Annunciation of the Lord

Today’s Scriptures: Lectionary selections from the Revised Common Lectionary Year C Isaiah 7:10-14 Psalm 45 Hebrews 10:4-10 Luke 1:26-38

Today’s Reflection: The Annunciation of the Lord is traditionally celebrated on March25. Because it falls during Holy Week, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates it April 8 this year. The Scriptures for the day fit the theme of the week, so I am posting it on the traditional date. From the time the Messiah was promised to Israel, scholars interpreted the prophecy in many different ways. Some read the prophecy as a commitment to a Godly Messiah who will come as a holy man to lead the people. Others looked forward to a warrior Messiah who would vanquish the occupying forces and build a mighty nation. A few saw in the prophecy a sacrificial Messiah who would provide atonement for the sins of the people. Today’s Scriptures allow each of the interpretations as we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord. Two thousand years after the fulfillment of the prophecy we still seek to know and understand Jesus. We find in the Gospels, Epistles, and the Revelation evidence for each interpretation of the Messiah. This Holy Week as we see different aspects of Christ we learn that Jesus is far more complex than the baby in a manger or the street preacher hung on a cross. Almost everyone has their own vision of the Christ they follow/reject (yes, even non-Christians have a view of Christ). We spent the Lenten season developing our spiritual practice so we are ready to consider that there are more aspects to Christ than those we have held in the past. With the annunciation and scriptures each day providing insight into Christ, we have the opportunity to understand that we worship a far more amazing God than we knew before.

Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org