Christ the Davidic Shepherd King is Coming to Redeem the Scattered - Monday of the Third Week of Advent

In yesterday’s (Third Sunday of Advent, Cycle B) readings (Isaiah 61:1–2, 10–11; Luke 1:46–50, 53–54; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24; John 1:6–8, 19–28), we reflected the reason for us to rejoice, the imminence of the coming of the incarnated Christ, who is the source of our joy, because of the salvation brought by him. And it was John the Baptist, who heralded the coming of our source and reason of joy, as his forerunner.

Today’s readings (Jeremiah 23:5-8; Matthew 1:18-25) describe the one who is the reason for our joy and the one whose coming we have been preparing is also the Davidic King, who is coming to rule those who redeemed by him. And this Davidic messianic King is, indeed, the incarnated Christ, by virtue of Joseph’s matrimony with Mary, who conceived and gave birth of the incarnated Christ.

Christ is the Davidic King because he is a righteous branch of David raised by Yahweh (Jeremiah 23:5). In fact, he is also a shoot sprout from the sump of Jesse, who is the father of David (Isaiah 11:1) and is anointed with the Holy Spirit, thus being the Christ (Messiah)(Isaiah 11:2; 61:1; Luke 4:18-19; cf. Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:32-34).

With his might, Christ the Davidic King bring back those who have been scattered as diasporas, into his new Davidic Kingdom, which is secure forever (Jeremiah 23:6-8). It is because he is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18). And he saves and redeems lost and scattered sheep (Jeremiah 23:3-4) through his passion and death (John 10:11, 15; Hebrews 2:8-10).

The First Reading (Jeremiah 23:5-8) per se reflects the post-exilic redemptive vision, as Jeremiah himself was deported from Jerusalem to Babylon, beaten and imprisoned (Jeremiah  37:11-16). But, in reading this text for Advent, the original post-exilic hope is projected to the redemption of those who have been scattered away from God because of sin to Christ the Davidic King (i.e. John 12:32; Ephesians 1:10) to be one with him as he is one with the Father (John 17:20-23; cf. John 10:10, 38), so that we become one body of Christ as he is the head (i.e. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 1:18).

Though the incarnated Christ has no physical connection with Joseph, who hailed from the Davidic lineage (Matthew 1:6-16), being called “son of David” by Archangel Gabriel (Matthew 1:20), the incarnated Christ inherits the Davidic royal lineage because Joseph accepted Mary, who was already pregnant with the incarnated Christ, as his wife (Matthew 1:18-25).

Physically, the incarnated Christ does not share the Davidic blood. But, he sure inherited the Davidic royal lineage because Joseph was his earthly father, while he has the Father in heaven. This way, God’s words to David through Nathan (2 Samuel 7:8-16) fulfilled.

The one whose imminent coming we have been preparing is Christ the Davidic King to establish the eternal Davidic House of the Lord, where the faithful ones, his sheep, are redeemed. Over this, we shall rejoice and give thanks to God! Glory to Christ the Davidic King of kings (Revelation 17:14; 19:16) to redeem us and conquer the world with his justice!