Luke 3:1-6
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
An Event that Transcends Time and Space
The four Sundays of Advent represent God's infinite light in the Person of Christ as He inspires hope, peace, joy and love. These are proposed by the Church as a reminder to restore whatever needs to be repaired and to prepare us for the Event that divided history into before and after, BC and AD.
St. Luke insists upon documenting the timing of the event as his teacher St. Paul writes to us, "when the fulness of time had come, God sent His Son, born from a woman and under the law" Galatians 4:4. He mentions the historic period of the event by referring to the authorities, using their names and regions. It is not mythology or human fabrication or imagination or idle tales, it is fact.
This historic period is known for its corruption among both political and religious leaders. Israel is under Roman occupation. The Essenes boycott the Temple services because of all the corruption.
This is the fullness of time when the expected Messiah arrives and "should redeem Israel" Luke 24:21. This is when reparation and preparation should be done, right now, because the Kingdom of God is at hand.
"All flesh shall see the salvation of God" (v. 6). The birth of Christ will be seen by all people, but the salvation from sin and the joy of being a member of this Kingdom depends upon one's acceptance of the Messiah as the Incarnate Son of God. Listen to Him (Luke 9:51) and follow Him.
Do we hear this voice of John the Baptist saying to us today, "Repent?"
Are we prepared to welcome Christmas as an event that transcends time and space? He will be born anew in our hearts, houses and churches. Leave behind all that prevents us from sharing the joy of His incarnation. Happy are those who open their hearts and return to Him!