Prpohesy in Darkness: Advent Devotional 1

It is all too easy for even seasoned Christians to think of the Old and New Testaments as being disconnected, or two entirely separate stories. One of the blessings of Advent is that we are tasked to remember the Old Testament prophets who proclaimed the Messiah. Their prophesies may have seemed like little more than wishful thinking to a land in decline, but having the benefit of time, we can see the obvious and God-given signs that point to Christ.

An amazing thought, isn’t it? That Christ was there even in Old Testament times. Ages before his birth, people were talking about Him. Then again, perhaps it shouldn’t be so surprising to us. John 1:1 tells us that Christ was there in the beginning. Why should we think He wasn’t present during the Flood, or with Daniel, David, or Saul? Why is it so surprising when Micah tells us of a promised ruler from Bethlehem, whose origins are from ancient times, and says that

“He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace.” (Micah 5:4-5)

Isaiah 9 gives us the names to call this Messiah, and even his hometown: Our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace will come from Galilee of the Gentiles, by way of the sea, along the Jordan (Is 9:1-6). Of course, the Prophet Isaiah has the most prophesies concerning the coming Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 says that the “virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 11 tells of a shoot from the stump of Jesse and his peaceful Kingdom.

Isaiah 53, however, is probably the most iconographic prophesy where the Messiah is “pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” At the end of the chapter, after detailing further humiliation (“he was despised and rejected by men”), degradation (to the point where “his form was marred beyond human likeness”), and eventual glory for this Messiah (“after the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied”), Isaiah finishes with this: “he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Sound familiar? You know, that little something in the New Testament about Jesus going through whippings and degradations to the point where he was not recognizable as even human, and then being crucified with criminals and even pardoning one of them? Does that give you goosebumps too? There is nothing more eerie than comparing a prophesy with its fulfillment.

So, for this first Advent Devotional, I encourage you to read Isaiah 53 in its entirety. Make note of the particulars. Then read the entirety of Luke 23. Perhaps the crucifixion is an odd meditation for a season normally associated with babies, lambs, and shepherds. Then again, perhaps not; for this is the cornerstone of Christianity. This horrifying crucifixion, dreamed so long ago by a despised Prophet, has become our peace. And that is the trick of Advent.