Isaiah 11:1-10
Hope Born at Christmas
Christmas is about miracles. Christmas is about hope and peace and love. Christmas is prophesied here in the book of Isaiah, written some 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Times were hard then. The 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom had already fallen to the mighty Assyrian Armies. And in 587 BC, the unthinkable happened: Jerusalem and the Southern kingdom fell to the Babylonians. The Temple, God’s presence on earth, was destroyed. Israelites were killed or taken off as slaves. God’s promise of a descendent of King David who would reign forever seemed difficult to imagine at this point.
Yet the ancient prophet Isaiah described a little shoot of a plant, life coming out of a stump, from the family line of Jesse, father of King David. Where a tree had been cut down, such as the mighty nation of Israel, now life would return. There is hope. Verse 1 says, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit.”
The rest of today’s passage describes this hope to come, hope that would be born at Christmas. Maybe there have been times in your life when you’ve needed some hope. The verses here describe a Messiah, a Christ that will bring hope in specific ways just as we need it. Consider the three major categories on your outline. First,
1. When things are not clear: we can trust in Jesus for understanding (v. 2)
Have you ever felt unclear how to proceed in a situation? Like there was just no clear way forward? I’ve felt like that at times in my life. When we don’t know what to do next, that’s a great time to develop our faith muscles. Because God knows the next step. Jesus our Savior knows the next step. Consider the wisdom of Jesus, described here by the prophet Isaiah in verse 2:
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.”
If you were going to seek out a really good counselor to give you advice, what kind of a person would you want? I think I might want a Christian believer who carries the same spiritual values I do, someone full of the Holy Spirit, someone who is very wise and understanding, someone who really knows and respects God. And that’s what verse 2 says about this one who would come from Jesse’s family, this shoot or rod or root that would spring up. This is Jesus: full of God’s Spirit as shown at his baptism, when a dove came down from heaven. This is Jesus the Son, who while on earth modeled for us his constant dependence upon God the Father. He knows the Father’s will. And he can lead us to know it as well.
My wife asked me this morning, “How was it that you got into the VA’s Clinical Pastoral Education program to begin with?” She was just curious about this twist in our life, as we have come full circle, from active duty military to pastorate, back to military, and now hospital chaplaincy. Looking back, we never could have foreseen this career progression, although it all comes together now. Yet, each step of the way, we simple trusted our Counselor. When we didn’t understand what was ahead, we tried to trust our counselor Jesus, knowing that he would never mislead us. And he hasn’t.
In those times when we don’t know how to proceed, we can lean heavily on God as our counselor. When we don’t understand, we can trust that Jesus understands, and is working a plan out of our obedience.
For each of today’s points, I want to borrow from a nearby text in Isaiah, just a couple of chapters before today’s passage. Perhaps you’ve heard of this verse. Maybe you’ve seen it on a Christmas card. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For a child is born to us, A son is given to us; And the government Is upon His shoulder; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Did you catch the first part of his name? “Wonderful counselor.” When you don’t know the way ahead, let Jesus lead you into all understanding.
And then consider, #2,
2. When things are not right: we can trust in Jesus for justice (v. 4b)
Kids have hard-wired into their DNA a passion for justice. Because not long after they’re able to speak, they utter those three words: “It’s not fair.” And all good parents reply, “No, it’s not, because life is not fair.” That’s a hard lesson to learn as a kid, and no easier as an adult.
One of the ways my Christian faith helps me is that it tells me someday Jesus will return and make all things right. I hear pretty horrific stories from Veterans sometimes, ways in which they were hurt by other people. And my heart grieves for them. Someone maligned their character. Someone drummed them out of the military on false charges. Someone sexually assaulted them. I know I’m hearing only one side of the story, but all too often I’m sure it really happened. They have a choice: they can be bitter with that person for the rest of their life, and that painful circumstance will forever define their life. Or they can begin the process of forgiveness, letting go, moving forward. For people of faith, we can do this a little easier, because we can release that person who hurt us to God. We can trust that God will take care of every injustice in the end.
Verse 4 says, “But with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”
The opening picture is Jesus advocating for the needy, the poorest of the poor. He will defend them. He will bring justice to the oppressed. Then note the power he brings with the “rod of his mouth” and the “breath of his lips” slaying the wicked. When Jesus came at that first Christmas, he ushered in grace and mercy and forgiveness. When Jesus returns again, he will usher in...JUSTICE. There will be no more time for repentance. Judgment day is here. Revelation describes a warrior king Jesus, returning to take care of business (Rev. 19:15, 49:2). Isaiah 9:6 says, “He shall be called...MIGHTY GOD.” Jesus brings with him all the power of God himself.
Because of this, we can trust Jesus with injustice. Sure, we pursue justice as best we can, but our justice system isn’t perfect. Sometimes it lets us down. Sometimes people get away with things they shouldn’t. But God will settle all scores someday. Someone once said, “God doesn’t settle all his accounts in 30 days.” We don’t have to worry about it; we can trust Jesus for justice.
And lastly,
3. When things are not smooth: we can trust in Jesus for peace (vv. 6-8)
This past September our son’s dog, Zuna, came up the road to our house, to one of our patio doors, and stepped on a sleeping baby rattler. That rattler operated out of instinct and struck Zuna with its potent venom right in her face. Several hours and a massive vet bill later, Zuna was back to normal. And a few days later our son sent that rattler to snake heaven (or is it snake hell?). Sometimes the natural world can be quite vicious. If you’ve ever watched “Animal Kingdom” or any other wildlife show, you’ve probably seen examples of the food chain at work: animal killing animal.
Contrast that image with verses 6 through 8, which describe a future utopia where carnivores become herbivores, where hunters and hunted become friends, where predators and prey are good neighbors, where infants play near snakes without fear. There won’t be any more terror, no more danger. These verses describe Jesus’ millennial reign, when King Jesus rules the earth for a thousand years.
If Jesus can bring about this level of peace in the natural world, where lions and wolves and leopards and goats and calves and little children can hang out together, can he not bring peace in your relationships?
All relationships suffer tension at times, right? Whether it’s in the workplace, or the home, or the neighborhood, or the committee meeting or the dining room, it’s easy to get irritated with others. After all, they’re just not...like...you! WHAT’S WRONG WITH THEM?!?!?
Yet, if we yield each of these relationships to Jesus, if we try praying for our enemy as Jesus says to do, then just maybe he will show us how he loves that JERK just as much as he loves us! And if we really, truly get that, maybe we can step a little closer to loving that other person as well.
We like to celebrate Jesus as the “Prince of Peace” described in Isaiah 9:6. But sometimes we limit our concept of peace to politicians and wars. We certainly need more peace there, as we continue our longest war in history. Someday Jesus will bring it. Yet, peace also begins in each and every human heart. Will I allow the Prince of Peace to bring peace between me and my neighbor?
A beautiful thing happens when we live life like we believe today’s verses. If we trust Jesus to give us understanding as to the way ahead, if we trust Jesus to bring justice when we can’t get it ourselves, if we trust Jesus to help us get along with those irritating folks in our life, then we begin to grow a little more like Jesus. And we also make Jesus more real to those who don’t yet know him personally. We grow stronger spiritually, and we help others come into the family, as we live out this faith day in and day out. All by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our life. Let’s pray about it together:
“And he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Father, help us to seek out your Son in each of these roles, as we go about daily life this week. Help us to trust Jesus when we don’t know the way ahead, or when life is unfair, or when people rub us wrong. Help us to turn to Christ, the greatest Christmas gift ever. Amen!”
Isaiah 11:1-10
11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
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For welcome time:
An honest politician, a hard-working civil servant and Santa Claus find a 100-dollar bill. Who gets to keep it?
Santa does, the other two are creatures of myth and legend.
