Preparation for the Nativity
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the birth of the Lord Christ was not a sudden event, but the result of a long divine preparation throughout history. God prepared humanity to understand the mystery of the Incarnation and redemption through symbols, sacrifices, and prophecies until the fullness of time came and salvation was accomplished.
First: Preparing Humanity to Understand Redemption
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that God began, since the fall of Adam, to prepare humanity to understand the meaning of redemption. He gave the idea of sacrifice when He clothed Adam and Eve with garments of skin, indicating that covering comes through sacrifice and the shedding of blood. Then the idea of sacrifices continued through history such as the sacrifice of Abel, until it became rooted in the human mind that an innocent one dies for a guilty one.
Second: Symbols and Sacrifices in the Old Testament
The idea of redemption deepened through the sacrifices of the Old Testament, especially the Passover lamb whose blood was the reason for deliverance from death. It also appeared in the system of sacrifices that the sacrifice carries the sins of the person and dies in his place. These symbols were a preparation to understand that blood is connected with salvation and that redemption is achieved through an innocent sacrifice.
Third: The Prophecies that Announced the Savior
God gave many prophecies pointing to the coming of Christ, such as the prophecies that spoke about His sufferings, His crucifixion, and His bearing of the sins of humanity. The idea of waiting for the Savior spread among the people, and everyone began to await the Christ who would come to save the world.
Fourth: Preparing the Persons
Preparation was not limited to teaching and prophecies only, but also included preparing the persons. God prepared the Virgin Mary to be a holy and humble person who could bear the glory of the Incarnation. He also prepared John the Baptist to prepare the way before Christ, and prepared the apostles who would carry the message of salvation to the world.
Fifth: Preparing the Circumstances and Time
God also arranged the historical circumstances for the spread of the preaching. The Greek language spread as a common language of the world, and the paved Roman roads helped the apostles travel easily to spread the faith in many places.
The Spiritual Message of the Lecture
The lecture confirms that God works with wisdom and divine planning throughout time, and that His works do not happen randomly but according to a precise divine plan. The Incarnation came at the proper time after a long preparation, so that humanity might understand the meaning of salvation and believe in God’s work for the salvation of mankind.
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