Advent and Eucharist

Matthew 1:22-23 tells us that Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled in Jesus: His name shall be called Immanuel, which translated means God with us. In this amazing statement we realize that this is how God makes good on His promise to Abraham that in his seed all the families of the world will be blessed.

As N.T. Wright, as well as many others, has pointed out, Matthew’s gospel is all about the Immanuel principle. In the first chapter this gospel, we are startled to find that God is with his creation in the person of Jesus. And in the very last verse of the very last chapter, we read Jesus’ final words to His disciples before ascending into Heaven: “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

When we partake of the Holy Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, we are remembering that the prophecy of Isaiah was indeed fulfilled, and because of this, we have reconciliation with God. We acknowledge God in fleshly presence (body and blood) every time we eat the bread and drink the wine. And we acknowledge that because of Immanuel, we are part of the fulfilled promise made to Abraham, being ourselves some of those families of the earth that are blessed through Immanuel’s sacrifice. And because of the resurrection that took place through the sacrifice, we are taking part in the New Genesis at Communion. His body and blood led to the redemption which makes us a new creation, and in that Holy Meal we proclaim this New Genesis through Immanuel until He comes.