The O Antiphons are seven ancient prayers drawn from the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah. Each prayer addresses Jesus with one of his prophetic titles, asking him to come and save us in these seven particular ways—as Wisdom, Lord, Root, Key, Light, King, and Immanuel. In preparation for Christmas, our church considered how each title and prophecy captures and channels our deepest longing and desire.
Isaiah teaches us that the promise of Christmas isn't just for one people. This might be old news to us, but it was mind-blowing to his first hearers. And while we might be used to the idea, the reality still feels unreachable. Is our gospel too small? In a divided world, Advent invites us to long for Christ to come again and unite all people under his gracious and good rule.
The Book of Isaiah teaches us what faith looks like in difficult seasons. Whether we are just entering darkness or enduring it, the prophet teaches us how the posture of faith always looks east expecting the dawn. Jesus, the Rising Sun, is coming and he brings healing in his wings.
Key of David comes from Isaiah 22, when the people of God were given a good leader, but then they tore him down--not because they disliked him, but because they liked him too much. Judah hung more hopes on him than he could carry. Isaiah 22 is a warning, but also expresses our deep desire for one person to answer our every need. That need is met in Jesus, the true Key of David.
This week, we continue our Advent series through the O Antiphons with O Adonai, meaning Lord. Lord is a title Christians give to Jesus all the time, in song and prayer. Yet, do we really want Jesus to be lord? Listen as Georgia asks us to wrestle with our conflicted relationship to authority. Advent reminds us that we do need and want a Lord, but only one as good and righteous as Jesus.
This week, we're beginning a new series through the O Antiphons, a collection of seven poems inspired by the Messianic texts of Isaiah. The first week is O Wisdom. Our world's problems are too complicated for us to fix. No matter how hard we try, we can't think ourselves out of this mess. The Old Testament longs for a Savior who's not just wise, but who is Wisdom itself.
