CHRISTmas Context -December 5 Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10

 

25 Days of Christmas

On the fifth day of Christmas, my Bible said to me...Christmas can only be understood in the context of all that Jesus did after his birth - his life, his death, his resurrection, and his glorious return. 

Today's Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10            

Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

a Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

a Spirit of counsel and strength,

a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

3 His delight will be in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge

by what he sees with his eyes,

he will not execute justice

by what he hears with his ears,

4 but he will judge the poor righteously

and execute justice for the oppressed of the land.

He will strike the land

with a scepter from his mouth,

and he will kill the wicked

with a command from his lips.

5 Righteousness will be a belt around his hips;

faithfulness will be a belt around his waist.

6 The wolf will dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard will lie down with the goat.

The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together,

and a child will lead them.

7 The cow and the bear will graze,

their young ones will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like cattle.

8 An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit,

and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den.

9 They will not harm or destroy each other

on my entire holy mountain,

for the land will be as full

of the knowledge of the Lord

as the sea is filled with water.

10 On that day the root of Jesse

will stand as a banner for the peoples.

The nations will look to him for guidance,

and his resting place will be glorious.

 

Through the Bible Readings: Joel2:18-3:21, 2 Peter 3, Psalm 136:22–26, Proverbs 29:24–27

 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  Christmas Context       

"Peace on earth, goodwill to men."

Of course, that isn't exactly what the angels said to the shepherds, but it brings a problem to light. Where is the promise of Christ's coming? Jesus came 2000 years ago and there still isn't peace on earth and there is precious little goodwill. The world is a mess - a big, fat, stinkin' mess. Did Jesus fail?

Of course not. What we sometimes forget is that Christmas is the beginning of a process that will only be fully realized at the last day when Jesus stands uncontested as King of kings and Lord of lords. If you only look at the Jesus of Christmas you will have a twisted and mistaken view of who he is. He's no cute and sweet baby cooing in a manger. He's not even the "gentle Jesus, meek and mild" that he was during his sojourn on earth. Philippians 2 makes it clear that Jesus veiled his glory for those years of earthly ministry and sacrificial death, but Revelation reveals him in his full glory.

Isaiah 11:1-10 prophesies the coming of the Christ from "Jesse" - the descendant of David. It speaks to the fact that he will be a ruler, the fulfillment of all the promises of the Davidic covenant. this passage is about the glories of the millennium when Jesus has set up his kingdom here on earth and the world runs as God intended. The Lord is come and earth has received her king. Joy to the world! There is justice and peace and joy and love throughout the world.

Christmas can never be understood without looking at the totality of Jesus' work. He came and was born in Bethlehem - glory to God in the highest. But that matters because of what came next. He lived a perfect life, never committing a single sin. He then offered his sinless body to bear the full weight of our sins on himself, paying the price for us. He died, was buried, and rose again as Lord of all. He now sits at the right hand of God and will one day return to establish his reign on earth and wrap the world's history up in glory.

Without the whole story, Christmas is just a sentimental and meaningless holiday - like the Hallmark Channel movies that have proliferated. But when we see Christmas as the opening salvo of the Great War of the Ages, we understand it in all of its glory.

Christmas will be truly and fully celebrated in the future when its promises are fulfilled and "He rules the world with truth and grace."

Thank you, Father, for the hope of the future that comes through Christ who was promised in Isaiah, born in Bethlehem, died on Calvary, rose in glory, and is coming in power. 

Think and Pray :

Do you keep Christmas in context or do you tend to fall into the trap of seeing it as a holiday only about a baby born in a manger?

Consider the glory of what lies ahead when "He rules the world" and rejoice in the promise of Christmas.

Carol of the Day: 

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;
Let earth receive her king;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders, wonders, of his love.