LSB 384 Of the Father's Love Begotten

LSB 384 Of the Father's Love Begotten

Youtube Meditation,   A Capella Men's Chorus,   Celtic Instrumental,   Mixed Chorus

John 1:1 

The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Revelation 1:8 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Romans 11:36 

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Psalms 2:7 

I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you."

1 John  4:9 

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 

Luke 1:35 

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 

Isaiah 9:6 

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 60:1 

The Future Glory of Israel

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

Luke 24:44 

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 

Acts 10:43 

To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Psalms 98:1 

Make a Joyful Noise to the LORD

Oh sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done marvelous things!

His right hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him.

Revelation 5:9-14 

And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

LSB 357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,        Click Here For Music

And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Public domain

Isaiah 7:10-14

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 
“Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 
But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 
And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! 
Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. 
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:21, 23

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins...

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Isaiah gives comfort to God's people in Jerusalem promising them that God is with them. The Immanuel promise affirms that God will not leave them even while other kings and nations would like to overthrow Judah's armies. The Syrian military threat to Jerusalem was real. If God were to remove His protection, Jerusalem would not be able to stand. King Ahaz was not counting on the LORD's protection; Ahaz was looking for help from Egypt. Ahaz hoped that if Egypt were on his side he would have a better “Master” than with Syria.

Isaiah points Ahaz to the LORD. The LORD is faithful. The LORD will have compassion on His people. The LORD will save them from Syria. Ahaz does not need to be afraid. He does not need to go running to Egypt for help, but to the LORD. 

The Immanuel promise affirms that God remains – always. Enemies will rise up against His servants to knock them down, and drag them off to death and hell if they can. God affirms that He will be with us to save us from our enemy. Ahaz was worried about Syria and his fear paralyzed his faith. Jesus' promise in the face of fear? “Behold, I am with you always. Even to the end of the age.”

LSB 383 A Great and Mighty Wonder

LSB 383 A Great and Mighty Wonder

Carols from Kings

Isaiah 55:12 
“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.


1 Timothy 2:5-6 
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 


Mark 10:45 
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”


Romans 16:20 
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


Hebrews 2:14-15 
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 


Psalms 45:6 
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;


Hebrews 1:8
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom."

LSB 357 Desire of Nations

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,

And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Public domain

Ephesians 1:9-10

making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Peace on Earth and Unity in Christ: A Scandal

Every few months, I drop in on Atheist websites to review the various logical arguments against the existence of God and of the cosmic role of Jesus in the universe. I do this because invariably these same arguments come up in random social situations between 6 and 24 months later. It usually depends on when they are trotted out on the comedy circuit and everyone's favorite Atheist, Bill Maher of HBO.

By reviewing the material on the Atheist website, I figure I am gaining some thinking time so that I am not surprised, a little sleep because I don't have to stay up late to see Bill for myself, and several bucks because I don't have to pay for cable.

God should be more concerned about Evil

While the first round of material claims to show how Theistic arguments are not reasonable, and another batch of material is aimed directly at straw men attacking things that Christians do not actually claim, the majority of Atheism amounts to the “Bruce Almighty” argument. Since God is omnipotent and loving, Evil should not exist.

A God who is all-powerful and all-loving, but still confines Himself to acting in Jesus just doesn't compute. God's methods discount His existence or at least His truthfulness. But then as the Christian message progresses Christians share that God has every intention of doing away with Evil; God intends to send Evil to hell and separate it from His people forever.

OK, then God should be more concerned about other people's Evil

The Atheist argument puts the blame for all Evil at God's doorstep because God didn't prevent it, but when God says He is going to act to wipe out Evil, God is unfair because that includes people and may very well mean me, too. God's definitions of Good and Evil are all messed up. God stops talking ethics. God stops talking morality. We would like them to be our towers of Babel reaching us into heaven to crash God's party. The Father just sits back and says, “So what do you think about My Boy, Jesus.” Now God is not fair, because he is just thinking too small. God counts as Good whatever is united to the resurrected Christ, full stop.

So what's a Good, Loving, Omnipotent God to do with people who want an end to Evil, but who refuse to admit that they are just as much a part of the problem as everyone else?

Let's crucify God all over again

God answers by taking the blame Himself. OK, you want to take all your anger out on me? Go ahead, here I AM: manger, poverty, rejection, trial, cross, death. He puts everyone who wants to stand in their own righteousness to shame, dies to the whole enterprise of tallying up the good and the bad, dumps all the spiritual file cabinets supposedly taking up space behind the pearly gates, and lifts up a cross over the world and calls the world to know, trust, love, and follow Him. God stops trying to convince and just calls, and wouldn't you know it, He gets crucified all over again for that, too.

Peace in Christ

The peace of God that passes all human understanding is located specifically in Christ. But, just so we won't miss it, God wraps the Prince of Peace up in swaddling clothes and puts Him in a manger. That way, we won't confuse Him with all the other noise distracting us from Him.

We are one year farther from Bethlehem and one year closer the New Heavens and the New Earth. We will have all the existentialist and empirical evidence we ever wanted.

Colossians 1:13-17

¹³He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Matthew 1:21, 23

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel”

(which means, God with us).

351 Creator of the Stars of Night

Creator of the stars of night,
Thy people’s everlasting Light:
O Christ, Redeemer, save us all
And hear Thy servants when they call.

Thou, grieving that the ancient curse
Should doom to death a universe,
Hast found the healing, full of grace,
To cure and save our ruined race.

Thou cam’st the Bridegroom of the bride,
As drew the world to eventide,
The spotless Victim all divine
Proceeding from a virgin shrine.

At whose dread name, majestic now,
All knees must bend, all hearts must bow;
All things celestial Thee shall own,
And things terrestrial, Lord alone.

O Thou, whose coming is with dread
To judge the living and the dead,
Preserve us from the ancient foe
While still we dwell on earth below.

To God the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit, Three in One,
Praise, honor, might, and glory be
From age to age eternally. Amen.

Public domain

LSB 382 We Praise You, Jesus, At Your Birth

LSB 382 We Praise You, Jesus, At Your Birth

 Renaissance,   Organ Partita,   Bach Chorale,   Organ Prelude,   J. S. Bach Cantata

6      In poverty He came to earth
        Showing mercy by His birth;
        He makes us rich in heav'nly ways
        As we, like angels, sing His praise.
        Alleluia!

7 All this for us our God has done
        Granting love through His own Son.
        Therefore, all Christendom, rejoice
        And sing His praise with endless voice.
        Alleluia!

2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, no. 100011178.
1978 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, no. 100011178.


Luke 2:8-14
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" (Luk 2:8-14 ESV)


John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 2 He was in the beginning with God.
 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")
 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (ESV)

Galatians 4:3-9
 3 we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? (ESV)


Phi 3:7-11 
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--
 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (ESV)

LSB 357 Dayspring from on high

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Click Here for Music

LSB 357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,

And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

Public domain

Light of the World,
Illuminate our Darkness

The Antiphon
O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting:

Come and enlighten

those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death.

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shined.

You have multiplied the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

For the yoke of his burden,

and the staff for his shoulder,

the rod of his oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult

and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 60: 1, 2

The Future Glory of Israel

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,

and thick darkness the peoples;

but the LORD will arise upon you,

and his glory will be seen upon you.

Matthew 1:21, 23

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel”

(which means, God with us).

Light of the World, Illuminate our Darkness

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey

Luke 1:68ff.

The Benedictus – Zechariah prophecies regarding

The lord's work through John and Jesus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

He has come to His people and redeemed them.

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,

born of the house of His servant David.

Through His holy prophets He promised of old

that He would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember His holy covenant.

This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship Him without fear,

holy and righteous in His sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,

for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,

to give His people knowledge of their salvation

by the forgiveness of their sin.

In the tender compassion of our God,

the dawn from on high shall break upon us

to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and will be forever. Amen.

LSB 381 Let Our Gladness Have No End

LSB 381 Let Our Gladness Have No End

English Chorus, 

Orchestra and Choir, 

Orchestra, Choir & Soloists

Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

Isaiah 11:1-2

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
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 the fear of the LORD.

Luke 2:10-11

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

Luke 2:20

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Matthew 1:22-23

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Romans 5:11

More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 8:32-33

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 

1 John  4:9 

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

LSB 357 Key of David

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

LSB 357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

Public domain

Key of David--Opening Heaven

The Antiphon
O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel,
You open and no one can close,
You close and no one can open;
Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death.

Rev 3:7-8, 12-13
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name...
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Matthew 1:21, 23
"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel”
(which means, God with us).


Top Eight Ways the The Lord Jesus, Emmanuel, is “with us.”

The whole human race is truly redeemed and reconciled with God through Christ. By His faultless obedience, suffering, and death Christ merited for us the righteousness that helps us before God and also merits eternal life.

Christ's merit and benefits are presented, offered, and distributed to us through His Word and Sacraments.

By His Holy Spirit, through the Word, when it is preached, heard, and pondered, Christ will be effective and active in us, will convert hearts to true repentance and preserve them in the true faith.

The Spirit will justify all those who in true repentance receive Christ by a true faith. He will receive them into grace, adoption, and the inheritance of eternal life.

He will also sanctify in love those who are justified.

He also will protect them in their great weakness against the devil, the world, and the flesh. He will rule and lead them in His ways, raise them again when they stumble, comfort them under the cross and in temptation, and preserve them for life eternal.

He will also strengthen, increase, and support to the end the good work that He has begun in them, if they cling to God's Word, pray diligently, abide in God's goodness, and faithfully use the gifts they received.

Finally, He will eternally save and glorify in life eternal those whom He has elected, called. and justified.

LSB 380 Hark The Herald Angels Sing

LSB 380 Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Charlotte Church - Soprano,   King's College,   Mannheim Steamroller

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the Incarnate Deity

Pleased as Man with man to dwell, Jesus, Immanuel!

Light and Life to all He brings, 

Ris'n with healing in His wings.

born to raise the sons of earth,

born to give them second birth

John Wesley nails these lines. These lines bring God in the Flesh teaching to the hearts and minds of both the smallest and biggest singers and hearers. Kids can easily learn these lines and belt them out to their hearts content. The great thing about them is that as they grow up year by year they can not only learn them by rote, but keep unpacking them as their minds, hearts, and faith grow up. 

The Poetic Promises here keep us hearing the vastness of God's love and the scope of His care with fresh perspectives. These words keep the truth wrapped in the mystery fresh enough for five year olds, fifty-five year olds, and hundred and five year olds.

Jesus in God in human form. Jesus gives us the opportunity to say "Hi" to our Creator God, and to be friends with each other. Jesus is our healer. He brings Light. He brings Life. Jesus' birth brings resurrection, new creation, new birth.

The poetic depth of promise upon promise gives us plenty of hooks to hang our faith hat on, enjoy! and have a merry second day of Christmas.

Refrain:

Luke 2:13-14 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Verse 1

Romans 5:10-11

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 

Verse 2

Matthew 1:23 

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 

John 1:1, 14 

The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

Verse 3

Malachi 4:2 

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 

1 Peter 1:3 

Born Again to a Living Hope

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 11:24–27

Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

LSB 357 Branch of Jesse’s tree

Click Here for Music

LSB 357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.

Public domain

Branch of Jesse

Victory over Satan and the Grave

Now-Not Yet

Isaiah 11:1–11

¹There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
²And 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 the fear of the Lord.
³And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
⁴but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
⁵Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
⁶The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
and a little child shall lead them.
⁷The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
⁹They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
¹⁰In 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.

Matthew 1:21, 23

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel”

(which means, God with us).

Prophet Isaiah is a cut above the rest. Preaching and Prophesying in Jerusalem, it appears he had some access to the King's Palace at various times during his ministry. He delivers the Word of the Lord directly into the laps of Good Kings and Evil Kings with equal portions of power and poetry. What a guy! Here's a man's man, a prophet's prophet.

Isaiah's depictions of God's plans include a Ruler and a Servant. In the first 12 chapters, Isaiah goes back and forth, almost chapter by chapter, between Israel's rebellious heart and the Ruler/Savior who is coming to set things right again. In his last chapters, 40-66, He works similar messages between Israel and the Suffering Servant.

What fascinates me about Isaiah's prophecies about God's Spirit Filled Righteous King – the one who is going to finally get all this Reign of God stuff right – is that Isaiah is speaking these prophecies in the Palace courts. Here we have God's Truth-Teller comforting the residents of Jerusalem with the message, “Don't worry, God has much bigger plans for us than King Ahaz. Hold on everyone, someday God is going to send us a real King instead of the king we have now.  The Reign of God will come when the descendant of David frees us from Satan's tyranny or slavery of the grave. We won't be worrying about Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, Midianites, or any other “-ites.” God's Ruler would not rule by the standard of every other earthly ruler. God's Ruler will minister through the Spirit of the Lord taking the upside-down every day world and turning it right side up again."

Jesse's Branch rising out of the stump of David's line fulfills the promise to David of an eternal Kingdom, sure – and to Abraham of being a Blessing to All Nations – But even more so, Reigning over the New Creation that overhauls the Adam and Eve problem of Satan, Sin, and Death. Rejoice, God's Ruler is on the way.

359 Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

Lo, how a rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming
As prophets long have sung,
It came, a flow’ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half-spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
The rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to us a Savior,
When half-spent was the night

This flow’r, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness ev’rywhere.
True man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us
And lightens ev’ry load.

O Savior, child of Mary,
Who felt our human woe;
O Savior, King of glory,
Who dost our weakness know:
Bring us at length we pray
To the bright courts of heaven,
And to the endless day.

Public domain