Promise

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we remember that through the prophets, God promised a Messiah. In a dream, God promised Joseph that Mary "will have a son, and you will name him Jesus - because he will save his people." God's promises have been kept. The birth of a child is a sign that life will carry on. It was through the birth of a weak and vulnerable human baby that God has most closely identified with each of us. The mighty God has become Emmanuel, "God with us." This was astounding news, then, at that first Christmas. It is astounding news now. Christmas is about God, with us.