Gospel Commentary: The Old Bears the New

By Fr. John Riley
^{HERALD Columnist}

"She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger …" How many times we’ve heard these simple, homely, beautiful words in the course of our lives. Amazing, that in the breadth of a simple human sentence we can describe the greatest and central Mysteries of eternity … that our Lord and God became man and was born of the Virgin Mary … a babe in her arms, nestled to her breast.

Set down with care by the evangelist Luke (perhaps as he received them from Mary herself), these words allow us a privileged glimpse into that quiet, holy night more than 2,000 years ago. But Luke was not the first inspired author to tell us the story … nor was his brother evangelist Matthew. The story had been recounted many times — centuries before the virgin Mary spoke her "Fiat" to the angel Gabriel.

Holy Mother Church, in "Dei Verbum," Vatican II’s "Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation" observes, "God, the inspirer and author of the books of both Testaments, in His Wisdom has so brought it about that the New should be hidden in the Old, and the Old should be made manifest in the New …" (No. 16). Conceived from all Eternity in the Mind of God, in the Spirit-inspired writings of the Old Testament we find the story of Christmas recounted "in fragmentary and varied ways …" — marvelous hints of the good things to come.

"From Eternity, in the beginning He begot me" speaks Eternal Wisdom (Sir 24:9). When Adam and Eve fell, Yahweh promised the serpent who inspired the Original Sin that his power would be crushed by the offspring of "the Woman" (Gn 3:15). In the fullness of time, the Co-Eternal Son conformed to the plan of His Father … "the Creator of all gave me His command, and He who formed Me chose the spot for My tent, saying, ‘in Jacob make your dwelling, in Israel your inheritance …" (Sir 24:8-12). But the consent of a Virgin was necessary before this plan could be fulfilled.

The angel Gabriel (seen in Dn 8:15ff), knelt before a young virgin, "Rejoice heartily, O Daughter Zion" (Zec 9:9) … "see and bend you ear … so shall the King desire your beauty" (Ps 45:11-16). The angel told Mary she would be the mother of the Messiah, and that this son of David (also the Son of the Most High) would have a firm throne and a kingdom which would last forever (see 2 Sm 7:11ff). The lowly handmaid consented to the unlikely plan. Tenderly addressing the Son, her Creator, now present in her womb, Mary could pray with God the Father … "You are my Son, this day I have begotten you" (Ps 2:7). Thus did the Virgin conceive and bear a Son, Whose Name is called "Emmanuel" (Is 7:14).

When this humble virgin, Mary "Proceeded in haste" to her kinswoman Elizabeth, she offered her great "Magnificat," that beautiful prayer taken from the words of the Old Testament and set to the music of the new. Most of her prayer can be found in 1 Sm 2:1-10 and in various Psalms (111,136, 118 and 147).

According to the Father’s mysterious plan and design, His Son was born in Bethlehem, the fulfillment of a prophesy of Micah "… You, O Bethlehem … little to be among the clans of Judah … from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel" (5:1ff). This King of kings was "nursed with care in swaddling clothes … for no king has a different beginning of existence" (Wis 7:4-6). In this quiet cave, "the ox recognizes its owner, and the ass knows the way to its Master’s crib" (Is 1:3). The Lord and Creator of the universe, a newborn babe, gazed up into the face of His Perfect Mother whom He loved from all eternity, and saw her for the time with human eyes.

From the East came men most likely set in motion by a prophecy uttered more than a thousand years before Christ’s birth … "I see Him, though not now; I behold him, but not near. A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel" (Nm 24:17). "Kings of Arabia and Seba" arrived bringing tribute … to "pay Him homage" (Ps 72:10ff). Perhaps they rode dromedaries … "bearing gold and frankincense" (Is 60:4-6).

How beautifully and mysteriously the Old Testament proves to be the precursor to the new. As a final Advent preparation for the coming of our Lord on Christmas, why not find a quiet place, open your Bible and look up the Old Testament passages cited above. Following the example of the Virgin Mary, "Treasure them, and ponder them in your heart." "For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given, upon His shoulder dominion rests. They name Him Wonder-Counselor, Mighty God, Father Forever, Prince of Peace" (Is 9:5-6).

Fr. Riley is associate pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Warrenton and professor of Sacred Scripture at Christendom College in Front Royal.

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