“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’  Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isaiah 52:7-10) The Old Testament lesson for Christmas morning is jam-packed with what we call the “joy of the season.”  First, it is reminiscent of the 40th chapter when Isaiah first proclaims the unexpected good news of the end of Israel’s exile: “the Lord has comforted his people.”  Notice the verb tense, not perhaps God will comfort some day or that something good is bound to happen next year, but the Lord has comforted.  Past tense, it is a done deal.  The waiting of Advent is over and now Christmas is here!  Second, notice who gets to join in the singing: the sentinel who must be very weary of watching (will salvation ever come?) and even better, the ruins! The only thing that ruins have is a past tense, but when salvation has come, even the ruins have a future, even the most broken of lives may find new life.  Finally, how is all this possible?  What is the sign of our salvation?  In this little passage the prophet speaks about feet and arms.  The feet are beautiful as they stride across the mountains with their good news.  And God’s power to save is revealed in that he has shown us his holy arm.  He has flexed his bicep and all the world is impressed.  Beauty and power revealed here, beauty revealed in little feet which cannot support the little baby’s weight, let alone mountain climb.  And power, revealed in an arm covered, swaddled we would say, so as to protect this little life from the cold of an animal barn.  What child is this?  He is your Lord and Savior with all beauty to draw us and all power to save us.  Have a great week and Merry Christmas!