Christmas 2A – Celebrating Redemption

That’s a pretty obvious theme, but it would seem even more odd to skip it! The second Sunday in Christmas is a good day to commemorate these events.

There are a few different items that strike me here.

1. The connection of the return from exile with the redemptive mission of Jesus.
   This shouldn’t be surprising, considering that we get many of the prophecies of Jesus from the exilic books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and 2nd Isaiah. The exile incorporated the ideas of the exodus, which are, of course, also incorporated into Christianity. In fact, if you work the connections far enough, this idea of redemption starts in Genesis 1 and goes through Revelation, as the exodus from Egypt, exile to Babylon and return, advent of Jesus and eventual final redemption in Revelation are all connected in imagery and language.
2. Redemption is God’s idea.
   In each of our texts we see a strong expression that God initiates. He brings his people back in Jeremiah, strengthens and gives peace in Psalm 147, becomes flesh and brings light in John 1, and he does it because it’s his pleasure and because of his glorious grace in Ephesians 1.
3. We are told to praise.
   Redemption draws a response. I think this is a universal theme both in the Old and the New Testaments. See my essay A Fruitful Faith.