The text this morning is from the prophet Isaiah, the eleventh chapter:
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Israel was not yet devastated when Isaiah wrote his prophecy, but it would come. Israel would be attacked by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and even the Romans in the coming centuries. They couldn’t conceive of a time when they were not Israel, God’s chosen people. But they had turned so often from God that the consequences of their actions would be severe; thousands, if not millions, would die at the hands of conquering invaders. They had forsaken their God, turning to worship false idols, forgetting what God had called them to do, and though they would be called to repentance and find God’s forgiveness there, they still would face the consequences for what they, their fathers, and their grandchildren did and would do.
There will be a time when the righteous people of God would be cut down so low, all that was left was a stump. The House of David would fall. The king in Jerusalem would be no more. Yet, the promise of God is clear: though the people had forsaken God, though they had left behind the hope of the shining light upon the hill for the nations, God would raise the House of David again. The stump was not dead, merely sleeping for the time to come.
Thus, this prophecy of the coming Christ would be received with great hope. The House of David, the stump of Jesse, would give life again, and life specifically to one who would bring life to all. This prophecy holds for us great hope, too, that all who have put their trust in this promised Messiah would find their life in Him.
And who is this Messiah to come? The Spirit of the Lord would rest on Him, bringing to Him wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will judge in righteousness, not by what appears right. He will rule for the meek, those who would not even bring their matters before the judge; He will give them what they seek before they even ask. The weight of His Word, the conviction of the Law, will strike the earth and the wicked will wither from His breath. He will wear righteousness like a belt, and faithfulness like undergarments. In other words, His entire raiment will be like that which the world has never seen. In His day, all the earth will be at peace, even to the very creation. Lion and lamb, leopard and goat, child and cobra, none will have fear of another.
The scene painted is of one who is greater than all who have come before and who has the power to finally bring the entire world into submission from its anarchy started in the Garden. The picture is of Jesus, the judge of all the living and dead, the victor over all things. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world; He is the axe laid at the root of the tree. He baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire, that His people may be cleansed and set apart from the wicked.
When the Israelites heard of this coming Messiah, you have to imagine they were both hopeful and confused. After all, their final destruction hadn’t happened yet. It would not be for a few centuries until all that Isaiah prophesied for their punishment would come to pass. How were they to receive it all without that knowledge? If I came to you and told you that your house was going to burn down, but never told you when, what would you do? Would you have the fire department on standby? Would you fill the house with fire extinguishers? What would you do?
My first question would be to ask when would this happen, but, with Isaiah, he would not give the time. The reason for it is simple, God never told him when. Still, I’d want a ballpark guess. But when God says destruction is coming, it is enough to know that it is and the time of preparation is upon us. I imagine that the faithful Israelites who heard Isaiah and believed his word repented immediately and prayed for the salvation of Israel. They are like the wise virgins, with enough oil in their lamps to await the bridegroom. They are unlike the brood of vipers that would drag Israel to hell. Then I believe they would get out and tell all those around them of the news in order that they may save some. Yet, they would be rejected, and the destruction of Israel would come, not just of their nation, but in their trust in God, having now put their trust in those who would lead them astray.
You have to wonder, too, how the faithful were so pleased then in the coming of the branch of Jesse, the fulfillment of the House of David. When Jesus came on the scene, Simeon and Anna sang their songs of joy and then begged to go to their fathers. Mary and Joseph treasured all these things in their hearts. The shepherds, the wise men, and so many faithful others would tell the Good News, but, ultimately, they would be ignored, and the final destruction of the great city of David, Jerusalem, would happen in just 70 years. The Pharisees and Sadducees would plot to kill Jesus, the Romans would be complicit in His death. He would be betrayed by His own disciples and followers, and they would be lead into hell itself.
The destruction that Israel would face is prophesied also for us. It’s not about America, but the whole world. This entire world will be destroyed. We will be cut down. But, when we grasp onto this shoot coming from the stump of Jesse, when we hold to what seems to be so weak, there we find the strength to endure. Like a bomb shelter in a tornado, the branch of Jesse’s root will keep us secure and preserved until the day of peace will come.
But, now this news is yours. The news of the coming Messiah has come to you and to the whole world. It is not His first coming; Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy in His first coming. He is the branch, He is the shoot, He is the salvation of Israel, His Church. Now, we look to His second coming, when He shall judge all the peoples of the earth, ruling over them with His peace and righteousness. How now shall we live? Do we just go about our days, living life like it isn’t happening? If we do, we will be like the Israelites who were going about their daily business until the invading army took over their homes and destroyed them and everyone they loved. If we are not out like John the Baptizer, calling all to repentance and the forgiveness of sins, we are not being faithful to God’s Word. We are not being faithful to His call.
You can absolutely ignore everything you hear today. Sadly, some will. People sitting around you will. But, if you hear the call of Isaiah, if you hear the call of John, then go out and warn the people around you. Tell them what is to come. Tell them of the destruction that will fall upon this earth. Tell them of the undying death awaiting those who reject the Lord. But then, when they turn, if they turn, tell them of the great hope of the branch of David. Tell them of the Jesus who has come for you to save you. Tell them of the hope you have in Him, that He is your fortress and your might.
Indeed, our Lord is good and righteous. He is faithful and true. He is the judge and king. He is the God who took on human flesh, who sacrificed Himself for your sake. He is the one who took your place under the wrath of God that you might be redeemed. He is the one who will come to raise the living and the dead into eternal life. He is the one who makes all things new. He is your wisdom and He is, in Himself, the knowledge of the Lord. He shall cover the earth with His peace, and He, Jesus, will draw all peoples to Himself, even you. Fear not, O Israel, O Church of Christ, for the Lord has come to save you, and He will come again. Come, Lord Jesus. In His name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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