The defining moment of the Old Testament was Israel’s deliverance out of Egypt. It had it all. The people witnessed the mighty hand of God passing judgment on the false gods of Egypt, including Pharaoh himself. A lamb was sacrificed and its blood placed on Israelite doors. That same lamb was eaten as the Passover meal was instituted. Just as it seemed the people were ‘home free,’ they found themselves at the Red Sea. And so God again works a miracle and delivered them through it on dry ground and the people have a sort of new birth on the other side.
The people were slaves no more. They were on their way to the land God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob centuries before. And so it is no wonder they spoke of the Lord as the one who “brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.”
Yet maybe the Exodus isn’t the chief thing. In the days of Jeremiah, Israel was a lost nation. Her rulers were evil. Her heart was hard. Her eyes were blind and ears were unhearing. Because of this, exile came and, therefore, the throne of David would be emoty. Nonetheless, even with this awful news of exile, “the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
The Exodus points to this greatest event. It is a fulfillment of what would come. In the Exodus, God saved his people from the grips of a man who wanted to be God, from a slavery and bondage that they could not free themselves from. God supplied the delivery and the new life on the other side of the water. And he is the one who led the people through hardship in the wilderness to the land promised long before.
Israel in the time of Jeremiah would be exiled and removed from this Promised Land. Because of their sin, idolatry, and disregard for their God, he removed them from the land. They were unrighteous and broke the covenant God made with them. And so they suffered the consequences of it.
But like Adam and Eve in the Garden, they are given hope. Like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, the faithful remnant was promised deliverance. And so after the appointed amount of time, the people of Judah would return and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. But even this return was not the chief event either. It is, however, another shadow of what ws to come. Because from the people who return, God would “raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” And this one who the Lord will send will be called “The Lord is our righteousness.”
We know that this Righteous One is none other than Christ himself. It is he that the entire Old Testament points to. The signs, the shadows: they all point to Christ! The promises are fulfilled in Christ.
In the Advent season, we anticipate the celebration of his first coming. — the incarnation of our Lord. He is the answer to the sin of Adam and Eve. He is the redeemer who leads Israel from Egypt. He is the one who freed you from your sin, disobedience, and unfaithfulness. And the reason he comes is to be once and for all sacrifice for your sins. To be your righteousness. Jesus is the True Passover Lamb. He took your place when he ascended the cross, His blood flowed down the beam like the lamb’s did the doorpost. He feeds and nourishes you in His Holy Supper.
And in doing this we see that he is also the one who “brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them. Then they shall dwell in their own land.” This is another shadow. As we mentioned, God does bring his people back to Jerusalem out of the north. But with the coming of Christ –- his life, his death, his burial and resurrection –- he brings all of his people, the True Israel to himself and the Father.
So as we begin a new church year with Advent, we consider how we should prepare for it. How should you prepare for the first coming of Christ? We prepare in the same way we prepare for his second coming. We Prepare for the Coming Christ by Receiving His Gifts in His Word and Sacraments.
Advent leads us to think about why Jesus was born. He is born in order to die. And so we reflect and give thanks for the Incarnation — for his taking on our flesh and becoming man, for his perfect keeping of God’s holy Law, for teaching us and revealing God’s will, for taking the throne of David and being the all-sufficient sacrifice to redeem us from our sins, for clothing us in His righteousness and for delivering us from sin and death and into life.
But he comes not only in the reading and preaching of his Word, for you know he also comes in his Supper. And so we receive his gift of forgiveness in the Supper. In Egypt, the Passover lamb was sacrificed in place of the firstborn. It was cooked and the family ate it in a meal. It was a shadow of Christ. He is the sacrifice that saves you from your sin and the wrath of God. You are fed and nourished by this Lamb and have your faith strengthened by him.
Finally, we remember the Collect for the first Sunday in Advent. In it, we ask for protection and deliverance. This means we are looking for God to be present and among us. We seek his power and protection now. Because Christ has come, you can be sure that he answers this prayer. He protects you through his Word and his Sacraments. He equips you to live a Christian life. He forgives you when you fail. And he delivers you from evil.
Rev. Brent Keller
Peace Lutheran Church
Alcester, SD
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