In these last days [God] has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.
—Hebrews 1:2–3
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
—Jesus’s first public teaching in Nazareth (see Luke 4:16–21), quoting from Isaiah 61
LOOK: Niño Jesus santo
“Devotional figures of the infant Jesus became popular in Puerto Rico during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,” writes Yvonne Marie Lange in her 1975 PhD dissertation, Santos: The Household Wooden Saints of Puerto Rico. “An unknown craftsman carved this small figure in the act of benediction, or blessing, with an orb in his left hand to symbolize God’s dominion over the earth.” (He’s got the whole world in his hands!) This is a baby Salvator Mundi, “savior of the world.” He is naked to emphasize his full humanity. The three flame-like shapes around his head create a cross and represent the light of God emanating from him.
LISTEN: “The Spirit of the Lord” by Katie Ribera, 2019 [chord chart]
Just as Isaiah
The prophet has foretold
A sprout from Jesse’s root
Into a tree shall grow
This sprout shall bloom
Into a mighty tree of life
Its fruit will feed us
And its source will be our lightThe Spirit of the Lord
Will come to dwell with us
A righteous judge
A mighty counselor
And by the word
Of his everlasting power
The baby in the manger
Upholds the universe
The baby in the manger
Upholds the universeFor in him all the fullness
Of God was pleased to dwell
And through him
To reconcile all things to himself
Have you ever seen
A wolf and a lamb lie down together?
Can there ever be peace like this
Between enemies?
Can there ever be peace like this
Between enemies?
Would God dare to descend
To come live with his enemies?The Spirit of the Lord
Will come to dwell with us
Put on flesh
Make peace for us with God
And by the word
Of his everlasting power
The baby in the manger
Upholds the universe
The baby in the manger
Upholds the universeThen I saw heaven open
And behold
A white horse with its rider
Righteousness his clothes
With eyes that burn like fire
And a crown atop his head
Robes dipped in blood
That he himself willingly shed
Yet I had no doubt
I still recognized his face
Son of God, Son of Man
Glorious graceKing of kings and Lord of lords
Messiah, Christ, the Word of God
King of kings and Lord of lords
Messiah, Christ, the Word of God
King of kings and Lord of lords
Messiah, Christ, the Word of God
King of Kings and Lord of lords
Messiah, Christ, the Word of GodThe Spirit of the Lord
Has come to dwell with us
Behold, the Lamb of God
Makes all things new
And by the word
Of his everlasting power
The baby in the manger
Upholds the universe
The baby in the manger
Upholds the universe
And he shall reign
Forever and ever
Katie Ribera is involved in the music ministry of Trinity Church Seattle, which is led by Luke Morton, pastor of worship arts. Ribera wrote this song for her congregation, and it was recorded live from one of their worship services, released under the artist name Trinity Songworks. Listen to more from Trinity Songworks on the church’s website and their SoundCloud page, or on the albums Live Archive 2018–2021 and Let the Little Children Come.
This post is part of a daily Advent series from December 2 to 24, 2023 (with Christmas to follow through January 6, 2024). View all the posts here, and the accompanying Spotify playlist here.
Art & Theology 