Annunciation

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Proclamation or proclaim is the emphatic announcement of an important fact, statement. The word is mainly used in the field of religion and is synonymous with the passing on of religious conviction (religiously formulated: the word of God ) by the believer ( testimony ) or the priest ( sermon ). Related terms are kerygma , prophecy and gospel ("good news").

“Annunciation” often also means the proclamation of the conception of Jesus to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel , as it is described in the Gospel of Luke .

In contrast, the word proclamation is used in connection with prophecy . If court rulings or laws are made public , it is also a " proclamation ".

Annunciation for the transmission of the faith

In Christianity , proclamation refers to the spreading of the gospel (literally "good news") of Jesus Christ , with the focus on his life, the love of God , the redemption through his death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ .

The proclamation of the kingdom of God was already started by Jesus with his first appearance in Galilee after the arrest of the Baptist ( the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand , Mk 1,14  EU ). After his resurrection, he passed on this commission to proclaim the faith to his disciples ( therefore go to all peoples and make all people my disciples; baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit , Mt 28:19  EU ). The missionary commitment of the early Christians contributed significantly to the rapid spread of Christianity, although it also led to the persecution of Christians .

In non-church parlance, the word mission is used instead of “proclamation” in this sense . However, it also includes accompanying activities such as social and development aid , offers for education and the like. Likewise, the words have Volksmission and street mission , the proclamation of God's Word to main content. Even the Islam knows forms of religious preaching, which, however, is quite different from the Christian in content, methods and choice of words.

Preaching in a narrower sense is the sermon in a church service, especially in the Protestant language. Functionally, this also applies to the readings and sermons in Catholic worship (see Holy Mass ) and among the Orthodox. In all Christian denominations this becomes particularly clear on high feast days - for example in the Christmas Gospel , where the angel addresses the word to the shepherds: Look, I proclaim you a great joy that will befall all people! ( Lk 2.10  EU ).

Annunciation narratives in the Gospel of Luke

In the first chapter of Luke's Gospel , the evangelist presents two stories of the Annunciation in parallel: the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias and the announcement of the birth of Jesus to Mary . They are structured along the lines of an Old Testament call to a prophet :

  1. Appearance of the angel
  2. Frightening Zacharias / Mary
  3. Dispelling fear, message of the impending birth
  4. Objection, asking for a sign
  5. Announcement of the character
  6. Silence of Zacharias / consent of Mary

The representation follows the motif of outbidding: Jesus, the smaller and younger, nevertheless towers over John. Its parents were old, and Jesus' mother was a virgin. Zacharias becomes mute because of his objection, Maria agrees.

The Annunciation to Zacharias

The Annunciation to Zacharias on a Russian Icon (18th Century)

In the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, the first part of the birth story of John the Baptist is told ( Luke 1.5-22  EU ). The angel Gabriel announces the birth of a son to the aged Zacharias during his priestly service in the temple in Jerusalem . The marriage with his wife Elisabeth had remained childless until then.

The angel appears to Zacharias in the temple, standing on the right side of the smoking offering altar. Zacharias is startled at the sight of him.

The angel dispels his fear with the words: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias! Your prayer has been answered. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you shall name him John. You will be filled with great joy and many others will rejoice in his birth too. For he will be great before the Lord. He will not drink wine or other intoxicating beverages, and already in the womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit . He will convert many Israelites to the Lord their God. With the spirit and with the power of Elijah he will go before the Lord to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and to lead the disobedient to righteousness and thus to prepare the people for the Lord. "

Zacharias objects: “How should I know that this is true? I am an old man and my wife is also of an advanced age. "

The angel reveals himself to be Gabriel, who has been commissioned to “bring this good news” to Zacharias. Because of his doubt, Zacharias will remain silent as a sign until the birth of the son.

Annunciation

The Annunciation by El Greco , 1575

When Mary's relative Elizabeth is six months pregnant with John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel appears to her in Nazareth and announces the conception of her son Jesus Christ : “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. You will conceive a child, you will bear a son: you should name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High . The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David . He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his rule will never end. "

And later: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child will also be called holy and son of God. "

Maria first expresses concerns and doubts, but then agrees to what has been announced.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Johannes Riedl: The prehistory of Jesus. The message of salvation from Mt 1-2 and Lk 1-2 , Biblisches Forum 3, Stuttgart (Verlag Katholisches Bibelwerk) 1968, pp. 46–54, 69–70.