Commemoration of Sarah
January 20
Today we celebrate the Commemoration of Sarah, the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac. We first meet her in Genesis 11:21, where she is introduced as Abraham’s wife. She dies in Genesis 23. In short, she received the promise that the Messiah would be one of her descendants, renewing the promise God gave Eve after the fall. The birth of the child of promise was announced beforehand, like the birth of Jesus. Sarah was well beyond the age of bearing children, so the birth of Isaac was a miracle, an event that defied nature. The foreshadowed the birth of Jesus for Mary was a virgin and the birth of Jesus was, obviously, something that defied nature. The birth of Isaac brought great joy to Sarah and the birth of Jesus has brought “joy to the world.”
While there are many other worthwhile thought we could express about Sarah, to my way of thinking her pointing to Jesus is the most important. She echoed Eve and foreshadowed Mary.
Prayer: Lord and Father of all, You looked with favor upon Sarai in her advanced years, putting on her a new name, Sarah, and with it the promise of multitudinous blessings from her aged womb. Give us a youthful hope in the joy of our new name, being baptized into the promised Messiah, that we too, might be fruitful in Your kingdom, abounding in the works of Your Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor