Isaiah proclaimed with joy the prophetic promise to God’s people: from the ancestry and lineage of Jesse would come a branch from his roots, one who would be filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and would delight in God’s fear, and judge with justice and fairness. With righteousness he will judge the poor and pronounce an equitable sentence for the meek and vulnerable. God will transform all creation, and the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Jesus is this ruler from David’s line who will reign forever as Lord and King over God’s Kingdom. Let us prepare our hearts for the righteous reign of the Branch, the soon coming King and Kingdom of God revealed at the coming of Jesus Christ.
The promises regarding the Messiah in the Hebrew Bible can be applied to one and only one person: Jesus of Nazareth. No one else can be identified as the one who in every respect fulfills to the letter all the prophecies regarding Messiah. Jesus is the Champion from David’s line who will reign as Lord in the restored Kingdom of God.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the grace and mercy you have bestowed upon us. You are the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Hebrew Bible; you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Come, Lord Jesus, and establish your reign in the earth. Amen.
“The theme of worship is far more central and significant in Scripture than many Christians imagine. It is intimately linked with all the major emphases of biblical theology such as creation, sin, covenant, redemption, the people of God and the future hope. Far from being a peripheral subject, it has to do with the fundamental question of how we can be in a right relationship with God and please him in all that we do. One way or another, most of the books from Genesis to Revelation are concerned with this issue.”
~ David G. Peterson, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992. pp. 17-18
Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
Emmanuel, God with Us, Matthew 1.18-25
Book Reading
Peterson, Engaging with God
