Message, messenger or both

In the Advent season our thoughts turn to Christmas and advent of the Christ-child. Messages emphasize the Savior of the world and Christ the King. Angels, shepherds and wise men appear on the scene. Promises of long ago are emphasized in poems on Christmas cards. Peace on earth, good will toward men becomes a theme of the season and many try their best to live it during the season.

The message of Christmas began long ago in the Garden of Eden with a promise God made. In Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.”

Moses continued the promise in Deuteronomy 18:15, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.” And God repeats it in verse 18, “I will raise up from them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.”

Isaiah adds to the message of promise in Isaiah 9:2, “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah uses another figure in the promise of Isaiah 55:1, “Come all who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”

Micah says in Micah 7:7, “I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. The term, “God my Savior” is used throughout the Old Testament. It had meaning for Israel through their history as God saved them from enemies and unbelievable situations. But the fulfillment of a Savior is found in the expressions of the New Testament.

The message has little meaning without a messenger. On December 24, 1814 the Treaty of Ghent was signed. This was good news because it meant an end to the War of 1812. But this message of good news failed to reach far and wide as more battles were fought including the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815. Over 2100 British were either wounded or killed in the fight. The messenger had not reached Andrew Jackson with the good news of that Christmas Eve in Ghent and many lives were lost as a result.

The message of Advent is lost without a messenger. That messenger is Jesus Christ himself. Isaiah 7:14, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Again in Isaiah 9:6-7, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders…” The names of Jesus follow indicating the message he would bring. This will be eternal, emphasizing a kingdom of justice and righteousness forever. The message is promised again in Isaiah 49:6, “…I will make you a light to the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” This is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

This messenger is again promised in Micah 5:2, “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” His conclusion is made in Micah 5:5, “He will be their peace.” Micah again states clearly in Micah 7:7, “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord. I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”

The unique elements of the message and the messenger are intertwined. That is seen in both Old and New Testaments. The expressions used to describe the Christmas season express truths about the messenger.

The name “Immanuel” used for the son announced in Isaiah 7:14 is not just a name but has a theological meaning, “God with us.” The message and the messenger are combined in this meaning. Christ would be God Himself in person as he came to live among mankind, The names given him in Isaiah 9:6, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace” refer to promises Christ would fulfill and are used to announce the good news of Christmas.

The promise “Light for the Gentiles” referred to in Isaiah 49:6 is identified by Simeon in Luke 2:32 when he holds Jesus in his arms and declares the fulfillment. It is further fulfilled in the message Jesus proclaimed when he said, “I am the Light of the World” in John 8:12.

The ruler promised in Micah 5:2 is spoken of in Micah 5:5, “he will be their peace.” Not only does Jesus bring peace, he is the Peacemaker but he is also Peace. In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.” Paul says in Ephesians 2:14, “He is our peace.”

As Isaiah invites all who are thirsty to come, Jesus declares in John 4:10, he will give, all who ask, living water and in verse 14, such a person will thirst no more.

Jesus is the Savior of the world as announced in Matthew 1:21, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Luke agrees with it when he says, “Today is born for you in the town of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” This became central to the church’s theology as expressed in Ephesians 5:23, “Christ is head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” The church’s hope is in a coming Savior as Philippians 3:20, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The promise and message is also the messenger. The baby in the manger is the fulfillment of promise centuries ago. That message is eternal so it includes us as well. He is our Savior, our peace and so many other terms that described him. This hope is for the generations to come as well. May each of us keep the message spreading as the angels, shepherds and wise men did.