The Candle of HOPE
Advent Week One, Day One

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1 ESV

Perhaps no other Old Testament book is associated with Christmas quite like Isaiah because Isaiah, perhaps more so than any other Old Testament book, points us to the Messiah. Isaiah 11 is a touchstone text in that regard. The oldest Christmas carol we still sing (likely the oldest of any kind that we still sing) is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and it references this hopeful passage of scripture.

The Jews of the time were a terrified and downtrodden people. The ancient and fearsome kingdom of Assyria threatened at any moment to overrun Judah. The Judean kings were essentially powerless and cowardly; leaving the Davidic dynasty a dried stump of its former self. So to these people Isaiah spoke of a New King…the Messiah. He would spring up from the dry and dead stump of Jesse, David’s father, and bring life back to the dynasty.

But the promise of the coming Messiah brought hope beyond simply the rebirth of a kingly dynasty. Isaiah goes on to proclaim that the coming Messiah would mean the rebirth of humanity, bringing a day when the curse of sin was lifted and our hearts would be made right with God.

The Child of Bethlehem’s stable fulfilled those hopes. So it is, with our hopes in him realized, that we celebrate the season of his Birth.