12/13/13

The Joy of Christmas: Day Thirteen

Christmas is so much more than presents, trees, lights, and childhood.

We would all agree that Christmas is about Christ. Yet, we only focus our study on a small part of who Christ is during this Christmas season. We only talk about mangers, starts, angels, and a baby. He is so much more than that! We sing about and talk about the joy that comes with the Christmas story. But why is it so joyful that Christ was born?

Inspired by the Jesse Tree Advent book**, I am going to do a 25-Day series focusing on

finding joy in Christ! Click here for more info.

Joy of Christmas: Day Thirteen
New Branch

Isaiah 11:1-5
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.


His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 
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 slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

 
The promise of the Messiah, or "Anointed One" continues into the prophets.  During the age of the kings, Israel rebelled over and over.  Yet, God never forgot them.  God sent prophets, like Isaiah, to send promises that one day, a Christ would come to redeem them.  Many Jewish scholars, even during Jesus' time, thought that they would be redeemed physically, as a country.  God had something even better and bigger in mind.  He was going to redeem their hearts. 
 
The Messiah would come to save the people from their sins.  Through the line of Jesse, which means King David, Jesus came to be that Savior. (Matthew 1)
 
God kept His promise.  We have joy this Christmas because Jesus came to save us from our sinful selves.  Rejoice - the King has come!

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