Nativity of Our Lord
Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20
Oh, Immanuel – God with us, how we needed thee. The wait for better things is over! We are prisoners of gloom no more. You have come down, announced by the multitude of celestial hosts, to meet us once more in the valley of the shadow of death. Your hand is within reach. Quoting the mother of our Lord, “Let it be with us according to your word.” This is good news, right?
You bet it is, for it was the time of Emperor Augustus of Rome, known to be a divine son of god and a bearer of peace and good tidings to the world. This is true. You can’t make it up. Nonetheless, I suspect all the bliss was reserved for Caesar’s most loyal subjects, not for God’s beloved people. It was again a time of deep sorrow for them, this time under Roman reign. Part of that struggle was the newly imposed census (registration), which was carried out to collect taxes for Rome and forced Joseph and a very pregnant young lady to travel to the town of David. God is up to something extraordinary, for God is about to cause, as promised (2 Samuel 7:8-10,16), a major disruption in the “natural” order of things.
The echoes of that promise are heard in God’s words through Isaiah, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined (9:2)” and a child was born (6-7). For us, too, who were marked with the cross of Christ, this child fulfills the promise of everlasting peace for all who believe.
The author of the letter to Titus teaches about the fulfilled promise of deliverance to every Christian disciple born of water and Spirit. Through God’s grace, mercy, and loving-kindness, we are gifted with Jesus as a Savior for us, free of charge.
We sing the words of the Psalm 96:
“7Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord honor and power.11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it; let the field be joyful, and all therein.”
Bridging Faith 