Foretold

It began long ago with this man, Abraham. Yet, we reach back just a little further in time and we find a priest, Melchizedek. Inspired by God and filled with the Holy Spirit, this priest introduced Abraham to the one true God. And so it begins, a rich history of prophets laying down predictions of what was to come.

It is this history that laid the groundwork for our faith today. How often do we hear an old testament reading and see the symbolism and predictions of a risen Christ and His life on earth? How often do we fail to appreciate the fact that these prophets lives hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was even born?

Abraham lived 2000yrs before Christ was born. He was asked to sacrifice his only begotten son. It was a test of his faith. For us, it was also a symbol of what was yet to come. Onward time marches, and somewhere along the line the people of Moses are spared by the blood of a lamb. Promises are made to be kept only if rules are obeyed, rules cast on two tablets of stone. Again, we see the symbolism.

About 800yrs before Christ great prophets began to give some hope. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and many more foretold the coming of a great king who will save us from our enemies, and free us from our oppression. Little did they know at the time that they, in their sinful ways were their own worst enemy, and only Jesus Christ could save them from the sins that oppressed them. For the peoples of that time, it was a prophesy misunderstood.

Now the words of Moses come back to haunt us as St. Peter scolds those whose faith rests only in those things they can see for themselves. Peter reminded them and us that everything that had been foretold by the prophets had come true in one man, Jesus Christ. Then he reminded them of what Moses had said to the people:

A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kin;
to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.
Everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people.

 

Now two thousand more years have passed since Christ rose from the dead . And, again we hears the words of St. Peter ringing in our ears:

You are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors
when he said to Abraham,
"In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed".

Jesus Christ spoke to His apostles shortly after He had risen from the dead. He said:

"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."

It is this history of prophesy fulfilled that strengthens our faith. So many things have happened as the church Jesus Christ founded has continued to grow from the faith of twelve men gifted with the Holy Spirit. Through this church the promise made to Abraham is renewed. "In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed".

We ask this in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with us, now and forever. Amen

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