Advent Devotional 11.28.21

The First Sunday of Advent
Sunday, November 28, 2021

Preparation

A voice is crying out: ‘Clear the Lord’s way in the desert! Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God! Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be flattened. Uneven ground will become level, and rough terrain a valley plain. The Lord’s glory will appear, and all humanity will see it together; the Lord’s mouth has commanded it.’

Isaiah 40:3-5

 

John Ourensma and Pastor Bill Drew led our study ‘The Bible and Handel’s Messiah’ in the late 1990s. It was an intense musical and biblical study – extraordinary! Mom remembers the study today because she loves ‘The Messiah.’

Although George Frederick Handel created the music, Charles Jennens selected the scriptural verses for the oratorio. He used Isaiah 40 to begin the advent section of this sacred opera.

The opening piece sung by the tenor, or storyteller, was ‘Comfort ye. Comfort ye my people’ (40:1a). Isaiah spoke these words to the exiled Israelites’ after more than 40 years of their captivity in Babylon. It would be a new beginning for them to return to their homeland. It was suggested in the study text that comfort is what Jesus Christ would bring to the world – comfort and love.

Verses 3 & 4 are suggestive of John the Baptist’s call to ‘clear the path’ for the Messiah’s arrival. Verse 5 are the words that speak to Christians everywhere: ‘…the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.’ Christ was coming to save his people, just as God was coming to save the Israelites.
And so, the use of Old Testament passages in a very different context speak to the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us celebrate this season with much anticipation.

 

Prayer

Baby Jesus, you are adored! We wait with eagerness and hope every year. Help us silence our hearts and focus our minds on You.
Amen

Sue Healy