- Psalmody: Isaiah 45:8a, Psalm 19:1; Psalm 24:7, 3-4a; Psalm 45:10a, 11a, 12b, 14–15; Luke 1:28bc, 42c; Isaiah 7:14b
- Lection: Isaiah 7:10-15; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38a
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Almighty God is in the business of bringing beautiful order to grotesque chaos in majestic reversal. He does this in our hearts out of which we think, say, and do sins aboundingly. By His Holy Spirit, He dwells in us as in a temple sanctifying the heart, which is unclean, that it might be a fount and testimony of good things to God’s glory. He brings order to the chaos of our world, for where He is love, trusted, and obeyed, good order prevails and the people prosper. He brings order to the whole creation’s chaos, so that what was once cursed by our fall might be made new again by the Lord’s own entering into it to redeem it, to redeem us, unto eternity.
Once in royal David’s city, Bethlehem, Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her baby In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child. It is that city, better-known for Christ’s infancy, over which the star rested leading the wise men to Him Who was born the King of the Jews, which is why Nazareth typically isn’t thought of until after the Holy Family’s return from Egypt, as the place where Jesus spent His childhood. But its significance is seen in the Annunciation in contrast to its commonly-held derision among those in Judah: Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Amen, amen Someone good has indeed come to and out of there, for it is the very place in all of His own-made creation to which the Lord came down from heaven when the Holy Spirit conceived the sinless little Child within Mary’s womb as the angel Gabriel was sent by God to the Virgin who called Nazareth home.
The name of the place itself carries prophetic worth and fulfillment. “Nazareth” is derived from the Hebrew נֵ֫צֶר (NAY-tsair), meaning “branch” due to the place being known for a profusion of branches therein. And by that we remember that it is written There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. (Is. 11:1) Some say that the city’s name is obscure and source unknown, especially since the Jews seemingly didn’t make the connection between Isaiah and Nazareth. Yet, I say how can that be used to discount it considering how they even treated Bethlehem, which they explicitly knew and confessed to be the place of the Christ’s birth while not only not flocking there with the Wise Men to worship the newborn King, but by also remaining instead with murderous Herod, and thus foreshadowing how Jerusalem would years later demand and gain the death of the King Who is not of this world. A good and righteous Branch has come to and out of Nazareth, and for Him we give everlasting thanks.
So, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. He was sent in great and decisive reversal in strong parallel to what had happened in our fall into sin. In one of his sermons, Johann Gerhard proclaims God’s gracious acts of contrast by magnificently saying,
We read Genesis 3:1 that an evil angel came to Eve and delivered to her a word of death. When poor Eve believed him, she conceived sin, which was transmitted to the whole human race. On the contrary the story before us tells us that a good angel came to Mary and brought her words of life. When Mary believed him, she conceived the Savior of the world, who later was born of her for the good of all men.
These two stories may aptly be contrasted with each other in this way, that the seduction of Satan whereby he deceived Eve and the good message of the angel which he brought holy Mary are viewed in opposition. Similarly the Apostle Paul contrasts the first and second Adam (Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15).
[In Genesis] the evil angel came soon after Creation, in springtime and, as the old teachers hold almost unanimously, on March 25; here the good angel comes with his joyous message in springtime also. For John the Baptist’s conception was announced in the fall, in September. In the sixth month after, that is on March 25, in spring, the angel came to Mary and announced to her the conception of God’s Son.
There the promise regarding the Seed of the woman was given after the fall into sin to the first parents in the cool of the day, toward evening; here the good angel comes with his message toward the evening of the world, in the last portion of time, and announces that this promise is about to be fulfilled.
There an evil angel came, for the devil spoke to the first parents through the serpent; here a good angel is sent by the Lord God, through whom God Himself speaks to Mary. A woman seduced by the devil brought in death; a woman consecrated by the angel conceived the Savior.
There an evil angel came with his seduction into the beautiful, cheerful, and verdant Paradise. Here a good angel comes with his message to Nazareth, which had its name from the green branches, because it lay in a fruitful green valley.
There the evil angel came to Eve while she was still a virgin though betrothed to a man; here the good angel likewise came to a virgin who was betrothed to a man.
There the evil angel was little concerned with a greeting, for he came to deceive and defraud; here the good angel greets Mary graciously, for he comes with a cheerful message.
There the evil angel led Eve away from God’s Word; here the angel brings Mary God’s Word and command.
There sheer lies and misleading promises were propounded to Eve; here the angel proclaims words of eternal divine truth.
There the temporal curse was pronounced over the first parents, and if the consolation of the Gospel had not been given them, they would have been eternally cursed; here Mary is called the favored one because of the blessed fruit of her body.
There Eve believed the words of the evil angel and thereby conceived sin and death in her heart; here Mary believes the message of the good angel and thereby conceives in her virginal body the Savior, who took away sin and death.
This good angel bore a message that resounds unto us with the sweetest sound of Good News. He said to Mary, “you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His Name JESUS.” The message is the Incarnate Word conceived in the Virgin’s womb for the hope and salvation of the whole world, that we, who now live by Him and in Him, may rejoice at this great reversal of eternal fortune. As temples, indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, redeemed by Him Who was conceived, died, and rose again in purity and holiness, that all who are unholy might hope to live, indeed, let us live seeing that all chaos is put into order within and without by this One called JESUS.
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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