The Root of Jesse

Introduction

When I was a senior in high school, my dad bought me a 2004 Ford F-150 for my graduation present. It was used, but it was new to me. I loved that truck, and it was a really nice truck. It was the greatest gift that I had every received to that point in my life.

I was at a friends house a few weeks later, and one of my friends asked me if I could help move a couch from his house to his grandmothers.

We loaded the couch, headed up the road, and got to his grandmother’s house.

I started to back my truck up, and I hollered at my friend, “Do I have it?” He said, “YEA!” I backed up a little further until I heard “WHAM!” My truck had hit a pole in the garage.

My father was not a happy man when he saw my truck.

Now, I rode with Jeff many places after that… but I never quite trusted him to help me drive again. And for awhile, I had a hard time trusting myself.

Sometimes, the older we get, the more we get let down and the more we distrust the things around us. They can seep into even the deepest places of us. A distrustfulness than anything can be true.

And why is this lineage of Jesus so important? Well, in a way, it shows us God’s track record… and it shows us ours. Our track record isn’t good, but our God’s is perfect.

Read Romans 15:12-13

Romans 15:12–13 ESV

12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

This rod or root of Jesse, is a reference to Jesus being born of the lineage of David. A rod or branch would spring from Jesse’s family tree who would be the salvation of the world.

My hope is that you would lose confidence in yourself and gain confidence, and hope, in the only one who can truly save.

“O come thou Rod of Jesse, free,

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny.

From depths of hell thy people save,

And give them victory o’er the grave.”

Explanation

Romans 15:13 “13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

May the God of hope

Before I can tell you where hope is found, I have to tell you where it is not found.

Where hope is not found.

Hope is not found in your circumstances.

Hope is not found in your bank account.

Hope is not found in the goodness of humanity. We like to say that we still hope in the goodness of humanity, yet we still lock our doors at night, don’t we?

Hope is not found in your political beliefs or national pride.

Hope is even found in the best of things like our family or friends.

Hope won’t be found even in Christmas traditions.

Hope is found in the only God. The one who is sure and strong. The only one who can keep his promises with all confidence.

Leon Morris // He is the origin of hope, and he is the object of hope. Paraphrased - He gives us hope, because He gives us Himself.

Fill you with all joy and peace in believing

Your joy and peace this Christmas will only come in and through Jesus.

Christmas is an empty holiday without Jesus.

Joy is found in the one who remains the same no matter what else happens. The one who loves us. The one who gave himself for us. The one who reigns triumphantly over the world after conquering the grave.

So that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

This isn’t a maybe hope - like a “I hope that amazon truck I have been tracking every 18 minutes for two days shows up while I am in this service” kinda hope. It is a sure hope.

1 Peter would tell us that we have a living hope! A living, breathing, working, knowing, and caring hope - Jesus.

Because of that hope, we have an inheritance that is

Imperishable

Christmas is tough, because we get all of these goodies and we can’t eat them before they go bad. They are perishable.

They are temporary.

Undefiled - free of corruption from evil or decay.

How much of what you receive tomorrow will end up in a garage or estate sale one day?

Not Jesus. Free from corruption. Free from decay.

Unfading - It never loses its shine. The Greek word root is also used in the word for flower - something that is quickly beautiful and also gone.

I heard pastor John Piper preach on Psalm 16:11 once. Psalm 16:11 “11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

“There isn’t anything fuller than full. And there isn’t anything longer than forever.”

And that’s what I get. You can’t offer me anything better.

I am convinced that many of you would sell everything that you own if you could purchase hope with it.

What if I could offer you hope? “Surefire, take it to the bank” kind of hope.

Jesus, the baby in the manger, grew into a man who gave his life for yours.

However, the beauty is that He gave all for you to have this hope.

Invitation

This is my body, broken for you. Take, eat; this is my body.

Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured our for the forgiveness of sins.