Advent Greetings,
“For unto us a child is born…”
What comes to mind when you read these words from the Prophet Isaiah? There are many possibilities…
Perhaps you are among the minority of Christians who attend worship on Christmas Day, when Isaiah 9:2-7 is the first lectionary reading every year? But after attending worship on Christmas Eve, we know that most Christians in America stay home in their pajamas on Christmas Day.
Maybe you SANG these prophetic words more-so than read them? The tune from Handel’s famous Messiah comes quickly to the minds of millions who have presented that oratorio based on the Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. Can you hear it?
Or are you among those who embrace the weekly themes of Advent and recognize these words from Week 1: The Prophet’s Candle of Hope? What better way to begin a new calendar year in the Christian tradition than with a word of hope.
Thomas Ingmire’s illumination, Messianic Predictions, provides yet another first thought when reading the words of Isaiah. His is a splendid presentation of these and other words from the Prophet. The many different names of the child to be born ignites a universal understanding of the importance of Emmanuel—God with us.
So, whether it’s Hope, Handel, or The Saint John’s Bible, my prayer for you in this Advent season is a celebration that God is with us–365 days a year and 24 hours a day. May you be blessed with a very real and compelling sense of God’s presence.
For unto us a child is born…
Rev. Dr. John F. Ross
Executive Director
The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Program
C 952.240.4688
jross001@csbsju.edu
https://heritage.saintjohnsbible.org
Authors Note
If you won’t have a chance to see and hear Handel’s Messiah this Advent, Click Here to watch St Martin-in-the-Fields Hallelujah Chorus with digital projection art by Nina Dunn of Ingmire’s Messianic Predictions illumination.
Or if you have more than 4 minutes to spare, Click Here to watch a full presentation of Handel’s Messiah as presented just this past Sunday at First-Plymouth Church, Lincoln, Nebraska.