INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Today we continue with week three of our series, Unto Us. This series will lead us to Christmas.
• This series has been taking us through the prophecies concerning the Messiah from the book of Isaiah.
• Remember, the book of Isaiah was written over 740 years before the birth of Jesus.
• The Messianic prophesies (Prophecies about the coming Messiah) contained throughout the Old Testament, and the Book of Isaiah was ALL fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus!
• In Josh McDowell's book, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Josh lists 61 major prophecies contained in the Old Testament, of which Jesus fulfilled all 61 of them!
• Peter Stoner, the author of the book, Science Speaks, was chairman of the mathematics and astronomy departments at Pasadena City College until 1953 when he moved to Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.
• There he served as chairman of the science division. At the time he wrote this book, he was professor emeritus of science at Westmont.
• Stoner listed eight of the major Messianic Prophecies to calculate the probability that one person could fulfill just eight in their lifetime.
• Stoner calculated the probability of one person fulfilling each of the eight individually.
• Then, multiplying all these probabilities together produces a number (rounded off) of 1×1028.
• Dividing this number by an estimate of the number of people who have lived since the time of these prophecies (88 billion) produces a probability of all 8 prophecies being fulfilled accidentally in the life of one person.
• That probability is 1in 1017 or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. That's one in one hundred quadrillions! https://christinprophecy.org/articles/applying-the-science-of-probability-to-the-scriptures/
• When we think of Christmas, we think of gifts, snow, Santa, Christmas trees, debt, and the birth of Jesus. Sadly, sometimes in that order.
• The child we sing about, the child we see in so many nativity scenes across the world; that child changed not only the world that we live in, but He changed things for mankind for eternity!
• Today, from Isaiah 11:1-12, we are going to examine three characteristics concerning the Messiah that have an impact on us today and for the future.
• The child is the Messiah, the Son of God, who will bring peace to the world.
• The application point for us today is simple, the Messiah has rescued us from being enemies of God, so we can learn to be at peace with all.
• Let’s turn to Isaiah 11:1-2 to begin our trek today.
• SLIDE #2
• Isaiah 11:1–5 (CSB) — 1 Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3 His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, he will not execute justice by what he hears with his ears, 4 but he will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with a scepter from his mouth, and he will kill the wicked with a command from his lips. 5 Righteousness will be a belt around his hips; faithfulness will be a belt around his waist.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
The Messiah will be a…
I. Righteous Messiah.
• “That person is just a ‘Messianic figure.’” If you have ever been around political discussions long enough, you might have heard this sentence.
• It describes an inflated view of a charismatic leader that people feel will “save” them from trouble.
• But the term Messiah is from the Bible and describes “the anointed one, the leader appointed by God to carry out the special mission of redemption and liberation” (Millard J. Erickson, The Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology [Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001], 124).
• When people struggle or are in dark situations, they look for hope wherever they can.
• When we see the economy in turmoil or our world or community under stress, we tend to look to a leader who can make it better, who can save us or rescues us from turmoil.
• However, the only one who can save us from our sin and brokenness is Jesus, the Messiah. Isaiah continues to describe this Messiah in chapter 11.
• Remember the context of Isaiah chapters 7-11. The Southern Kingdom was in trouble yet again because they had another UNRIGHTEOUS King.
• The Northern Kingdom had all 19 Kings be unrighteous. The nation was divided because Solomon's son caused the Kingdom to be divided because of his stupidity.
• With the impending doom coming, Isaiah wanted folks to know that the line of David would not be destroyed, even though it looked like it would be destroyed.
• The imagery of a stump connects this passage to that of the previous chapter, in which God promises to destroy the mighty Assyrians as one would chop down tall trees (10:33–34).
• There is also a connection with Judah’s devastated state, which has been compared to a stump as well (6:13). The difference is that whereas Assyria has no future, God commits to bring new life to his people.
• The Messiah would come from the lineage of Jesse, the father of King David (see 1 Samuel 17:12).
• “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1).
• A shoot is a single green branch, in this case, popping up from the stump of a bush or tree. Isaiah and other prophets have warned of God’s judgment.
• The Hebrew people will be like a cleared-out field of trees, with only stumps left behind.
• From the stump of Jesse will come the Messiah, and from his roots will come fruit. Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5).
• The Messiah would be righteous, verse two offers some insights concerning the Messiah.
• When God works through an individual whose credentials are unimpressive by the world’s standards, that individual’s power must be attributed to God.
• David was an unlikely candidate for the throne as a young shepherd from Bethlehem, but when “the Spirit of the Lord” came upon him at his anointing (1 Sam 16:13), he was equipped for anything to which God called him.
• Similarly, the Spirit of the Lord will rest on the one from the line of Jesse in Isaiah 11. (College Press Commentary Series)
• Verse three says that He will delight in the fear of the Lord. This means He would be respectful of the Lord’s ways, teachings, and desires.
• Christians frequently dismiss the fear of God as an outdated concept, since “There is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18).
• Such an attitude overlooks the New Testament references to fearing God (cf. 2 Cor 7:1; 1 Pet 2:17; Rev 14:7) and fails to appreciate the true meaning of that concept in the Old Testament.
• Fearing God is synonymous with trusting Him, worshiping Him, and knowing Him.
• The fear of the Lord,” therefore, is a positive concept which refers to the proper response to an all-powerful and all-loving God.
• Such a response is essential for the ideal ruler.
• This is why the Messiah would be able to righteously. He is going to follow the will of God, he will not be swayed by fancy words, appearances, or be subject to self-interests or bribery.
• Look at verses 6-9 with me.
• SLIDE #4
• Isaiah 11:6–9 (CSB) — 6 The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together, and a child will lead them. 7 The cow and the bear will graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like cattle. 8 An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit, and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den. 9 They will not harm or destroy each other on my entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is filled with water.
• SLIDE #5
The Messiah will be a…
II. Peaceful Messiah.
• How do you like the chaos that engulfs us?
• Would it not be nice to have some peace?
• World leaders, worldly leaders many times, bring war and chaos, sometimes in the name of staying in power.
• Various religions have the mentality of converting people by the sword.
• Let’s bring it to a personal level.
• Are you enjoying peace in your life right now, or are you at war inside yourself with yourself?
• Are you at war with your spouse, with your family, on the job, in your community, or with your country?
• Wound it not be nice to be able to enjoy peace?
• In verses 6–9, we see opposite enemies living at peace with one another.
• Wolves and sheep are living together, lions eating with the ox, etc.
• Think of someone who is your opposite, who you really don’t like. DON’T THINK TOO LONG!
• Now imagine that person who you can’t stand being your best friend.
• You hug them, love them, care for them, eat meals with them, make yourself vulnerable to them.
• That’s the type of change that the Messiah does in the lives of his people and eventually will bring that kind of peace to the entire world.
• Jesus is the peaceful Messiah. When He returns, for evil, chaos, and sin, it will be GAME OVER!
• The world is full of dangers as a result of sin, but these verses foresee a day in which God’s creatures will neither harm nor destroy.
• The typically terrifying prospect of an infant playing in the very lair of venomous serpents will cause no alarm on that day.
• Jesus will bring in a peace that surpasses ALL understanding Philippians 4:7!
• Let's look at verses 10-12!
• SLIDE #6
• Isaiah 11:10–12 (CSB) — 10 On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will look to him for guidance, and his resting place will be glorious. 11 On that day the Lord will extend his hand a second time to recover the remnant of his people who survive—from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the coasts and islands of the west. 12 He will lift up a banner for the nations and gather the dispersed of Israel; he will collect the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
• SLIDE #7
The Messiah will be a…
III. Inviting Messiah.
• I will keep this one short and sweet. Once again, God reveals to Isaiah a day in which God would open the door to the Gentile world to come to Him!
• Paul quoted Isaiah 11:1 and 11:10 to show that Isaiah was speaking of a time when the Kingdom would be open to all!
• This opens the door to a passage like 1 Timothy 2:3-4!
• SLIDE #8
• 1 Timothy 2:3–4 (CSB) — 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
• JESUS WILL BE THE ONE WHO OPENS THE DOOR, who brings all home who want to be home with the Lord!
• “Rest,” implying peace and security, is a central theme in God’s promises to his people.
• This rest is not, however, promised to Israel alone.
• Paul refers to Isaiah 11:10 in Romans 15:12 to confirm his point that “Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy …” (Rom 15:8–9).
CONCLUSION
• Are you looking for peace in the midst of a chaotic world, a chaotic life? You will find it in Jesus!
• The application point for us today is simple, the Messiah has rescued us from being enemies of God, so we can learn to be at peace with all.
