First Sunday after Christmas

Isaiah 11:1-5; Gal 4

Merry Christmas, My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the Prophet Isaiah had many words concerning the coming of the messiah, who would save us from our sins. Here in the Old Testament lesson we find more about this shoot from the stump of Jesse, the branch from his root that bears fruit for the world, and the wonderful blessings that has come to mankind through Jesus and his victory. Even though he was coming from a stump!

The Stump of Jesse

It seems weird to refer as the line of Jesse, which had David and Solomon as a stump, but that is because

Israel had lost great power.

They abandoned the way of God, and the line of Kings that had been magnificent, and mighty tree in the days of Solomon had become diseased, and was chopped down by invading armies, and taken captive, and all that was left was a stump. Why?

Their kings were worthless.

Wicked men who offered up their children in sacrifice who sought oracles from other gods, and abandoned the way of David whose heart was after God, and when the king is untrustworthy, and worthless, they are the ones who are suppose oversee the Law of the land, but

Their courts were mocked.

They would pervert justice and acquit the guilty for money, and as favors instead of loving what is good and right, they worshiped idols and that’s why

That’s why it’s referred to as a stump.

What good could come from a line such as this, that had been great, and wonderful which was meant to accomplish so much, but now you look at it and see nothing good, there’s no fruit, no shade, just a stump.

Justice was Corrupted

You lose all reason to hope.

If the land has been given over to wickedness and evil men are blessed by the courts to continue in their wickedness, then what can we say? If the police officers praise the wicked, and punish those who abide by the law, if teachers, punish the good students, but reward and encourage the misbehaving, it is very easy to throw up your hands and say what’s the point? However,

We are to honor those in authority.

This is challenging, but the Scriptures are clear on this. That is not to say that we approve of them, nor join them if they command us to forsake what is good and do what is evil, but are to maintain respect for they are God’s Servants, however, we

Remember that God judges them.

For all creation is subject to judgment by its creator, and so even if we are treated unfairly in this life as many believers have been, and will be until the day of judgment, we pray for their repentance, but do not seek vengance for God will deal with the wicked in this life, and in eternity. But despite the failures of these kings, God did not forget his promise to Abraham, to David, and to mankind to send a Savior.

The Branch from Jesse’s Root

There is yet hope in the line of Jesse.

This is where we can be of good cheer, for God keeps his promise, even when all hope seems lost, even though the line of Jesse would appear to be a worthless dead stump, God can bring life even to those that are dead, and restore the line that had been cut down for its wickedness. This

This branch won’t be misled like men.

Men who had trusted in corrupt advisor, men who had been misled by their own passions and lusts, men who knew what the right thing to do was, but found ways to work around it for their own gain. This King of Jesse’s line would be anointed by the Spirit of God and demonstrate that in His conduct.

He will judge with righteousness.

Not with eyes, that can be misled or deceived, and not with ears that can hear honeyed words, or carefully word deceits to pull people away from the truth, This branch of Jesse would judge with the righteousness that belongs to God, and work God’s will upon the land and not swerve from it, there would be actual justice.

The Wisdom of God

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

It is the recognition of who God is, that has authority and power, that He has power over both body and soul, and that all must stand before God one day, so how should we treat his Word? His will, and His desires? They are far greater than our own. So why would we prioritize our own wisdom, our own will over our creator? Yet we do, that’s why the first commandment is so important, we aren’t to put ourselves in front of God, for that’s idolatry. But

Jesus came to do the will of His Father.

To fulfill all righteousness in our place, and accomplish what none of us are able to do, to lead a life without sin, to set aside all selfish desires and submit to the will of the Father in heaven. How on earth could anyone do what Christ did?

He treated people as though they were lovely.

We see the ugliness inside the hearts of men, we see the wickedness there, but Christ showed love towards the world, for even though He is the Judge of all creation, He has great love for us. So that’s why the Judge of all creation first came down and opened the gates of heaven, that we may have hope in this world by doing what we could not.

Our Hope in a Dark World

We will be mistreated, but Jesus is our hope.

This world is full of tragedies, heartaches, and disappointments, but the reason that we are so full of joy during the Christmas season, isn’t because all of those things suddenly vanish, or we delude ourselves into thinking that everything is rosy and there are no troubles. It is because despite all of our anxieties, our worries, and our concerns, and all the forces in the world, we see there in the manger that God has not forsaken the world.

We are declared righteous through faith.

This is really why we have hope, a lot of folks don’t understand the necessity of faith, because they don’t understand the judgment. They minimize God’s wrath, and think that they can make amends for the wrongs they have done, not understanding the very reason that Jesus was born. It was precisely because we couldn’t fulfill the law. This doesn’t mean we fly head long into sin, but we understand that the only way there is to be forgiven is to rely on the hope we have in Christ.

This means we believe the word.

We know that God’s word endures forever, it does not fail, and we are encouraged to rely upon it even in the most difficult of times, for God is faithful. If you look to the things of this world, you will find every reason to be disappointed to throw your hands up in the air and say what’s the point? But the wisdom of God, is relying not upon our works, our deeds, or our powers, even when we are wronged, for we know vengeance belongs to the Lord. We trust that He will watch over His people.

This my brothers and sisters in Christ, is this shoot that was born of Jesse’s stump. No matter how bleak things may look, do not forget that God keeps His Word, be they the Law or the Gospel. The Law forbids us taking vengeance into our own hands, but do not have to be afraid, there is one who will avenge us, and will right every wrong. May that also serve as a reminder to each of us, for just as we have been wronged, we have wronged others as well, and so we should humble ourselves and learn to rely upon Christ to not only save us from those that would wrong us, but even from our sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.