An Amazing Leader/An Amazing Child

Read Isaiah 11:1-10

Whenever there is a new leader there is new hope – or at least there is proclamations about the new hope. People get excited about the tough days of old will now end and the new leader will lead us out of these days (whatever these days are).

With the kings of old proclamations would be written declaring how this new king will lead us to prosperity. How this new king will rule with righteousness. How this new king will bring peace to the land. New kings, new leaders, will always tell us how they give us hope.

But what is so different in this passage in Isaiah is that it is not talking about the new leader in office. It’s telling us about a baby! And the baby is yet to come. At least the baby is yet to come when these words were written 2700 or so years ago. For us today this baby came and we anticipate that coming with our advent readings and we celebrate that coming in our celebration of Christmas.

Let’s take a look at this child:

Verse 1 – the root of Jesse. This is a poetic way of talking about Jesus. Jesse is the father of the ancient Jewish King David (about 1000 years before the birth of Jesus). God had promised that the savior would come from David – in other words the root of Jesse.

This child will come with a spirit of wisdom, counsel, might, knowledge, and a fear of the LORD. In fact he will delight in the fear of the LORD. Fear doesn’t mean being scared but means reverence. This child will delight is revering God.

Then look at verse 6. We begin a series of Utopian statements about how nature will be calmed so much that even predators will lie down with their prey in peace. It’s an amazing image: A wolf relaxing with a lamb, a leopard with a goat, a lion with a calf. There a TV commercial running right now for Traveler’s Insurance showing just this image: of animals of all kind living in peace with each other. This is the image Isaiah is using showing the completeness of the peace this child brings. Look at the last line of verse 6 – and a little child will lead them. A little child! What the Traveler’s Insurance commercial needs is a little child walking in the midst of it all making it all happen – Jesus is the leader of this Utopian vision!

Finally look at verse 10. When you raise your banner it is a sign to all that you can come to the banner and the king will be there and it is a rallying place. It was often used in war as a sign to come here for rest. The end of verse 10 tells us His resting place will be glorious. This little child, the one we celebrate at Christmas time – Jesus -- will give us a Glorious Resting Place. That is why he is coming! That is why He already has come!

So for politicians they create slogans to tell us how great life with them will be. For Jesus, the child that is coming, the root of Jesse, the one who delights is God - He gives us a promise. A promise we can trust in.

Amen.