Isaiah 52:1-3 Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. 2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. 3 For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”
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Luke 1:49-50 for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 
 
ONE purpose to intentionally celebrate Advent is to remember God’s salvation promise. From Genesis through Malachi – the entire Old Testament – the Lord God promises he will redeem the entire world from the sin in the Garden of Eden. We rejoice at Christmas time to know, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
   With words of sure salvation, God speaks through Isaiah, “O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.” The LORD God declares God’s perfect restored city, the new Jerusalem, will be free of sin. The uncircumcised are those whose hearts remain stone against the Lord. These unfaithful will be judged. The new Zion, home to the church, will be redeemed and safe forevermore.
   Mary’s Spirit-inspired words affirms the prophet’s. She first confesses her personal salvation in the Lord. This is what we all must do. Your confession “the Lord has done mighty things for me” is to be with fear and awe. Uphold God’s salvation to the world and praises the Lord’s ongoing work in your life.
   Then Mary’s words point to the future. “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” God’s gracious mercy is his salvation. With grace and love, he forgives and redeems us into his holiness when we fear his name. To fear the Lord is to know his sovereign authority establishes our lives out of sin and into his holiness. Spirit-empowered faith, our hearts will circumcise sin from our hearts. With mourning, we recognize our sin. In joy we know without money you will be redeemed. Our eyes will desire to seek God’s face. With awe and wonder we will worship him with our heart, mind and soul. How great is God’s love to pay the price of His Son to redeem you.
   Remember, unto us a son has been given; unto you a child has been born. God is redeeming the world just as he has promised. One day sin will be no more.
 
Prayer: Your great mercy has come to my soul, Lord. I praise you for your great love to welcome future generations into you holy city. Amen.         
 
     

Isaiah 11:10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.
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Isaiah 45:23 By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.
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Luke 1:54 “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”
 
Luke 1:68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.  69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David  70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),  71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us – 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear  75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
 
WORDS from Isaiah, Mary and Zechariah, who is John the Baptist’s father, point to God fulfilling his first covenant with Abraham: Genesis 12:2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
   The prophecies and praises are true. Out of Abraham’s loin has come the Son of God. From the Son’s resurrection the church of Jesus Christ is throughout the entire earth. Yes, there are some people groups who have yet to know of Jesus. But that is changing. The gospel is expanding. Everywhere the name of Jesus is God’s Banner to declare salvation has come to the nations. Paul reiterates God’s promise in Romans 14:11 It is written: “’As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’”
   In Christ there is no Old and New Testaments. There is one testament, one promise of God’s redemptive power declaring is reign throughout the entire earth.
   This is Christmas joy. There is no reason to be dismayed, doubtful or in despair. There is only a sure hope to know Jesus’ name is above all names throughout the world. Try as they might persecutors and can never, will never silence God.
  
Prayer: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. (Psalm 8:1) Amen.  
 

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
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Luke 2:11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
 
ARE you in awe and wonder to know that “to us a child is born, a son is given”? With overflowing joy do you consider, “a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” After all, this is the gospel. It is the good, the very, very good news about eternal life come personally to us, isn’t it? Praise God he has promised and delivered, free of any cost to us a Savior, who is Messiah, Son of God. Rejoice the Mighty God has delivered to you his Prince of Peace. Know the Everlasting Father defines your life as his own child, born of the Spirit. Savor the Wonderful Counselor transforms your mind to his truth and wisdom. Yes, to us is born a Savior – and he is Christ – Resurrection, Redeemer, Reconciler – of the world. He makes you free from sin to welcome you into heaven.  
   Yes, are you awestruck as you gaze upon God? Or do life’s limitations hinder your view of God’s wondrous gift? Often on display in the church – individuals and corporate body – is a resigned, “That’s the way it is.” We seem to accept a  minimal faith that wonders, “How can God help me here?” We can’t believe for unto us the Mighty God has come to empower us with his personal love. God’s Word seems a distant reality as we contrast it with daily life in a broken world. In your mind, very real afflictions can rank above God’s seemingly elusive eternal promises. Our minds seek not the Wonderful Counselor, who points to Peace. Worry, instead, manages our souls. Our personal salvation becomes a distant possibility as we reject its active reality. We miss life’s joy because we forget the Everlasting Father’s grand love sent the Savior to be born to us.
     Be in awe God so loved the world, he gave Jesus to you. Foremost in your mind know God has fulfilled his promise – first to the Jews in Bethlehem and Galilee – then to us Gentiles throughout the world. Believe, live and know the Everlasting Father outlasts the trials and troubles, sicknesses and opposition. Faithfully know, “A Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord.”
         
Prayer: Thank you, Everlasting Father, that to me a Savior has been born. He is my Prince of Peace to ease my mind. I faithfully rejoice that you are the Mighty God, who calls me unto himself. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Isaiah 6:13 “And though a tenth remains in the land, it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
 
Isaiah 11:1 “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”
 
Luke 2:30-32, 34-35 “For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel…34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
 
THE terebinth and oak trees in Israel could be cut down to a stump, lifeless to the eye. But even from a stump, they would become alive with new shoots to again provide life-sustaining food and shelter.
   Isaiah is filled with such images of God’s judgment and salvation. The Spirit inspired the prophet to declare sin’s penalty and then mankind’s rise out of sin through God’s salvation. In their sin, Israel would look dead, apart from God. But then life would come from God’s holy seed, Jesus Christ, the shoot to rise from Jesse’s (David’s father) family.
   We see this prophecy of salvation also in Luke 2. This is Jesus’ circumcision. Simeon prophesies nations’ judgment. And then salvation through the boy in Mary’s arms. Salvation would cost the Savior and his mother. Hearts of sin would oppose Jesus, and even Mary’s soul would be pierced with grief.
   The opposition and grief would culminate in Jesus’ death. To the world, he would seem cut down, pierced on a deadly wooden cross. From the grave, though, the shoot from Jesse would rise to eternally shelter and comfort his own from sin’s storms.
   How is your faith today? Does it feel cut down, perhaps lifeless? Might we look at empty pews to declare, “The church is but a dead stump. There is no life here.” Could we be too willing to allow doubt and fear to pierce our minds?
   If so, we must stop and know this: The church is planted to be the Bride of Christ with his blood. Living Water nourishes our roots deep into Jesus’ resurrection. The Spirit strengthens hearts and minds to defend and serve the Branch raised to life. The Father’s love nurtures the church’s heart. The church is God’s Tree of Life to raise up a broken world to unite with our Creator. Each day you are the church, and each Sabbath you are to unite with others to produce life-giving fruit to feed a world lost in sin.
   Rejoice in God’s eternal promise that the you are nourished and rooted in the eternal Branch.
 
Prayer: Grow my roots deeply into you, Jesus. Empower my life to faithful fruit. Amen.