| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi 5:1-4a | Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 | Heb 10:5-10 | Lk 1:39-45 |
| RCL: Lk 1:39-45 [46-55] |
Advent: prophecies and their fulfillments
Advent is the season of waiting and preparation: looking back to Jesus’ first coming in history, and looking forward to his second coming. The final Advent Sunday readings focus on prophecy and fulfillment.
First reading (Mi 5:1-4a)
The first reading is from the prophet Micah, who was active in Judah after the destruction of the northern kingdom (721 BC) and Sennacherib’s invasion of the southern kingdom (701 BC). In today’s pericope, Micah foretells that God will raise up a new “ruler” and “shepherd” from David’s line (“whose origin is from of old”) from “Bethlehem” (David’s home town) to rule Israel. God will send this leader as part of God’s restoration (“the rest of his kindred return”), and this king’s reign will be so glorious that its fame will reach all the world (“the ends of the earth”). This ruler symbolizes peace (“he shall be peace”) and will bring about harmony and wholeness (Hebrew: shalom). The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it foretells the coming of an anointed one (messiah) from Bethlehem who will shepherd God’s people with peace (shalom).
Second reading (Heb 10:5-10)
The second reading is from the letter to the Hebrews, a late first century sermon by an unknown author writing to the Roman ekklesia. The author draws parallels between the Jewish priesthood and Jesus’ priestly service. In today’s pericope, the Hebrews author quotes Psalm 40 to show how Jesus’ incarnation (“when Christ came into the world”) enables our salvation. First, the Hebrews author lists the sacrifices formerly offered in the Jerusalem temple: “sacrifices, offerings, holocausts, sin offerings.” He then notes, according to the psalm, that even when these sacrifices were offered perfectly (“according to the Law”), God would still rather have faithfulness or obedience to God’s will (“I come to do your will”). That is, sacrifice without complete faithfulness or obedience is an empty action. Then the Hebrews author links Jesus’ incarnation ( “a body you prepared for me”) with his self-giving sacrifice (“I come to do your will”). That is, through his incarnation, Jesus is able to follow God’s will perfectly, including his self-offering of his sacrificial life and death. Jesus’ perfect faithfulness (“the offering of the body of Jesus”) abolishes the need for all other sacrifices (“takes away the first [sacrifices]”) and enables our salvation (“to establish the second [our “consecration” and salvation]). The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it provides the reason for the incarnation: Jesus accomplishes the Father’s will through his transformative physical life and death.
Gospel (Lk 1:39-45)
Throughout Advent, Luke has presented the promise of Jesus’ return (First Sunday), and the Baptizer’s prophecy of the coming one (Second and Third Sundays). In today’s pericope, Luke connects Zechariah’s and Mary’s annunciations, continuing his theme of prophecy and fulfillment with Elizabeth and Mary.
- What has been foretold is fulfilled. Mary travels to Elizabeth because Gabriel has foretold that Elizabeth is pregnant (Lk 1:36); Elizabeth fulfills the angel’s sign when “the infant leaps in her womb” at Mary’s greeting. The Baptizer’s “leaping” also fulfills Gabriel’s prophecy to Zechariah that his son is “filled with the Spirit, even in his mother’s womb” (Lk 1:15).
- What is yet to come. Filled with the Spirit, Elizabeth reveals undisclosed information about Mary’s condition (she is pregnant, “the fruit of your womb”) and Jesus’ status (he is God’s son, “my Lord”). Elizabeth calls Mary “blessed,” that is, she foretells that God has chosen Mary to participate in God’s saving plan (“what was spoken to you by the Lord”). Elizabeth “blesses” Mary’s faith (“you who believed”) as a disciple. Luke, using the same word that introduces the beatitudes (Lk 6:20-22), foretells this blessing for Mary and for all future disciples who believe what the Lord speaks and promises.
Summary and reflection
These final Advent readings ask us to think about how we encounter prophecy and prophetic fulfillment in scripture and in our own lives. Micah foretells a coming shepherd from David’s line who will rule with peace. The Hebrews author explains how the psalmist’s prophecy about God’s preference for faithfulness over sacrifices is fulfilled in Jesus’ incarnation and faithful obedience. Luke shows how Gabriel’s prophecies are fulfilled in Elizabeth and Mary, who themselves foretell greater wonders to come.
God’s prophecy and fulfillment continues in our own day. Do we assume that the Hebrew prophets’ promises are fulfilled only in Jesus, or can we see that the prophets express God’s larger divine plan for all people? Do we hear the psalms address only ancient worries of dead poets, or do the psalms express our own longing for God’s presence, attention, and justice? Do we think that God no longer speaks or fulfills promises, or are we open to encountering God’s continuing words and actions that complete God’s saving plan in our lives and beyond? In preparing for Jesus’ coming, have we made God small to fit within our personal history, or can we let God be larger than all history to complete the work of salvation for all?
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 