Isaiah 11:1-10
Dearly beloved,
We gather this night in this spiritual season of Advent, and we find
ourselves in the midst of Christ's peace. We hear, this night, from
the prophet Isaiah who delivers to Israel and all the church the
prophetic utterance from God about the future of Christ's people. To
properly understand these words, one must be familiar with the history
of salvation, and how things have come about from creation. One must
understand what the world was and now is.
The Garden of Eden was a place of peace and fellowship with God.
Adam and Eve were in a state of peace, holiness, and love. They had
the sort of relationship with God such that He would walk through the
Garden in the cool of the day, and this was a good thing until Adam
and Eve ate from the one tree. From that point on, things were
different.
Sin entered the world through that one eating. That which was peace,
became a deterrent; He who was holiness and awe brought fear and
trembling; Fellowship and love was exchanged for hiding. The world,
once having lived in peace, now was at odds with itself. Man against
man, beast against beast. A yearning for individuality and the desire
to be like God would bring forth enmity with God and one another.
Hence, we see the image in constant movement: Adam and Eve removed
from the holy and pleasant Garden of peace.
Instead of fellowship with God and eating of the Tree of Life, there
stood that image in constant movement: an angel guarding and blocking
the entrance to the holy Garden with a flaming sword in motion. That
place would never be the same again. But the holy utterances of the
prophet Isaiah give us a glimpse not just of historic plans in the
making, but of the Lord's steadfast love for His creation. This Rod
from the stem of Jesse, this branch springing forth from the roots is
the very manifestation of God's love for the world.
"The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon this One, the Spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit
of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." This Branch of Jesse will
turn things around, because God loves what is rightfully His. It is
the Heavenly Father's will and desire that there shall be a fellowship
with Him.
God wills and desires that "with righteousness He shall judge the
poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth." For this
fallen creation there is hope, says the prophet. And it shall come by
way of the "striking of the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with
the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked." But this world, as
it is now, still lives under the sinful blanket of individuality,
where it is "every man for himself." Beast devours beast, one person
hurts another, and we are constantly reminded of the harshness of this
sinful world through sickness, death, and destruction.
The good news which the prophet Isaiah delivers is that God's people
shall not live in this chaos forever. There is a way out; there is
hope; there is peace to be had. "With the breath of His lips, He
shall slay the wicked." Who shall do this? The Rod from the stem of
Jesse, the Branch—Jesus Christ shall do this.
Isaiah even goes on to prophesy how "the wolf shall dwell with the
lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the
young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead
them." This is profound. These animals, which in this fallen world
devour one another due to the taint of sin in this world, shall be at
peace with one another. The most striking statement, however, is that
a little child shall lead them.
This speaks of the incarnation of our Lord. It is this flesh and
blood child who shall lead the way to peace. This child shall cause
the cow and the bear to graze together. The lion will no longer be
the king of the jungle but shall eat straw like the ox. But the most
amazing statement is that the nursing child shall play by the cobra's
hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den.
In the nursing child we see Christ's earthly sojourn and victory over
the deadly serpent Satan. The child reaching into the viper's hole to
pull out the snake comes by way of the breath of the Lord's lips. It
is the preaching of Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead
which brings peace in the midst of sin and chaos.
Perhaps you yourselves understand this sinful world very well. You
have seen selfish individuality which cares nothing for others. Even
you have been guilty of this sinfulness. Thankfully, Jesus Christ has
come to bring peace. Jesus lived His earthly life as Adam and Eve
were supposed to live. Jesus then died paying the penalty for our
sins.
So, as we behold that dreadful and sad image of the angel standing at
the east gate of the Garden of Eden, flaming sword in constant motion
blocking the entrance, we see a new image that characterizes Advent.
We see not an angel blocking God's way of peace and holiness. This
time we see an image of the angel Gabriel coming to mankind and
speaking words of hope and blessing to a virgin.
Mary's womb is the entrance of peace and holiness to a world that is
lost, for the Holy One shall come and usher mankind into another
Garden of peace with another tree of life from which to eat, Jesus
Christ. Jesus is that banner who stands to the people. He is your
refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. He forgives you
all of your sins and places you in the midst of His holy things. It
is for this reason that we sing tonight and in Vespers the Magnificat,
Mary's words as a response to the coming of the Angel to announce that
God is bringing His creation back to His Garden of peace and love.
Amen.
--
Rev. Chad Kendall
www.frchadius.blogspot.com
Trinity Lutheran Church
Lowell, Indiana
www.trinitylowell.org
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