Day 20

Yesterday we talked about the Angel of the Lord, the messenger sent by God who appeared to Moses in the burning bush. We saw that the angel referred to Himself as God and how we might perceive that as a contradiction.

Today, let us look at the Gospel of John. There are two specific passages that we should be look at for the sake of this reflection.

First and foremost, we see in John 6:46 that “no one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only He has seen the Father.” That then begs the question as to who was talking to Moses in the burning bush.

Secondly, the Gospel of John opens with the words “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Church has taught us that the “Word” of God is Christ, the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. He has existed from the beginning with God the Father.

So, our understanding of the burning bush and the Angel of the Lord now becomes clearer. When John says in his Gospel that no one has seen God, he is talking about God the Father, not God the Son, or the Word of God.

Jesus Christ Himself says in scripture, no less than twenty-six times Archimandrite Vassilios tells us, that He is sent by God. We can then understand that the Angel of the Lord is in fact, the Pre-Incarnate Son of God.

The Angel of the Lord appears to and talks to other patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament. As Archimandrite Vassilios says, all who see this Angel of the Lord are amazed that they have seen God and lived.

Now, the relationship between the Incarnation (Nativity) of Christ and these events in the Old Testament begin to be revealed.  We see from the beginning of time that the Word of God, the Logos, the Son of God has existed. And He has been active in the process of our salvation.

The Feast that we are preparing for becomes His ultimate work in our salvation.

In Christ

Fr. David