of ongoing war and turmoil.
For centuries, the people of Israel had awaited the Messiah. Prophecies spoke of a leader—a descendant of David—who would reign with justice, righteousness, and power, establishing peace and ending war. Yet, the birth of Jesus subverted these expectations. His arrival in Bethlehem, a humble town far from the centers of power, in a stable—far from the palatial splendor expected—stood in stark contrast to the vision of the Messiah for whom they had hoped. This new King was not to be crowned with pomp and circumstance but laid in a manger.
The Jewish religious leaders—the priests, the scribes, and the political elite—failed to recognize Him. In contrast, it was three Gentiles—the Magi, astrologers from the East—who, guided by a star, traveled great distances to worship the newborn King. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—symbols of kingship, divinity, and sacrifice. In this moment of recognition, we see the first of many reversals in Jesus’s life.
“Emmanuel,” meaning “God with us,” speaks to the essence of the incarnation. The divine entered the human story, not from a throne of power or glory, but in the most vulnerable form imaginable: as a helpless infant. For Israel, the idea of God dwelling among them in such a form was incomprehensible. God had appeared to them in mighty and dramatic ways—through burning bushes, clouds, and powerful signs. But now, His reign would not be marked by military victories or territorial expansion, but as a savior bringing peace.“The lion will lie down with the lamb, and there will be no more war” (Isaiah 11:6). Recommended A Dem Donor's Family Member Summed Up a Meeting With Biden in Two Words Matt Vespa
In a world still torn by war, suffering, and oppression, Jesus brings a radically different message: the way of peace through humility and sacrifice. For Israel, this Messiah’s mission seemed subversive, even counterproductive. Why would God send a vulnerable child, who would grow up to be rejected, betrayed, and crucified, to lead His people? Yet, in this “stumbling block” lies the key to understanding the Messiah’s role: true peace cannot be achieved through force or domination. It comes instead through reconciliation, forgiveness, as a Savior.
The incarnation—the moment when God became man—transcends not only the aspirations of a single nation, but points to something deeply transcendent in all human beings. Jesus wasn’t merely a figure for one people, one land, or one age, but for all of humanity, to transcend all boundaries and offering a vision of peace for the whole world. His birth calls for an inward transformation, not a territorial expansion. This is the true meaning of the Christmas message: not a conqueror born to overthrow empires, but a child born to change hearts.
As we reflect on the Christmas story, The hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" reminds us of that ultimate sacrifice on the cross. In a world still rife with wars, we are called to embrace this peace—not through military power, but through the giving of life by the Messiah, who came into the world in the most humble form imaginable: an infant born in exile. No room at the inn, no ties to earthly kingdoms, but only a manger for the Prince of Peace.
For unto us a child is born, the fist noel, the King of Israel, the breakthrough moment for all mankind. Born not to a party or race, or gender, but for the souls of all who would believe. In silence one round yon virgin, with holy infant, to offer a new peace not by swords or assassinations, but with the guided light of new solidarity defined by shared suffering.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel
Ping.
Western Rite Orthodox include all seven stanzas of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” in its official hymnal.
It is important to remember that the Genealogy of Christ as recorded by Matthew the Evangelist notes that His ancestor Solomon was conceived by David through “the wife of Urriah”—in other words, through an act of seduction (rape?) followed by murder.
He Who condescended to redeem this broken, fallen world came from a “patralineal lineage” which itself was very broken and fallen.
My favorite Christmas song. I think trans Siberian orchestra is my favorite.
Yes. Matthew did not stoop to give her name. So many women in Jesus’ line were Gentile or fallen somehow. There is a Redeemer for all.
AMEN!
The women of the Matthean Genealogy all had checkered pasts-— except for the all-holy Theotokos!
Already in the Genealogy Matthew is foreshadowing the Great Commission of his final chapter!
I like “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel” (Veni, Veni Emmanuel) in the original Latin. Dating from the fifteenth century, it’s one of the oldest Christmas songs.
Aye; in Latin the stanzas sung sequentially beginning with “O Wisdom” (O Sapiente) on the evening of December 17 form a reverse acrostic: ERO CRAS which means “tomorrow, I come”
I wonderful piece here on the birth of Jesus.
Peace will only come with changed hearts. It cannot be enforced from outside. It must come from within by a heart that has been given nature of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Also Rahab the harlot, Ruth the Moabitess, and Tamar.
A few had recorded checkered pasts.
I’d say it’s unfair to imply all were in that category.
That hymn is one of my favorites.
The first place, IMO, however goes to O Holy Night.
"failed to recognize"
"incarnation"
It's so bad out there, that the Messiah wouldn't even be able to recognize his own self if he believed the settled doctrines. It does explain the need for them, though, from generation to generation.
As such, it takes a little ingenuity to problem-solve*.
The soul of the Messiah is described in terms that make it all-inclusive. Like the traditions about Adam's soul, the Messiah's soul is said to contain all souls, even all generations of souls.There are various myths portraying the Messiah's soul as being exiled or impris- oned. One such myth describes it as being held captive in chains. Others describe the soul as being lost in a desert. From the time of Moses there was the tradition that the Redeemer could be identified by a sign.
In the case of Moses, the words were I have taken note of you (Exod. 3:16). In the Midrash, Serah bat Asher, who lived from the time of Jacob until the time of Moses, is said to have identified Moses as the Redeemer. Likewise, there are certain signs that are said to accompany the Messiah, and here even these signs are said to have become lost, suggesting a time so chaotic that even if the Messiah appeared, no one would recognize him.
Fun fact: "Emmanuel" [עִמָּנוּ אֵל] = 197, the same as the number of letters in Day one of Creation (Gen 1:1-5)
Also, "Emmanuel" reads as עם נואל, but that's not the First Noel [נואל] in the Bible. It's located where some unnamed character had really struck a nerve:
Genesis 32:31 And as he passed over Penuel [פְּנוּאֵל] the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
Moshiach
The ultimate experience of suffusion with the Divine will occur in the messianic age. This will be a time when all veils will be removed and the glory of the Divine will radiate. This too is alluded to in our enigmatic verse, “If you will walk in My statutes.”
The verse begins with the Hebrew word im, which is spelled with the letters alef and mem. These letters form the acronym of all the redeemers in our national history.8
The redeemers from Egypt were Aaron and Moses. The redeemers from Persia were Esther and Mordechai. The redeemers from our exile will be Elijah and Moshiach. The message is that if we desire the messianic era of Divine revelation and inspiration, we must labor over the Torah today until we are suffused with the transcendence of the Divine. And then, Moshiach will come.
May that day come speedily in our times. Amen.
Team alef and mem -- how to lead an ox [א] to water [מ]...
*The Torah, it's an art and a science:
art [אמנות] + science [מדע] = Torah [תורה]
(497 + 114 = 611)
Beginning with: “In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan; Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone ….”, It speaks of a sad world the same as O Holy Night’s: “Long lay the world in sin and error pining.” And just as O Holy Night ends with: “Fall on your knees …” urging us to worship Him, it ends with a verse that always grabs my soul:
“What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.”
How about you?
Nice!
I got saved in Aug of 1977 and for Christmas every year, we had a Mitch Miller Christmas carols record we’d play. I grew up listening to that many times each Christmas season and so knew the words by heart by the time I was 13.
Well, we put it on the day after Thanksgiving and as I sat there listening to it, Hark the Herald Angels Sing came on and I was just blown away by the lyrics. Suddenly the depth of meaning to those lyrics really hit home and they made so much sense. I wondered how I could have missed the message of that song for so many years. I don’t think anything else ever happened to me to reveal the contrast between spiritual blindness and spiritual sight.
I think at this point, that one is #3 for me.
You make Catholics cry.
Yeah — Sure...
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