WEBVTT 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:05.960 So, as we've already noted, this is the Advent season, and I love Advent. 00:00:06.940 --> 00:00:08.179 I love the anticipation. 00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:15.060 Often for me, the buildup and anticipation for Christmas is as good, if not better, than 00:00:15.060 --> 00:00:16.199 Christmas itself. 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:18.760 Maybe it's just me, but I love the anticipation. 00:00:19.900 --> 00:00:26.820 And every year we, during the Christmas season, Christians all around the world turn to the 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:34.320 book of Isaiah as a way of preparing for the celebration of Christmas. 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:40.960 And since we in the Anglican world and at Church of the Advent follow the lectionary this time 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:44.900 of year, which we're actually going to be doing in this church through next Pentecost, 00:00:44.900 --> 00:00:50.219 so we're going to be just following the lectionary for a while, this year the lectionary readings 00:00:50.219 --> 00:00:52.299 come from Isaiah in the Old Testament. 00:00:52.939 --> 00:00:55.280 And so, it's a great preparation for Christmas. 00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:01.700 Isaiah was a prophet living in the 8th century B.C., and many of his prophecies talk about 00:01:01.700 --> 00:01:07.340 the coming of God's Messiah, God's Savior King who's going to one day heal the world. 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:12.140 And Christians believe that these prophecies point to Jesus. 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:19.460 And so, the reason that we read Isaiah is because we see this as a way of gaining a much deeper, 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:22.020 fuller sense of the meaning of Christmas. 00:01:22.019 --> 00:01:28.439 So that when we come into that Christmas morning, we have all of these verses in our minds giving us 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:33.280 that background, that depth, those layers of meaning of Jesus' coming. 00:01:33.739 --> 00:01:37.420 So, we're going to be looking at Isaiah for the next few weeks, and this morning we're going to 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:44.439 be looking at Isaiah chapter 11, verses 1 through 10, which shows us that Christmas carries with it 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:49.399 the promise that one day there will be peace in the world. 00:01:49.399 --> 00:01:50.439 There will be peace. 00:01:51.179 --> 00:01:57.840 So, Isaiah 11 shows us a world at peace, the king of peace, and then the cost of peace. 00:01:58.780 --> 00:01:59.599 Let's pray. 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:06.780 Lord, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You for these words in particular that were written down 00:02:06.780 --> 00:02:07.979 so long ago. 00:02:07.980 --> 00:02:14.620 Isaiah never could have known how these words would be used, and yet here we are opening to 00:02:14.620 --> 00:02:18.379 these pages in this time and place. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:23.819 And we know that because of Your Holy Spirit, these words can continue to speak to us, that 00:02:23.819 --> 00:02:25.500 in them we can hear Your voice. 00:02:25.620 --> 00:02:29.860 And we pray that we would do that this morning, that we would be able to hear Your voice through 00:02:29.860 --> 00:02:34.500 the power of Your Holy Spirit fulfilling Your promise to speak to Your people, and that You 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:39.379 would give us a deeper understanding of what it means to know Jesus, because He has come. 00:02:39.500 --> 00:02:41.060 We pray this in Your Son's holy name. 00:02:41.300 --> 00:02:41.539 Amen. 00:02:43.460 --> 00:02:46.439 So, I'm going to look at this a little bit out of order. 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:53.000 I want to start in the middle of the passage, verses 6 through 9, and look at the world at 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:55.960 peace that Isaiah describes. 00:02:55.960 --> 00:02:59.500 Starting in verse 6, He gives us these images. 00:03:00.439 --> 00:03:09.960 A wolf living alongside a lamb, a leopard lying down next to a young goat, a calf and a lion 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:19.719 and a fatted calf together being led by a little child, a cow and a bear grazing alongside each other 00:03:19.719 --> 00:03:30.579 eating grass, their young lying down together, a lion eating straw instead of meat, eating straw like the ox, 00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:42.280 a nursing child playing over a den of poisonous snakes, a weaned child, a small child putting his hand over an 00:03:42.280 --> 00:03:43.680 adder's den. 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:48.960 These are wild images meant to ignite our imagination. 00:03:49.260 --> 00:03:57.020 Isaiah is describing a world of profound peace, but it's a kind of peace that goes far beyond anything 00:03:57.020 --> 00:04:00.780 we can imagine, because this isn't just a ceasefire. 00:04:01.640 --> 00:04:04.600 This isn't just an end of war and hostility. 00:04:04.740 --> 00:04:10.480 We have wolves, leopards, and lions, and bears living together in harmony with lambs, goats, calves, 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:11.619 and cows. 00:04:13.239 --> 00:04:16.259 No more predators, no more prey. 00:04:17.939 --> 00:04:20.800 We have children and snakes playing together. 00:04:20.939 --> 00:04:29.519 I mean, for some of us, and I know some of you, just the thought of a snake makes your heart rate increase. 00:04:29.659 --> 00:04:36.519 We actually, Riley got a pet snake for his birthday, and it's at our house, and there are some people, 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:40.539 they come over to our house, and they come into our kitchen, and we're talking, and, hey, you know, 00:04:40.599 --> 00:04:41.439 can I get you something to drink? 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:44.680 And they look over, and they say, is that a snake? 00:04:44.719 --> 00:04:48.419 As though the snake is going to leap out of the container and latch onto their face. 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:50.879 And this is not a poisonous snake. 00:04:50.919 --> 00:04:51.799 It's a very safe snake. 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:55.039 But just for the idea of a snake makes some of us nervous. 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:59.859 This is an image of a child playing alongside snakes. 00:04:59.860 --> 00:05:08.639 In the world that Isaiah describes, an infant would be just as safe laying in a den of cobras 00:05:08.639 --> 00:05:11.340 as it would be in its own crib. 00:05:12.060 --> 00:05:13.759 It's meant to shock us. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:20.639 And then we see in verse 9, this is a world in which all violence and oppression cease to exist. 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:27.000 It's a world in which primal archetypal rivalries have been transformed. 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:35.600 So, you say, well, what would that look like in our culture if Isaiah lived in D.C. at this time? 00:05:35.779 --> 00:05:37.120 What would he have written? 00:05:37.220 --> 00:05:39.540 What examples would he use? 00:05:40.060 --> 00:05:46.639 And Israelis and Palestinians celebrating and sharing meals together. 00:05:47.639 --> 00:05:53.819 MAGA Republicans and Antifa activists dancing through the streets together. 00:05:53.819 --> 00:06:01.079 White nationalists and BLM supporters living together, singing together in perfect harmony. 00:06:01.500 --> 00:06:05.099 You know, we have a deeply divided society. 00:06:05.339 --> 00:06:10.620 There was an NBC poll conducted in mid-October, just ahead of the midterms. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:17.539 And in this NBC News poll, they found an almost identical share of Democrats and Republicans. 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:19.480 It was roughly 80% each. 00:06:20.740 --> 00:06:24.220 And I think the sample size was roughly 1,000 people surveyed. 00:06:24.500 --> 00:06:31.500 80% each, Democrats and Republicans, who believe that if the other party is not stopped, 00:06:31.900 --> 00:06:34.660 they will destroy America as we know it. 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:39.420 They don't just say we disagree politically, we have our differences. 00:06:39.420 --> 00:06:44.199 They say, if we do not stop them, our society will be destroyed. 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:52.140 And what this poll found overwhelmingly is the good news is voter turnout is very high. 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:53.000 That's the good news. 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:55.520 What's motivating the voter turnout? 00:06:55.840 --> 00:06:59.060 Well, overwhelmingly, it's fear and anger. 00:07:00.460 --> 00:07:02.600 This is a society that is deeply divided. 00:07:03.100 --> 00:07:06.439 Think of the people in your life that you are deeply divided from. 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:14.660 Think of the family members that you can no longer speak to, maybe because of political differences. 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:19.319 Call to mind the person who has hurt you the most. 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:26.139 Call to mind the person or the people that you can never imagine forgiving. 00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:33.939 Call these names and faces to mind. 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:41.060 Isaiah is describing a world in which all of that pain and division has been eradicated. 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:46.000 Where they're not even memories anymore. 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:50.899 Where all people live together in absolute peace and harmony. 00:07:51.060 --> 00:07:56.600 There is no more oppressor, no more oppressed, no more victim, no more perpetrator. 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:02.600 Everyone lives together in absolute peace, what the Bible calls shalom. 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:08.280 Now, here's the most important thing to see. 00:08:10.840 --> 00:08:13.260 This is not merely an outward peace. 00:08:14.100 --> 00:08:17.680 There has been an inside-out transformation. 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:21.360 In other words, natures have been transformed. 00:08:23.140 --> 00:08:25.939 Carnivores have become herbivores. 00:08:25.939 --> 00:08:30.120 Now, this isn't necessarily prescribing vegetarianism. 00:08:30.699 --> 00:08:31.680 It's a metaphor. 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:38.899 It's a metaphor that's meant to show us that human natures have been so radically transformed 00:08:38.899 --> 00:08:44.399 that there's no longer even the possibility of harm or violence of any kind. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:52.100 Those concepts no longer exist because the nature of these creatures has been changed. 00:08:52.100 --> 00:08:54.560 Now, we ask, well, why is that important to point out? 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:59.120 Well, it's important because in the West, most everyone wants world peace. 00:08:59.379 --> 00:09:01.100 That's not up for contention. 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:04.340 Most everybody wants world peace. 00:09:05.680 --> 00:09:11.500 But we've come to believe that we can achieve this kind of peace if we only work together. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:15.060 If we get the right kind of people into office. 00:09:15.059 --> 00:09:25.379 If we educate the masses, if we apply the right social pressures, then we can overcome all of the racial tension and injustice and poverty and violence. 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:29.500 We can create a world in which wolf and lamb lie down together. 00:09:30.699 --> 00:09:33.399 That's an outside-in approach. 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:39.759 It says, if we do all the right things out here, surely our hearts will follow. 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:45.399 And that is precisely why it will never fully succeed. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:51.819 Because the biggest obstacle preventing us from having the kind of world we want is not out there. 00:09:52.259 --> 00:09:54.559 It's the problem in here. 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:56.120 It's in the human heart. 00:09:56.279 --> 00:09:57.620 It's in our natures. 00:09:59.100 --> 00:10:00.679 We need new natures. 00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:16.379 And the kind of world that Isaiah describes is only possible if there is an inside-out transformation, a change that begins in the human heart with a new nature, with a new set of inclinations. 00:10:17.659 --> 00:10:20.159 So, this is the world that we all want. 00:10:21.379 --> 00:10:22.579 Isaiah paints a picture. 00:10:23.099 --> 00:10:27.120 Now, let's look at the king of this world, the king of peace. 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:32.899 Now, we have to say right off the bat that the idea of a king, any king, makes people nervous. 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:35.179 And of course it does. 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:41.200 Because we assume that people with the kind of power that a king has, that those people are going to be corrupt. 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:45.840 That they are going to use that power to abuse and mistreat other people. 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:50.340 And we can point to many examples throughout history that back that up. 00:10:50.659 --> 00:10:52.580 Because it has happened many, many times. 00:10:52.580 --> 00:10:58.580 And what we need to understand is the people of Judah in the 8th century BC would probably agree. 00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:02.960 At this point in history, they would probably say, yeah, we're not really a big fan of kings either. 00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:07.980 Because at this point in history, it seemed like their best days were behind them. 00:11:08.259 --> 00:11:12.060 Long ago, they had this great united monarchy under David. 00:11:12.180 --> 00:11:14.500 That was the high point in Israel's history. 00:11:14.660 --> 00:11:15.400 No longer. 00:11:17.060 --> 00:11:18.620 Things had faded quite a bit. 00:11:18.620 --> 00:11:24.340 That by the time of Isaiah's ministry, Judah was in an economically precarious place. 00:11:25.139 --> 00:11:28.240 They were being bullied by geopolitical powers. 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:33.899 They were weakened by syncretism and injustice and formalistic religion. 00:11:37.019 --> 00:11:41.899 Their priests just wanted to keep the peace. 00:11:41.899 --> 00:11:47.399 They just wanted to go along so they could get along. 00:11:49.019 --> 00:11:51.120 They were cowards for the most part. 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:59.220 Their kings, so-called kings, were puppets of their Assyrian overlords. 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:00.259 They were vassals. 00:12:02.419 --> 00:12:05.919 King Ahaz, who we read about in Isaiah chapter 7 through 10. 00:12:06.699 --> 00:12:09.500 Ahaz sits in the background of Isaiah 11. 00:12:09.500 --> 00:12:19.100 Ahaz was a thoroughly wicked man, even sacrificing his own children in order to gain and hold on to power. 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:25.200 Now, it's not often today that we see people burning their children on altars, 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:28.200 but we do see people who are willing to sacrifice their children, 00:12:28.340 --> 00:12:34.320 willing to throw their friends and family under the bus if necessary to gain and to hold on to power. 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:41.160 Isaiah had prophesied that God is going to bring judgment on Israel and Judah through the Assyrians, 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:46.400 and later the Babylonians, that He's going to reduce the line of David down to a stump, 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:49.600 which makes things sound pretty hopeless. 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:54.060 And yet, right, and yet. 00:12:54.059 --> 00:13:02.879 I remember reading somebody one time who said that he thinks the whole Bible could be reduced down to two words, 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:04.119 but God. 00:13:05.859 --> 00:13:06.359 Right? 00:13:06.419 --> 00:13:08.439 The whole story of the Bible could be reduced down to that. 00:13:09.439 --> 00:13:11.899 Things seem hopeless, but God. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:17.719 God says there's going to be a new king who comes like a shoot from the stump of Jesse. 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:22.519 Even though Israel's never again going to be the great United Nations state with a king like David, 00:13:22.779 --> 00:13:26.519 from his bloodline there's going to come a new king. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:30.000 And he's not merely going to be a human king, it says in verse 2. 00:13:30.160 --> 00:13:31.700 He's going to be a divine king. 00:13:31.820 --> 00:13:34.340 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. 00:13:34.800 --> 00:13:36.259 And look at these characteristics. 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:39.360 We've got the 2024 election coming up, presidential election. 00:13:39.860 --> 00:13:42.960 Imagine a candidate emerging with these qualities. 00:13:44.040 --> 00:13:44.519 Wisdom. 00:13:44.519 --> 00:13:47.759 He has right judgment in all things. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:49.199 Understanding. 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.840 He has the ability to see to the heart of an issue. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:54.019 Counsel. 00:13:54.439 --> 00:13:58.139 He always knows the right course of action to take. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:13:59.240 Power. 00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:06.360 The ability to actually say and do, and then do what he says he's going to do. 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:07.100 Right? 00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:07.899 Knowledge. 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:11.579 Here, knowledge doesn't just mean information. 00:14:11.580 --> 00:14:14.940 It means a king who knows God intimately. 00:14:16.560 --> 00:14:21.500 Imagine those qualities in a 2024 presidential candidate. 00:14:21.660 --> 00:14:25.700 And in verse 3, we see his central qualification for leadership. 00:14:26.920 --> 00:14:31.020 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. 00:14:31.540 --> 00:14:34.400 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:46.199 The problem with many of Judah's kings, and I would say the problem with many of our own political leaders, is that once they get into power, their chief concern becomes holding on to that power. 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:56.080 So, a lot of things get said and promised during campaign season, but then it becomes about keeping your supporters happy. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:01.680 Ensuring that when the next election comes around, they'll stay with you. 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:04.180 And that drives a lot of the priorities, the decision-making. 00:15:04.179 --> 00:15:05.179 And that drives a lot of the priorities, the decision-making. 00:15:05.179 --> 00:15:06.959 But not this king. 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:08.959 Right? 00:15:09.099 --> 00:15:14.179 His central overarching driving motivation is to please God. 00:15:14.699 --> 00:15:18.859 And because of that, he's a perfect leader, verses 3 to 5. 00:15:19.199 --> 00:15:21.099 He's not swayed by appearances. 00:15:22.859 --> 00:15:25.319 He's immune to lobbyists. 00:15:26.319 --> 00:15:29.259 He's unconcerned about approval ratings. 00:15:29.259 --> 00:15:38.299 His only central concern is to follow God's way. 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:41.259 And here's something we need to see. 00:15:41.379 --> 00:15:46.759 Because of that, he's able to care for the poor and the needy. 00:15:48.340 --> 00:15:50.000 Because that's what God cares about. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:56.039 But He does so with perfect justice, giving everyone exactly what they need. 00:15:56.039 --> 00:16:03.519 And it says with the slightest breath, you can imagine a little poof, he could topple the wicked. 00:16:04.579 --> 00:16:05.679 He's unconcerned. 00:16:07.439 --> 00:16:09.480 And verse 5 says, 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:15.079 This king's integrity is such that if you were to strip everything else away at his very core, 00:16:15.439 --> 00:16:18.240 you would find righteousness and faithfulness. 00:16:18.980 --> 00:16:24.279 A continuing concern to be right and true in all his ways. 00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:32.240 This king is totally and perfectly equipped to meet all of the challenges of this world 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:36.519 and to fix all that is broken to make everything as it ought to be. 00:16:38.419 --> 00:16:42.799 I just want to think for a minute about what this is saying. 00:16:43.819 --> 00:16:44.000 Right? 00:16:44.079 --> 00:16:46.059 Why is this king so wise? 00:16:46.419 --> 00:16:52.659 Why is this king able to have such clear and righteous judgment? 00:16:52.659 --> 00:16:55.539 What makes him such an effective leader? 00:16:55.879 --> 00:17:01.159 And the answer is, his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. 00:17:02.259 --> 00:17:07.180 And, you know, I read this and it strikes me, I think that we can learn something from this. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:07.720 Right? 00:17:07.740 --> 00:17:14.019 In some ways, this king goes far beyond anything that any mere human king would be capable of. 00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:16.819 But in some ways, we can learn something from this. 00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:25.319 I mean, I know most of you well enough to know that we spend enormous amounts of time and energy 00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:29.240 investing in our education, in our career, 00:17:30.179 --> 00:17:34.039 attaining credentials that we believe will allow us to do great things. 00:17:34.539 --> 00:17:34.659 Right? 00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:39.279 The kind of people who come to D.C. are the kind of people who, for the most part, 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:44.500 have invested enormous amounts of time and energy into education and training and credentials 00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:46.940 so that they can make a difference in the world. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:49.240 They want to use all of those things for good. 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:50.680 And that is amazing. 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:51.500 That is wonderful. 00:17:51.779 --> 00:17:51.960 Right? 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.480 We should be thinking that way. 00:17:54.619 --> 00:17:58.160 But often, we spend so much time attaining all of these credentials 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:02.339 that our relationship with God gets whatever time and energy we have left over. 00:18:02.339 --> 00:18:05.199 It is sort of an afterthought. 00:18:05.619 --> 00:18:08.919 As we are doing school, as we are doing internship, as we are doing fellowship, 00:18:09.139 --> 00:18:12.799 as we are doing residency, as we are making connections, as we are putting in the hours, 00:18:13.099 --> 00:18:16.539 as we are climbing the ladder, all in the name of doing good in the world, 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:18.980 the relationship with God kind of gets pushed to the side. 00:18:19.179 --> 00:18:22.199 But the one thing that this world needs more than anyone else, 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:24.839 more than our credentials, more than our expertise, 00:18:25.299 --> 00:18:27.939 men and women who delight in the fear of the Lord. 00:18:29.740 --> 00:18:31.480 That is actually what the world needs. 00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:36.199 People who no longer crave the approval of other people. 00:18:37.339 --> 00:18:40.319 People who no longer fear the rejection of other people. 00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:45.299 People whose sole overarching driving desire is to please God. 00:18:49.179 --> 00:18:52.299 As we look at this world and as we look at this king, 00:18:52.439 --> 00:18:54.039 one big question remains. 00:18:54.199 --> 00:18:55.980 What makes all of this possible? 00:18:57.899 --> 00:19:01.879 What is capable of bringing the kind of inside-out renewal 00:19:01.880 --> 00:19:10.260 the change in nature that is necessary for this kind of world to become possible? 00:19:10.260 --> 00:19:16.260 What makes it possible for human beings to be so devoted to the Lord 00:19:16.260 --> 00:19:20.000 that we begin to reflect the heart of this king? 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:26.579 And we see, finally, the cost of peace. 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:32.079 Notice that all of the examples Isaiah gives us of reconciliation, 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:38.759 right, all of these paradigmatic predator-prey relationships transformed, 00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:41.759 all of these examples Isaiah gives us of reconciliation 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:43.819 are like a great ripple effect. 00:19:43.819 --> 00:19:51.359 These are all signs that an even deeper, more fundamental reconciliation has happened. 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:55.419 And we see this alluded to in verse 9. 00:19:55.559 --> 00:19:55.879 It says, 00:19:55.880 --> 00:20:21.960 This does not mean that everybody in the world will know about the Lord as though everyone gets a PhD in theology. 00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:26.759 It means close, intimate, personal relationship. 00:20:27.340 --> 00:20:36.940 This kind of world is possible for because the earth is now filled with people who know God intimately. 00:20:39.019 --> 00:20:43.680 Finally, once and for all, there is peace between God and the human race. 00:20:43.799 --> 00:20:47.960 Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled. 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:55.380 The point is that world peace like this is only possible after there is peace with God. 00:20:56.539 --> 00:21:00.680 Another way to put it is we can't fix the horizontal relationships in the world 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:04.420 until that vertical relationship has been restored. 00:21:05.559 --> 00:21:07.640 And so then we ask, well, how does that happen? 00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:12.100 And we see just the merest hint of this in verse 10. 00:21:12.099 --> 00:21:32.019 This is saying that when God's King comes, He's going to be lifted up like a signal. 00:21:32.019 --> 00:21:39.519 And the word here really means banner, like a banner that people would see and rally around. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:43.980 You know, like you feel outnumbered, your troops are scattered, you know, 00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:47.759 and then all of a sudden there's a banner that goes up and everybody comes from all 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:51.000 and everybody sees the banner and they begin to rally around the banner. 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:55.720 A banner goes up and people see it and they begin to move toward it from the four corners of the earth. 00:21:55.960 --> 00:22:00.440 The one thing that's odd is the way it's written, it makes it sound like the king is the banner. 00:22:00.440 --> 00:22:04.600 Normally a king, the standard bearer or whatever, they would hold up the banner, 00:22:04.700 --> 00:22:07.059 but this makes it seem like the king is the banner. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:13.100 In John chapter 3, Jesus is talking with a man named Nicodemus, 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:17.480 and they're talking about the kingdom of God, something that Nicodemus had thought quite a bit about. 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:22.580 And Jesus tells him that the only way to get into the kingdom of God, 00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:27.019 the only way to be a part of this new world, the world that Isaiah is describing, 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:29.539 is to be born again. 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:32.640 Is to gain a new nature. 00:22:34.539 --> 00:22:36.519 And Nicodemus asked, well, how does that happen? 00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:39.039 And Jesus answers, 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:43.039 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:47.880 so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 00:22:48.600 --> 00:22:52.779 that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. 00:22:52.779 --> 00:22:58.799 And of course we know now that He was talking about the cross. 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:02.839 How does God's King come into the world, 00:23:03.639 --> 00:23:05.440 make peace between God and humanity, 00:23:05.980 --> 00:23:07.899 and begin to remake the world 00:23:07.899 --> 00:23:13.259 to reflect what we see described in Isaiah chapter 11? 00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:16.680 He allows Himself to be lifted up. 00:23:17.420 --> 00:23:24.240 He gives His own life to pay for the sin that divides us from God. 00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:30.039 He makes possible a great reconciliation between human beings and their Maker. 00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:31.960 And then through His resurrection, 00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:36.619 He shows us a preview of the world as it will one day be, 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:38.019 a resurrected world. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:42.740 So, when we see in Isaiah the banner being lifted up, 00:23:43.180 --> 00:23:47.680 what we're meant to think of is this banner being lifted up. 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:51.000 And as God's people see it, 00:23:51.019 --> 00:23:53.060 they come from the four corners of the earth. 00:23:53.180 --> 00:23:53.980 But then it says, 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:56.600 of Him shall the nations inquire. 00:23:57.100 --> 00:24:00.440 Over time, as this message goes out, 00:24:00.500 --> 00:24:04.039 as that banner is lifted up by Christian brothers and sisters 00:24:04.039 --> 00:24:05.000 all around the world, 00:24:05.080 --> 00:24:06.880 the nations begin to inquire. 00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:09.039 The nations begin to come in. 00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:13.740 And this world of Isaiah 11 begins to be birthed, 00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:15.580 one new nature at a time. 00:24:15.579 --> 00:24:18.819 And, you know, Isaiah 11 verse 10 00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:21.819 really is the entire mission of the church today. 00:24:21.939 --> 00:24:24.099 We could just put that as our mission statement. 00:24:24.579 --> 00:24:27.679 We are here to lift up and hold high 00:24:27.679 --> 00:24:31.659 this banner of hope in the world, right? 00:24:31.699 --> 00:24:35.119 To point to Jesus Christ as the once and future King 00:24:35.119 --> 00:24:37.240 who will bring lasting peace. 00:24:39.259 --> 00:24:40.879 I think it's important to note, 00:24:41.339 --> 00:24:43.000 and I'm always so thankful that 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:45.680 in the overlapping of the liturgical calendar 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:48.859 and our secular calendar here in the United States, 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:51.140 I love when there are overlaps 00:24:51.140 --> 00:24:53.839 that help us make sense of things. 00:24:53.880 --> 00:24:55.480 And I always love that the Advent season 00:24:55.480 --> 00:24:57.359 comes right after election season 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:00.400 because we always need a reset, 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:01.839 especially here. 00:25:02.700 --> 00:25:03.640 You know, in our society, 00:25:03.740 --> 00:25:04.920 many people look to politics 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:06.500 as the ultimate source of hope. 00:25:06.500 --> 00:25:08.400 And I think that's part of the reason 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:09.779 why things have become so polarized. 00:25:12.180 --> 00:25:14.059 As Christians, we're called to be people 00:25:14.059 --> 00:25:16.660 who recognize that politics is important. 00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:18.759 A lot of you work in politics, 00:25:18.859 --> 00:25:19.680 extremely important, 00:25:20.140 --> 00:25:21.359 but it's not ultimate. 00:25:23.099 --> 00:25:24.539 A good friend of mine, Michael Weir, 00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:26.599 likes to, I think he coined the word 00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:27.859 ultimatizing, 00:25:28.579 --> 00:25:32.119 that we have a tendency to ultimatize politics. 00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:35.379 And our society needs people 00:25:35.379 --> 00:25:36.259 who are full of hope. 00:25:36.659 --> 00:25:37.839 Our society needs people 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:38.839 who are full of joy. 00:25:40.819 --> 00:25:42.059 Our society needs people 00:25:42.059 --> 00:25:43.599 who are fully engaged in politics, 00:25:43.799 --> 00:25:44.619 and they're full of hope, 00:25:44.859 --> 00:25:45.719 and they're full of joy, 00:25:45.819 --> 00:25:47.479 precisely because they don't 00:25:47.479 --> 00:25:50.479 look for security in their politics. 00:25:52.199 --> 00:25:53.519 But they look for security, 00:25:53.619 --> 00:25:54.479 and they look for peace 00:25:54.479 --> 00:25:57.000 in the King of Peace, Jesus Christ. 00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:00.439 People who have a right-sized view 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:02.700 of earthly politics, 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:04.140 because our identities 00:26:04.140 --> 00:26:05.559 are firmly rooted as citizens 00:26:05.559 --> 00:26:07.880 of God's kingdom. 00:26:08.500 --> 00:26:10.920 And this is the great hope of Christmas, 00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:12.740 the great hope that we have 00:26:12.740 --> 00:26:13.600 the joy of announcing, 00:26:13.980 --> 00:26:14.980 the King has come. 00:26:16.120 --> 00:26:17.640 And now is the time 00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:19.019 to lift high the banner of hope 00:26:19.019 --> 00:26:19.960 for the world to see. 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:21.840 And the promise is that 00:26:21.840 --> 00:26:23.100 when Jesus comes again, 00:26:23.539 --> 00:26:24.559 He will be the one 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:25.600 to put the world right 00:26:25.600 --> 00:26:27.039 once and for all. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:28.640 Let's pray. 00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:33.059 Lord, we thank You for Your Word, 00:26:33.140 --> 00:26:34.299 and we thank You for Your Son, 00:26:34.460 --> 00:26:35.799 and we thank You for this banner. 00:26:36.820 --> 00:26:38.200 And Lord, we pray that 00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:40.200 as You give us strength, 00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:41.740 we would hold this banner high, 00:26:42.100 --> 00:26:43.480 regardless of the cost. 00:26:44.380 --> 00:26:46.340 We pray that it would offer hope 00:26:46.340 --> 00:26:47.960 first to us. 00:26:48.940 --> 00:26:51.059 Lord, I know in me, 00:26:51.220 --> 00:26:52.539 evangelism often begins 00:26:52.539 --> 00:26:53.420 with my own heart 00:26:53.420 --> 00:26:54.340 and my own mind. 00:26:54.840 --> 00:26:56.320 They need to be re-evangelized. 00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:59.399 Lord, I pray that it would begin 00:26:59.399 --> 00:27:00.220 in us, 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:02.139 that we would be reminded 00:27:02.139 --> 00:27:04.480 and re-centered on this cross, 00:27:04.519 --> 00:27:05.339 and then I pray that it would 00:27:05.339 --> 00:27:06.839 radiate out from us. 00:27:08.339 --> 00:27:09.859 Lord, that this Advent season 00:27:09.859 --> 00:27:10.740 not only would Christians 00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:11.579 look to the cross 00:27:11.579 --> 00:27:13.079 as their great source of hope, 00:27:13.139 --> 00:27:14.720 but that the nations would inquire, 00:27:15.679 --> 00:27:17.119 that the nations would come. 00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:20.200 We pray this in Your Son's 00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:20.939 holy name. 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:21.619 Amen. 00:27:21.619 --> 00:27:21.759 Amen. 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:21.779 Amen. 00:27:21.779 --> 00:27:21.819 Amen. 00:27:21.819 --> 00:27:21.839 Amen. 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:21.859 Amen.