Advent 6

Advent 6




“A shoot shall come out from the root of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.” -Isaiah 11: 1-5 (NRSV)



Isaiah, like Jeremiah, anticipates a time when the exiles will return from Babylon. He hears God’s message of consolation for Judah, and declares it to the people.



1. Who is Jesse?

2. What parts of this prophesy came true during Jesus’ earthly ministry? Which parts were more easily seen during his eternal reign?

3. Does this multilayered prophesy make them harder to trust, or build your faith?

 
Lord, give us faith to know that your words are true and your promises are trustworthy.  Make us people with a firm hope in our future, because our hope is in you.  AMEN.