The Root of Hope

Introduction: A Stump in Granddaddy’s Field

When I was a boy, my granddaddy had a field behind his house. A big storm came through one winter and blew down a mighty oak tree. The next day, I saw that tree cut down to a stump. I asked him, “Granddaddy, is it dead?”

He said, “Maybe. But give it time.”

A few months later, right when spring came, I saw something that made me stop in my tracks: a tiny green shoot coming up out of that old stump. What I thought was dead… was not done. Life was still in the root.

That, dear friends, is the picture of biblical hope. That is the story of Advent.

It’s the story of Israel—cut down, exiled, defeated, and waiting.

It’s the story of humanity—exhausted by sin, broken by pride, and longing for light.

It’s our story—when everything looks like it’s over, when the night feels too long, when the promises of God seem too far away.

And then, from the middle of the mess, God brings forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse—a branch, a King, a Savior. His name is Jesus.

I. 🌱 The Root of Jesse: A Sign of Resurrection Hope

Romans 15:12 + Isaiah 11:1

“The Root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

Paul is quoting the prophet Isaiah here, and Isaiah was writing to a nation that had been chopped down. The great dynasty of David? Gone. The people? Exiled. The promises? Silent. The tree? Just a stump.

But Isaiah said, "Out of this stump… a shoot will rise."

That shoot is Jesus, the Son of David, born in Bethlehem. The One who came not with a sword but in swaddling clothes. Not on a throne but in a manger.

🪧 ILLUSTRATION #1 — The Trash Heap Diamond

I once read about a man in South Africa searching for diamonds. While others dug in deep caves, he sifted through discarded rubble—and found one of the finest diamonds ever discovered.

Why was it there? Because nobody thought anything good could come from trash.

Isn’t that like Jesus?

"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" they said. The world saw a carpenter. God sent a King. The world saw weakness. God showed power.

What the world calls a stump, God calls a seed. What the world calls forgotten, God calls favored.

II. 📖 Hope Has a Foundation — God’s Promises Are Sure

Romans 15:4

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Hope isn’t a feeling. It’s a foundation. It’s not a maybe. It’s a certainty—because it's based on what God has already done.

Christian hope doesn’t rest in the winds of circumstance. It rests on the rock of God’s Word.

The Old Testament is not just history—it’s a record of God’s faithful character. It shows us:

Abraham’s womb was barren—but God brought forth Isaac.

Israel was enslaved—but God split the sea.

David was a shepherd—but God made him king.

The people were exiled—but God brought them home.

God keeps His promises.

🎁 ILLUSTRATION #2 — The Sealed Letter

A young boy whose father was a sailor once received a letter sealed with his family crest. He couldn’t read it well, but he held it close and said, “Daddy’s coming home—I’ve got his promise.”

We have a better promise, church. The Scriptures are God’s letter to us—sealed by the Holy Spirit, opened by the cross, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is trusting the God who speaks and never lies.

III. 🌍 Hope for All People — The Welcome of Christ

Romans 15:7–9

“Welcome one another… as Christ has welcomed you.”

Hope isn’t just personal—it’s global. Paul is writing to a church filled with division: Jews and Gentiles, insiders and outsiders, cultures clashing in Rome.

But Paul says: “In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

In Christ, the outsider is welcomed. In Christ, the broken are restored. In Christ, the Church becomes one people—not because they’re the same, but because they’re saved by the same Savior.

✝️ Whom did Christ not welcome? He welcomed children. He welcomed tax collectors. He welcomed women. He welcomed the broken. He welcomed Gentiles. He welcomed you.

👥 ILLUSTRATION #3 — The Dinner Table

A pastor once shared that every Sunday, his mom set one extra place at their table. “Who’s coming?” he’d ask.

She’d say, “I don’t know. But we need to be ready in case someone needs a place.”

That’s how Jesus sets the table of the Kingdom.

And Paul says: “You do the same. Welcome one another, as Christ welcomed you.”

The gospel is not exclusive—it’s expansive. The hope of Jesus is not just for the few—it’s for the whole world.

IV. 🕊️ The God of Hope — Our Power and Peace

Romans 15:13

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

Paul ends this passage with a blessing—but it’s more than nice words. It’s a declaration of the Christian life:

God is not just the giver of hope. He is the God of Hope.

Hope doesn’t come from feelings—it comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And when that hope fills you—it changes you.

It gives:

Joy in the middle of sorrow.

Peace in the middle of chaos.

Power in the middle of weakness.

This is the supernatural sphere in which Christians live—not by chance, not by human strength, but by the Spirit of God.

🕯️ Conclusion: What Are You Hoping In?

Friend, hope is not your last resort. Hope is your first call.

Hope is not a backup plan—it’s the plan.

Hope is not a feeling—it’s a Person.

Hope is not a lottery—it’s a promise.

And that promise has a name: Jesus Christ.

“In Him shall the Gentiles hope.” “In Him shall we all hope.”

🛐 Invitation: Come to the God of Hope

If you're living on human strength, trying to hold your world together—today is the day to turn to the God of Hope.

Not the god of good vibes.

Not the god of last chances.

Not the god of random fate.

But the God who came in a manger, Who died on a cross, Who rose from the grave, And who will return in glory.

And if you know Him today—don’t let the world steal your hope. Let the Holy Spirit fill you again with joy, peace, and trust.

✝️ Final Benediction (Romans 15:13):

Now may the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.