"Women Preparing for the Promised One"

The Visitation- Jacopo Da Pontormo

Last weekend I was in a Christmas drama. It seems like it has been ages since I was any kind of dramatic performance (with the exception of when I am trying to explain something to my ESL students). The drama was called "Women Preparing for the Promised One." It was written by a very talented couple in our church, Walter and Bonnie Aebi. Basically, the play brought Old and New Testament women to life who either are directly in the line of Jesus, or were used in very intimate ways to help prepare for his coming. What struck me was how God met them in their sorrows and redeemed the heartache by using them for the coming of the Messiah. Sarah was barren and had to leave home and family for an unknown location. Was she afraid? I'm sure she was, but she chose to trust the God who had spoken to her husband. The result: a son and the beginning of a nation that would bring blessing to the rest of the world. Leah was the unloved wife who tried to win the affection and approval of her husband by the many children she had. Finally, after already having three boys, she looked to the Lord for blessing, and Judah was born, the father of the tribe that would produce King David, and then Jesus. Ruth was a foreigner, a childless widow and destitute. Yet she entrusted herself to the God of Israel and saw how God provided for every single need she had. In the end, she was a wife and a mother, fully taken care of. (Not to mention that she was the Great-Grandmother of King David.) Anna was the old woman, who spent every day in the temple praying, praising God and awaiting the arrival of the Promised One. She was married to her husband for only seven years, and then he died. After that her entire life was completely devoted to God. She saw and prophesied over the baby Messiah. Elizabeth was the old barren wife of the priest who had an encounter with Gabriel in the temple. Soon after, she became pregnant and had a son like the angel had said. John (the Baptist) grew up to prepare the way for Jesus. He was the one who called Jesus the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Finally, Mary was the teenager chosen by God to be the mother of his son. Although her future was unclear, and she knew she would face slander, probably isolation from community and even the possibility of death, she willingly put herself into the hands of God. Not too long after all this took place Immanuel arrived. God with us! And that makes all the difference in this broken and bleeding world we live in.

Our advent retreat ended with the following benediction, written by Bonnie:

"May the Lord bless you as He has blessed his daughters through the ages.

May God give you
Anna's heart for worship
Sarah's joy at seeing that nothing is too difficult for God
Leah's courage to praise Him no matter what happens
Ruth's loyalty and sacrificial love
Elizabeth's faith to take God at His word
and Mary's readiness to serve Him no matter what the cost.

May His word and His promises dwell in your heart richly,
and may you believe that what the Lord has said to you will be accomplished.
Amen."