Joy Isaiah 11:1-10
Our Joy is found in the ultimate righteous rule of Jesus. vv.1-5
Our Joy is found in the restoration of Jesus. vv.6-9
Our joy is found in the spread of His gospel Vs. 10 (on screen)
Christmas is such a time for celebration, isn’t it? And joy is resident in all celebration. Sometimes joy pops out when we celebrate a victory (video 00:00-00:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck7tFH9R1kE). Sometimes joy overwhelms you when someone you love returns home (Pic of Ben attached). There’s joy when a child comes into the world (pic of Russell attached) There is joy on Christmas morning when gifts are opened (pic of joyous children opening gifts--need). And then there is joy in singing the songs of our faith that cause joy to spring forth from our hearts. Christians have more songs that bring joy than any other religion or life perspective on the face of the earth.
Not everyone has this source of joy, as Steve Martin sang about a few years ago…
(video 00:10-03:18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wogta8alHiU )
Turn with me to Isaiah 11:1-10 this morning as we continue our series on Advent. Advent is a time to turn our hearts, minds, and eyes away from the materialism and secularism that has become Christmas, to the real, genuine meaning of Christmas. Each candle reminds us what Jesus brought into the world 2000 years ago and continues to deliver in our hearts as we worship Him. In Week 1 (light) we talked about hope, that Jesus the Messiah is the hope for every heart. If you want hope, look to Jesus. In Week 2, (light) we talked about love—that through Jesus, God’s love is personal, powerful and permanent.
Now this morning we turn our attention to the joy (light) that is in Jesus. Sadly, many people at Christmas time don’t feel much joy. Circumstances have sucked the joy right out of their hearts. But that is because they are seeking joy in people and circumstances that ultimately can’t deliver. If the ultimate source of your joy is your marriage, then if it falls apart, so does your joy. If the ultimate source of your joy is your finances, then if they go bust, so does your joy. If the ultimate source of your joy is your family, then if some of them move away or God forbid, if one of them dies, then so does your joy.
Now, I’m not trying to minimize the impact of adversity on our joy…after all, we are humans that have feelings and we are not immune to the sadness, sorrow, or melancholy that can occur when painful circumstances arise.
What I AM saying is that ultimately the only joy that will stay with you and lift you up is the joy that is found in delighting in Jesus the Messiah. We delight in so many things…do we delight in Jesus above all? Isaiah the prophet spoke of this in the passage we’ll study this morning so let’s read it. Isaiah 11:1-10 (on screen)
Remember, Isaiah is writing at a time when God’s people were guilty of spiritual indifference and apathy. And God’s discipline was going to be painful and sorrowful.
But in the midst of the grief there was a promise. In the midst of the darkness, there was a glimmer of hope and a reason for joy: the coming of the Messiah. He says a shoot, a sapling will spring up from the stump of Jesse. Who was the stump, the least likely of the house of Jesse? David! And God promised David the Messiah would come through Him: He told David: “Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:16
And what does it say about this shoot, this branch? V.2 “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him.” This became visible at the baptism of Jesus when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and the Father spoke from heaven: “This is my beloved Son and I am well-pleased in Him.” So 1000 years after God promised David and 700 years after Isaiah prophesied, God became flesh in Bethlehem; Immanuel, God with us. And the Spirit of God was upon Him.
Look at v.3 “His delight will be in the fear of the LORD” WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FEAR THE LORD? Fear the Lord: respond to Him in awe, respect, trust, surrender, obedience, and worship”
We see this about Jesus all the way through the gospels, right? When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He said, “Go away Satan, Worship the Father and Him only.” When the Pharisees tried to corner Jesus, He said, “I have come to do the will of the Father.” In the Garden of Gethsemane as He was about to be arrested, beaten, and crucified, Jesus said what? “Not my will, Father, but yours be done.”
And then look at v.5 “Righteousness will be a belt around his hips; faithfulness will be a belt around his waist.” In ancient times like today, the belt kind of kept everything together and in place. If I don’t wear my belt, then everything comes undone. “Pants on the ground…”. So the belt was and is the centerpiece of the clothing. The Scripture is saying that Jesus the Messiah will come to rule in righteousness and faithfulness and it will be the centerpiece of His reign.
All this to say that first of all that if ultimate Joy is found in delighting in Jesus, then
Our Joy is found in the ultimate righteous rule of Jesus. vv.1-5
When you read these verses, they say that the Messiah will execute Justice for the poor and disenfranchised and put an end to the wicked. I know, I know, when we look around we don’t see much of that do we? Good people suffer. Injustice is rampant in our own country. The world is incredibly broken. It would be easy for the sceptic to say, “Humph! So much for the righteous rule of your God!”
But we have to remember that the promises of God have an “Already->Now-> Not Yet”
nature to them. I experienced salvation when I placed my trust in Christ alone, I’m experiencing salvation now, and I my salvation will be completed when I go to be with Jesus. All the way through the scripture, there is the already, the now, and the not yet.
With regard to injustice, when Jesus came the first time, He came to begin the end of injustice and hatred and unrighteousness. In my life and in the church, He continues to put an end to this. But it will not be fully done away with until He returns at the 2nd advent, the 2nd appearing.
Here’s my point: when I look around and see all the injustice and unrighteousness in the world and even in my own life, I have a choice. I can believe that what we see is the ultimate reality or—I can believe that one day Jesus will return and do away with all the injustice and all the prejudice and all the hatred. And if I believe that, if I delight in Jesus, then there is joy in that; there is celebration in that. Some of the most joyful people in the world are the most hated.
Muslim couple who became Christians in Syria: “Like her husband, embracing Christianity meant losing her family: "Up until now, my parents didn't know about my conversion because they fled to another country," she said. "My family is very conservative; they are Shiites. If they heard about my conversion, they would kill me. We would lose our children."Despite her uncertain future, Karima said her faith is stronger than ever, and today participates in discipleship groups: "The Bible teaches us that we as Christians will be persecuted," she said. "The biggest change in my life is that I know I have eternal life. My name is written in the book of life. God gave me peace in my life and He gave me joy. Life is beautiful, even in the midst of all the trouble.”
Let me take this one step further: joy is allowing Jesus to rule in your heart. When we fight Jesus for control of our lives, there is no joy in that. You show me someone who is ruling their own life, pleasing their own desires and passions and I’ll show you a person who has little joy.
Second, Our Joy is found in the restoration of Jesus. vv.6-9. Look at vv.6-9 (on screen)
What’s wrong with this picture? Lambs don’t hang with wolves—if they do, they’re lamb chops. Cattle don’t hang with lions—if they do, they’ll be rib eyes. Children don’t play with cobra’s—if they do, they’ll roll snake eyes.
This speaks of the ultimate restoration that will take place at the 2nd advent; the 2nd coming. Romans 1 says that all of creation groans for redemption and restoration. All of creation will be restored to its original peace and purpose.
But we as humans can experience that redemption, that restoration now. Once the Spirit of Christ enters the human heart, He begins to remake us and restore us more closely to the image of God.
I know it won’t be completed until I see Jesus, but I can sense, I can feel, I can see the restoration in my own life. Can you? I’ve got so far to go but if you could see how far I’ve come, you would KNOW that God is in the process or restoring me.
Are you seeing, sensing, feeling it in your own life? If so, then what a great source of joy. Share brief testimony of ??
And then finally, Our joy is found in the spread of His gospel Vs. 10 (on screen)
He will be a banner for all the people and the nations will look to Him for guidance. Jesus didn’t come just for Americans. In fact, the American church dwarfs in comparison to the church in Korea and China and Africa. The fastest growing church is in places like Iran and Saudi Arabia.
God told Abraham in Genesis 12 “all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3 Ps. 67:4 “Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy.” Jesus said in Matthew 28,
“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Revelation 7:9-12 “After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God,
who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb. All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
You want to have more joy this Christmas than you’ve ever had, share the good news with someone God has placed in your life. Pray for them to experience and taste that the Lord is good. **Challenge to invite for Christmas Eve…
One of my favorite Christmas carols is Joy to the world. The words were written by Sir Isaac Watts in the early 1700s and the melody by George Freidrich Handel. It speaks to the themes we’ve discussed today: the redemption and restoration of Creation, His gathering of the nations to rule with justice, and the wonders of His love shown by the spreading of His gospel to all people.
****SING Joy to the world.
