Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

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predator and prey

Isaiah 11:5&6 "5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." Isaiah paints a vivid portrait of the coming Messiah. Clothed in righteousness and faithfulness, Jesus judges not by outward appearance or hearsay but with perfect equity, especially defending the poor and meek. One day He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips (v. 4). Today’s verses continue this theme of righteous rule. Verse 6 then shifts to a breathtaking vision of transformed creation: predators and prey dwelling in peace, led by a little child. This striking reversal of the natural order symbolizes the end of all violence and fear, restoring the harmony lost at the Fall. It is a picture of total shalom—peace among people,...

slay the wicked

Isaiah 11:3&4 "3 And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: 4 But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked." More than 700 years before Christ, Isaiah painted the clearest Old Testament portrait of the coming Messiah. From what looked like a dead stump of David’s ruined dynasty, God would raise an eternal King, endowed with the sevenfold Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. In today’s verses we see Jesus perfectly fulfilling this prophecy: • He judges with “quick understanding in the fear of the Lord”—a deep reverence that guides flawless discernment, never swayed by mere appearances or rumor (John 2:25; 7:24). • He defends the poor and meek...

The Sevenfold Spirit

Isaiah 11:2 "And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;" In Advent we celebrate Christ’s coming—past, present, and future—confident in His return because biblical prophecy has proven true again and again. More than 700 years before Jesus’ birth (Isaiah ministered ca. 739–681 BC), Isaiah gave the Old Testament’s clearest portrait of the Messiah: His forerunner (40:3–5), virgin birth (7:14), gospel preaching (61:1), atoning death (52:13–53:12), and final triumph (60:2–3). Yesterday’s reading pictured the Davidic dynasty as a lifeless stump after centuries without a king. Yet from Jesse’s roots (David’s humble father) would come a tender shoot—a Branch. What seemed dead was only sleeping; God would raise an eternal King. Today’s verse goes further: “The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him” signals a permanent anointing, unlike the temporary enabl...

shoot

ISAIAH 11:1 "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:" We have entered the second week of Advent. Last week we reflected on Jesus’ warnings about His sudden return—“like a thief in the night”—and the need to stay ready every day. Why trust ancient prophecy? Because it has already come true in Jesus. This week we look at some of those prophecies to deepen our wonder. Isaiah ministered (739–681 BC) to a Judah that had turned away from God. His book contains the Old Testament’s fullest portrait of the coming Messiah: His forerunner (40:3–5), virgin birth (7:14), gospel proclamation (61:1), atoning death (52:13–53:12), and final triumph (60:2–3). Today’s verse is one of the clearest. After centuries without a Davidic king, the royal line looked like a lifeless stump. Yet from Jesse’s roots (Jesse, David’s humble shepherd father) would spring a tender shoot—a Branch. That Hebrew word for “shoot” (netzer) echoes the name N...

surprise!!!

Matthew 24:44 "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." These are the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This verse comes from the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25; Mark 13; Luke 21), Jesus’ major prophetic teaching given on the Mount of Olives just days before His crucifixion. After the disciples marveled at the temple’s beauty, Jesus foretold its total destruction, prompting deeper questions about the end times and His return. Throughout this week we’ve focused on the Second Coming and its central call: constant readiness. No one knows the day or hour—not even the angels or the Son, only the Father. Christ will return unexpectedly, “like a thief in the night.” This uncertainty is not meant to frighten but to awaken us to sober, holy, and faithful living. Just as a homeowner would stay alert if he knew when a thief was coming, we must remain spiritually watchful every moment because we do not know the time. Readiness is n...

keeping watch

Matthew 24:43 "But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up." In Matthew 24, Jesus teaches that no one—not the angels, not even the Son—knows the day or hour of His return; only the Father knows. His purpose is not to create anxiety but to call us to constant readiness and faithful living—this is the heart of Advent. Jesus uses a simple picture: If a homeowner knew exactly when a thief was coming, he would stay awake and stop the break-in. Since we do not know when Christ will return, the only wise response is to live every day watchful, ready, and faithful—keeping watch over our faith, obedience, repentance, and love for God and others. His coming will be sudden and unexpected; it will catch the unprepared off guard. So be ready—today and always. Amen.