This week we zoom in on just one verse of Isaiah 11:
“In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious” (v. 10 ESV).
Today’s the Day
We are living in the day that Isaiah is describing. As children long for and anticipate Christmas morning, each day of preparation raises their expectations. When Christmas finally arrives, anticipation is traded for the experience of the day. The Jews were awaiting the coming Messiah. We’ve already looked at the beginning of Isaiah 11 where the Messiah is described. He is a ruler filled with (verses 1-5):
- Wisdom
- Understanding
- Counsel
- Might
- Knowledge
- Justice
- Righteousness
- Power over the wicked
- Faithfulness
In His kingdom there will be perfect peace between God and man and creation (verses 6-9). God’s kingdom has been initiated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah, the root of Jesse, that Isaiah was foretelling. But we live in the “already but not yet.” Jesus’s first coming was the initiation of the kingdom, and His second coming will bring it to fulfillment.
Why Does It Matter?
1) Knowing that we are living in the in between times can give us hope and security in an insecure world. As we are reminded often in Scripture, “Do not fear.” We don’t need to fear what is happening in the world. We are meant to be set apart—at peace and free from the fears that plague those around us. We can be witnesses to the peace that is available in and through faith in Jesus Christ.
2) While we await Jesus’s second coming, we can have realistic expectations for this life. We know the final ending, but we know that there will be increasing turmoil that precedes the end. We know that mankind cannot create a utopian world, no matter how hard we try. There will always be wars, rumors of wars, and natural disasters (Matt. 24:6-8) until Jesus returns. There is nothing shocking or surprising to us. “There is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). Jesus alone will bring perfect peace. All the difficulties of life in this world can be opportunities to share the gospel with those who are suffering.
Jesus Stands as a Signal for the People
We recognize all kinds of signs in our world because of what they represent—food, fuel, shopping, directions, and so on. Jesus is a sign of hope. People are seeking wisdom, hope, and reconciliation. What many don’t realize is that what they are seeking is found in Christ. We who have found Him are to hold up this signal to others. Back in Isaiah 8, the people were looking for answers in all the wrong places:
“And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn” (vv. 19-20).
Isaiah foretold a time when people from all nations would be drawn to God, and we are seeing that fulfilled in our day. There are believers from North Carolina to New Zealand, from Uganda to Ukraine, from Zambia to Zimbabwe. In the fullness of time, God will bring the story to a close with all those He has called to follow Him.
Jesus Is Glorious
A good summary of this section of Scripture comes from John Piper:
“When all his work of judgment and salvation is done, he will enter his rest, his final home, and one word will describe him and it: Glory. This glory is the sum of all the beauties of his person—all his wisdom and understanding and counsel and might and delight and righteousness and mercy. And this glory is the sum of all the beauties of his work—nations gathered, Israel restored, curse removed, new heaven, new earth, no harm, no destruction anymore.”
This glorious fulfillment is where everything is heading; therefore, fear not! Let the difficulties and blessings of life point you to Jesus as the Source of all good things, and then point others to Him as well. He is coming back in glory, and we have reason for abundant hope.
“And again Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will come, even He who arises to rule the Gentiles; in Him will the Gentiles hope.’
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Rom. 15:12-13).
Application Questions
1) How does faith in Christ impact how you look at the world and its events? Is there a difference in how you respond to people in your workplace or on social media?
2) Are Christian hope, joy, and peace different from the world’s experiences of hope, joy, and peace? How so? (E.g. look at Matthew 5:3-12.)
3) Consider Ephesians 5:15-17. Knowing that Jesus could return at any time, how might that change your priorities for your work, family, friends, and strangers? How can we in the church support and pray for one another in these life choices?
