In the story of the birth of Jesus, the main point is the incarnation. John tell us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus, the eternal son of God- called the Word- moved into the neighborhood.
But when the Word sounds forth, when the Word comes to earth, He echoes off His people. Meaning, every single character in Luke’s gospel, when they catch a glimpse of God’s saving work in Jesus, all respond in poetry. They sing. They prophesy. They poetically can’t contain themselves. And it just come out… over and over and over again. First, with Mary. She sings what’s called “The Magnificat.” Then old man Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. When his lips are finally re-opened, he sings his prophecy. Next the angels are singing, “Glory to God in the highest.” And then finally, the holy man Simeon in the temple. He blesses God verbally too. In our Bibles, all their echoes are marked with indented italics. Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon. The Word becomes flesh, and they reply. And now, the Word becomes flesh and we reply. Borrowing the words of the carol, we “echo back our joyous strains.” So that in looking at these echoes, we discover more about the heart of Advent and the preparation work we get to do this season. This is the echo of Advent.