Fourth Sunday in Advent: The One Who Restores

In the Sanctuary of Mercy church, in Borja, Spain, a fresco of Jesus entitled Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) has been revered since the Spanish artist, Elías García Martínez, painted it in 1930.  While not an artistic landmark or overly valuable, this fresco holds a treasured place within the village and area. Still, everyone could see that the fresco was deteriorating due to the impact of moisture and age. 

Motivated to help, in 2012, 81-year-old Cecilia Giménez decided it was time for a restoration of the fresco. And so, armed with her own artistic views and no training, Ms. Giménez set to work. Unfortunately, she failed to realize the great gulf between her skill and the task. Her “restoration” took the fresco in a very different direction. Contemplating the botched restoration attempt, one journalist described the end result as a “crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic.”^[1]

Restoration is no simple task. It requires vision, ability, and capacity to truly restore something whether in art, construction, or other domains. Considering how complex such work is with the inanimate world, how much greater is the complexity of restoring damaged interpersonal relationships, deep inner wounds, or the dealings between peoples and nations. 

Isaiah the prophet tells us the Messiah of God will be One who restores. 

It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)

This Messianic figure, Isaiah says, will have the vision, ability, and capacity to do what seems impossible. For Israel in Isaiah’s prophecy, it was to bring the lost tribes back from exile to dwell in the land and shine God’s light to the nations. For those who encounter Jesus today, it is restoration of damaged relationship with God, healing of deep inner wounds, and the empowerment to bring the light of Christ to others. Jesus said it this way: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Jesus the Messiah is One who restores, and His restoration work is of divine quality.

[This is an excerpt of the Eastbrook Advent devotional for 2024 entitled “Who Is He?: Titles of Jesus the Messiah from Isaiah,” available on the Eastbrook App, Instagram, daily emails, blog, or PDF.] 

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^[1] “Spanish fresco restoration botched by amateur,” BBC News, 23 August 2012, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19349921.