As we start the season of Advent, we remember the birth of Jesus and what it means for us and the Church. We are also reminded that Jesus’ birth was not just a happy co-incidence, but it was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. God had promised that messiah will come and restore what was lost in the fall (Genesis 3:15). This theme of a coming redeemer is present throughout the scriptures, so much so that the Jews were expecting the messiah around the time that Jesus came. Then when Jesus arrives he fulfills all the prophesies and predictions concerning messiah in the Old Testament, but still most Jews missed his arrival because he didn’t conform to their view of what Jesus needed to do. They were looking for someone who would defeat the Romans and restore Israel, but Jesus’ mission was so much bigger than that. Jesus’ mission was to restore all mankind to God for all time.
We have the advantage of looking back and seeing how God’s plan of redemption has played itself over centuries and culminated in the coming of Christ. We also have the promise that Jesus will one day return and complete God’s redemption plan. Sin and evil will be eradicated completely and we will live with God in eternity. We know that God is trustworthy because his prophesies were fulfilled in the past and we can have confidence that he will do so in the future.
As we remember Jesus’ birth we are also looking forward to his second coming. Maranatha! God Bless Christo