From Austin Seminary: "Advent Devotional" for December 24, Christmas Eve

"Advent ushers us into a season of anticipation, hope, and joy, as we await the day of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Messiah ... We intend this Advent Devotional booklet as a gift of the season for you, to signify our deep appreciation for all that you do for Austin Seminary. And we hope that you will share it with others, so that they may also partake in the blessings of Advent alongside us. Be assured that our hearts are joyful to overflowing as we celebrate together this season that anticipates what my dear friend John Rogers described in the title of his book, “The Birth of God.” May your heart overflow, as well."

G. Archer Frierson

Chair, Austin Seminary Board of Trustees

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Advent Devotional for December 24, Christmas Eve

• Isaiah 9:2-7

How is Jesus the fulfillment of the hopes expressed in this hymn? I think the most honest answer to this question is that Jesus both is and is not the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. In other words, the church reads this text most effectively when we read it with others who interpret it differently. And we do that best when we listen to how this text is read in the synagogue, the space where Jesus was nurtured in the faith of Israel.

One the one hand, Jesus is the fulfillment of hope. His preaching and teaching bring light to a world enshrouded in darkness by announcing that the day of the Lord is near. He heals the sick, touches the untouchable, and breaks bread with sinners, lifting burdens and breaking the bonds of oppression. At his birth, we celebrate nothing less than God’s presence in the flesh, the Wonderful Counselor who reveals God’s Word in his life. Yet on the other hand, there is much in this hymn that remains unfulfilled. We long for the endless peace that this prophecy announces. In every corner of the globe, people hunger for daily bread. Oppression continues to reign in a world where the powerful get what they want and the lowly long for a new day. And so the people of Israel still wait for Messiah to come.

Often we assume that these two interpretations of Isaiah are mutually exclusive. But what if we understood the Jewish reading of this text as essential for Christian interpretation? What if, in celebrating the birth of Jesus, we not only announced the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, but also the longing that God’s reign is not yet among us? What if the church, too, nourished practices of waiting for Messiah to come? And, what if, in our waiting, we encouraged one other to take up the invitation that Jesus gives, to become peacemakers in our own lives? Perhaps then we would understand this prophecy as an invitation into deeper relationship with one another as we anticipate the One who surely comes.

ven as we yearn for the Prince of Peace, hear us as we pray “Come Lord Jesus, Come.” Amen.

Dr. David H. Jensen
Academic Dean and Professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology

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For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

We hope that you are preparing the way for the Lord in your life as you read these meditations and prayers. And, we hope this Advent season is a meaningful one for you. Please know that Austin Seminary’s dedicated, diverse, and loving community of faith is not complete without you. Did you know?

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