Advent in Isaiah: The Glorious Stump

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 24:7-10
• Hymn — Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin (from Heinrich Bullinger)
• Assurance of Pardon — Romans 4:4-5
• Scripture Reading — Luke 2:22-38
• Hymn — Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Prayer of Dedication
• Hymn — Good Christian Men, Rejoice
• Sermon
• Hymn — As with Gladness Men of Old
• Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26
• Doxology

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Sermon Title: Rest in the Fruitful Root from the Stump of Jesse

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-10

I. Rest in the Qualifications of the Fruitful Root

A. The lineage of the fruitful root — Isaiah 11:1

1. Jesse was the father of King David, from the tribe of Judah
2. God's people did not need merely another son of David; they needed a better David — one who would bring lasting rest
3. Though the stump of Jesse appeared dried up, the shoot would come forth against all odds
4. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment: Son of David, Son of Jesse, Son of Adam, Son of God (per Luke's genealogy)

B. The endowment of the fruitful root — Isaiah 11:2

1. The Spirit of the Lord rests upon him — wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord
2. His endowment equips him to accomplish lasting peace: to glorify God and secure the welfare of his people
3. Jesus publicly claims this endowment reading from Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…"
4. He is the Wonderful Counselor (cf. Isaiah 9:6), whose spirit-filled qualifications make him the one source of rest for weary souls

II. Rest in the Rule of the Fruitful Root

A. The general character of his judgment — Isaiah 11:3

1. He does not judge by outward appearances — not by what his eyes see or ears hear
2. His judgment penetrates to the truth of all matters and all persons
3. "His judgment is according to truth" (Matthew Henry); righteousness is the belt of his waist — Isaiah 11:5

B. The application of his judgment toward two groups — Isaiah 11:4

1. The spiritually poor and meek (cf. Matthew 5:3-5): Christ judges them righteous; he knows their wounds, their shame, their struggle against indwelling sin
2. The wicked: condemned by the mere word of his mouth — no other weapon needed (cf. Revelation 19)

C. Application — his rule should humble and comfort

1. Humbles us: Christ is never fooled by outward shows of goodness; he sees the heart
2. Comforts us: He looks upon his redeemed and sees only his atoning blood and finished work — no condemnation for those in him

III. Rest in the World of the Fruitful Root

A. The picture of Eden restored — Isaiah 11:6-9

1. Wolf with lamb, leopard with goat, cow and bear together — a picture of universal peace and harmony
2. This is not utopia achieved by policy or human effort; it is the inbreaking of Eden restored through Christ alone
3. The cobra and the adder with a child recalls the serpent and the seed of the woman — signaling the curse undone (Genesis 3:15)
4. High water mark: "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" — Isaiah 11:9
5. Fulfilled in Revelation 21:3-4: God dwelling with his people, every tear wiped away, death and mourning no more

B. The signal for the peoples — Isaiah 11:10

1. The root of Jesse stands as a signal to all nations — Gentiles included
2. Christ now stands at the right hand of the Father as the resting place for his people
3. Believers are raised and seated with Christ in the heavenly places; the Father's pleasure in the Son is his pleasure in them

C. Rest enjoyed now and fulfilled later

1. Psalm 132:13-14: The Lord has chosen Zion — his resting place forever; the church is the dwelling place of Christ across the ages
2. The Lord's Day and the ordinary means of grace are a foretaste — a "pinhole of light" — of the full rest to come
3. Peace with God is objective and real now, even when not felt subjectively; no policy or human prince can deliver it
4. Your only hope for rest is the root from the stump of Jesse — find your rest in Jesus Christ