Sunday, November 27th, 2016 The First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 2:1-5 – Waiting for
Reconciliation
CATCHING UP ON THE STORY:
cleanse them and make them white as the
snow. The chapter ends, however, with
Jerusalem being described as a degenerate
city, full of unfaithfulness. Yet, the chapter
does not end on a hopeless note as God
promises to rebuild the city into something
great
The book that bears the name of Isaiah
begins with a heading that gives us a rough
historical marker for the text that follows.
Isaiah, son of Amoz, sees and hears a series
of visions from God in Jerusalem during the
reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and
Hezekiah, all of which were kings of Judah.
The book itself is not monolithic and, as the
heading suggests, takes place over a long
period of time. During the weeks of Advent,
we will read passages from Isaiah that span
these long periods of time.
ISAIAH 2:1-5
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw
concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2
Woven through the book of Isaiah is the
interactions that Judah as a nation will have
with a succession of surrounding
superpowers. Each superpower, the
Assyrians, the Babylonians, and finally the
Persians, will play a part in God’s judgment
and restoration of Judah for her sins. These
powers, however, will not be the prime
movers in the story; that place belongs to
God alone.
3
Isaiah’s first chapter sets the stage for our
understanding of what will take place.
Judah, the people of God living in the
southern portion of what used to be the
unified nation of Israel, are God’s children.
Yet, God declares, they have rebelled. In
this first chapter, Judah is described as less
aware than donkeys and oxen who know
and obey their masters. Judah neither
knows or obeys its God and so continues to
receive punishment. Their sacrifices are
meaningless, because of their stubborn sin,
and God is tired of receiving them. At one
point, God urges Judah to approach him
and argue their case before him. If
obedience is given, then God will work to
4
5
1
In days to come
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest of the
mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of
the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth
instruction,
and the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into
plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against
nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the LORD!
Sunday, November 27th, 2016 The First Sunday of Advent
SPECIFIC DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS:
7. What kind of things might you have
to do first before you can hand over
your sword to have it transformed
into a plow?
Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to
yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you
were very unfamiliar with the story.
SO WHAT…?
1. The passage begins with the phrase,
“In the days to come…” What days
are those?
As we begin Advent, we wait, not just for
Jesus, but for what Jesus will bring with
him. Because we know the end of the story,
God’s grand story of which Isaiah is a part,
we can read this passage knowing that the
beginning of the hope found in these words
has already come. If you will, Jesus’ birth,
death, life, and resurrection are what begins
the process of Jerusalem becoming the
highest hill around. God has now, and will
again we believe, made his home among us.
God’s teaching, through Jesus and the
church, has gone out throughout all the
land, calling all of us to sit at Jesus’ feet and
walk in his ways.
2. Think about an important idea,
concept or skill you have learned.
How long did it take you to learn it?
Have you perfected it? How many
people were involved in helping you
learn it?
3. How does learning to become a
follower of Jesus Christ compare to
learning that skill you mentioned
above?
4. We’re reading this text at the
beginning of Advent. Advent is a
season of waiting and anticipation.
We wait, simultaneously, for
Christ’s first coming in the baby
Jesus and his second coming at the
end of days. In what way does this
passage suggest we should wait for
Christ to come again? What should
our attitude be?
Yet, while we confess that part of this has
come true, we must wait some more. We
have not yet learned enough; we have not
yet walked long enough in Jesus’ paths that
we are willing to hand over our weapons of
destruction so that they themselves can be
destroyed. We persist in our conflicts, both
personal and corporate. Perhaps, every once
in a while, after walking a while with Jesus,
we tenuously hand over our swords, but we
do not leave them long enough to allow
them to be completely transformed. Then,
we grab them back, using them again for ill.
5. The result that follows from the
nations coming and learning at the
feet of God is that they allow God to
arbitrate and mediate their conflicts.
How might learning God’s ways
help us in our conflicts both
personal and corporate?
Perhaps the waiting we need to do this
Advent is not waiting for Jesus to come the
first time, or for Jesus to return to make all
things right again. Perhaps the waiting we
need to do this Advent is with Jesus, not for
him. Perhaps we need to wait patiently,
with ears to hear and eyes to see how it is
that we have actively worked against peace
and reconciliation with our family, friends,
and enemies. Perhaps we need to walk
patiently in Jesus’ way, hoping that we
6. Isaiah says that we will beat our
swords into plows and our spears
into pruning hooks. Think about the
uses of each of those things. What
do swords and spears help us do?
What do plows and pruning hooks
help us do?
2
Sunday, November 27th, 2016 The First Sunday of Advent
might fully understand it so that we too
might allow our swords and spears to be
transformed into plows and pruning hooks.
3
Sunday, December 4th, 2016 The Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 11:1-10 – The Peaceable
Kingdom
CATCHING UP ON THE STORY:
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of
the LORD.
3
His delight shall be in the fear of the
LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4
but with righteousness he shall judge
the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of
the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of
his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall
kill the wicked.
5
Righteousness shall be the belt around
his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his
loins.
6
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the
kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling
together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8
The nursing child shall play over the
hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its
hand on the adder’s den.
9
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the
knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall
stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations
shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall
be glorious.
Israel has brought judgment upon herself
for not living with justice and
righteousness; they have not helped the
widow, the orphan and the poor. Therefore,
God will enact judgment upon them from
Assyria. Assyria will crush Israel but they
will not realize that it is God who helps
them conquer. They too, will be destroyed
by God in the same way as a forest is
chopped down. Even though Israel will be
mostly destroyed, there will still remain a
faithful remnant. After all is said and done,
God will begin to gather the remnant of
Israel and begin to restore her.
Israel will be restored but not to a human
monarchy. There will come a messiah/king
who, being endowed with the Holy Spirit,
will judge and rule Israel rightly. In this
passage this ruler’s character is described,
his actions are announced, and the results of
his rule are displayed. The result of the rule
of Israel’s messiah/king will be that of
peace for all of creation. The second week of
Advent is characterized by peace. This
messiah/king is Jesus Christ and he is the
one who will bring about the type of peace
envisioned in this text.
ISAIAH 11:1-10
A shoot shall come out from the stump of
Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his
roots.
2
The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and
understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
1
Sunday, December 4th, 2016 The Second Sunday of Advent
SPECIFIC DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS:
that we might truly learn his ways.
What does this passage suggest we
learn how to do?
Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to
yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you
were very unfamiliar with the story.
SO WHAT…?
The picture presented in this passage is one
of a new kind of ruler and reality. This new
ruler will not be like the kings of Israel’s
past but will be different. This new ruler’s
final allegiance will be with God and God’s
Spirit will rest on him and enable him to
rule with justice, righteousness, wisdom,
and power.
1. Isaiah 11 begins by mentioning the
“stump of Jesse.” Who is Jesse and
why would he be mentioned here?
See 1 Samuel 16.
2. When you look at a tree stump,
what do you think? What usually
happens to the stumps of trees that
have been cut down?
This ruler will not be tossed about by
anyone, not by the rich, powerful or good
looking. He will not listen to lies which try
to abuse his power. Rather, he will begin to
create a world in which things are radically
different than the way they are now. In the
closing verses of this passage mortal
enemies are said to be relaxing and eating
with each other. In times past they would
be eating each other! Not anymore!
3. The stump in this image is the once
insignificant family of King David.
From this family, who now
represents Israel, will come a future
king who is unlike any of Israel’s
previous kings. Verses 2-5 describe
the nature of this king and how he
will rule. As a group, make a list of
the attributes of this coming king.
Who might this passage describe?
In the context of Advent, this passage points
to the coming of the Messiah in the person
of Jesus Christ. The early church would
have read this passage and declared that
Jesus is who this passage describes. It is
only through the lordship of Christ that the
world will be ruled justly and righteously. It
will only be through the power of Christ
that mortal enemies eat together.
4. Verses 6-10 paint a picture of how
things will be when this king finally
and fully reigns. What kind of things
characterize this kingdom? How is it
different than our world now?
5. Is the vision of the wolf living with
the lamb merely a vision of what
things will be like in heaven? Does it
have anything to do with earth? If
so, what?
Perhaps we need to ask ourselves this
question, “For what kind of messiah are we
waiting?” Are we waiting for and willing to
allow ourselves to be ruled by the One who
sides with the weak and powerless of the
world? Are we willing to give up our own
attempts at power? Will we seek to join in
table fellowship with our mortal enemies?
6. How can the church embody the
kingdom of peace described in this
passage?
7. We’ve said that Advent is a time of
waiting. This year, we’ve said that
we aren’t waiting for Jesus to come
the first time or to come again, but
that we are waiting with Jesus so
As we said last week, maybe the waiting
that we need to do is not for Jesus but with
Jesus, learning and trusting his ways. The
way of this Jesus that Isaiah here proclaims
2
Sunday, December 4th, 2016 The Second Sunday of Advent
is the way where dangerous foes snuggle
up together. As we wait with Jesus, let us
constantly pray that we might have the
courage to trust in God’s righteousness and
his faithfulness.
Who are our mortal enemies? Who are the
people of which we are most afraid? This
passage is ultimately a vision of the inbreaking of God’s kingdom here on earth. It
is a peaceful kingdom. Will you participate
in this kingdom?
3
Sunday, December 11th, 2016 The Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 35:1-10 – A Great Reversal
CATCHING UP ON THE STORY:
ISAIAH 35:1-10
In the previous chapter a terrible scene of
destruction is depicted. Edom, a once great
and powerful nation, serves as an example
of all the nations. She is destroyed by God
because of unwillingness to walk in the
ways of God. Edom is a foil for all nations
which neglect following God. They will be
turned from their rich and fruitful status
into a desert where only jackals, ravens and
owls live. The land will become desolate
and forsaken, named “No Kingdom There.”
While chapter 34 is not at all hopeful for
those who refuse to follow God’s ways,
chapter 35 is a different story. All of what
happens to the nations will, one day, be
reversed. The desert will be made to flow
with water. Where jackals lived there will
now be a marsh filled with all kinds of life.
Anytime desolate places are remade into
fruitful land it is a time for joy.
The wilderness and the dry land shall be
glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus 2 it shall blossom
abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to
it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
3
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
5
Then the eyes of the blind shall be
opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing
for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the
wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of
water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a
swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and
rushes.
8
A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God’s people;
no traveler, not even fools, shall go
astray.
9
No lion shall be there,
Israel, at this point, is still in the throes of
destruction. Their situation is that of the
nations who have not followed God.
Chapter 35, however, depicts the beginning
of the return of God’s remnant to the Holy
City. The land itself will be transformed
from a wasteland into a land filled with
water and life. But it isn’t just the land that
is renewed; it is the people who are
renewed as well. The blind will see, the deaf
will hear and the lame will leap for joy.
God’s people are moving to be with God.
1
Sunday, December 11th, 2016 The Third Sunday of Advent
10
nor shall any ravenous beast come up
on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall
return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their
heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee
away.
king we heard about in Isaiah 11 is
already here, and his kingdom has
arrived as well. Is there a chance that
the some of the reversals mentioned
here could or should already be
taking place? If so, what can you do
to participate with Christ in bringing
about a picture like this one?
5. As a group, choose one area or
person where you see desert like
conditions (someone caught in
addiction, a significant financial
need, depression, loneliness or the
like). Make a plan of action so that
you might bring about a holy
reversal in that situation. Commit to
putting it into action.
SPECIFIC DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS:
Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to
yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you
were very unfamiliar with the story.
SO WHAT…?
1. The images of this passage are all
about reversals. The desert receives
rain and is brought back to life. Old
and weak bodies are made strong
again. Blind eyes see, deaf ears hear,
the cripple walks, and the mute
speak. Isaiah is confident that these
things will happen. Make a list of
things that you believe need to be
reversed. What things would fit in
right alongside these things already
mentioned?
It doesn’t take much to notice that the world
around us is not as it should be. It is broken.
Every day we hear of bombings, shootings,
killings, rape, unparalleled greed and every
other sort of vice. This brokenness is
apparent in everyone’s life. So much so that
people all across the world are trying to fix
their own brokenness in all sorts of ways
which, most of the time, only lead toward
increased brokenness.
From every angle we are sold the cure to
what ails us. Car companies tell us our
identity should be defined by their car. Diet
pills and exercise programs and equipment
manufacturers tell us that if we just bought
their product we would have rock hard abs
and be able to impress the ladies or the
fellows. Clothing stores tell us that if we
wear their clothes people will accept us,
love us and include us in their fun activities.
2. Why is Isaiah so concerned with this
reversal? Who or what is bringing
the reversal? Why would we read
this passage now, in the third week
of Advent?
3. Isaiah recounts a highway. Who will
get to travel on this holy highway?
Where are they going? Why are they
going there?
While all of these fixes might work for a
short time, their results do not last. Trends
change, and our bodies turn flabby again.
Not only that, but we tend to sacrifice
tremendously to achieve and pay for all
these things. Sometimes it causes us to lie.
4. This passage is clearly a picture of
the hope we have as we wait for
Jesus to return. We have not yet seen
the kind of reversal noted here. Yet,
as we saw last week, the new kind of
2
Sunday, December 11th, 2016 The Third Sunday of Advent
Sometimes it causes us to steal, to treat
people harshly or oppressively. Humanity
has the innate ability to do just about
whatever it takes to get whatever it is that
we think we need to make us whole.
able to bring about the kind of restoration
we need. Not only is Jesus the only one who
can fix us, he is the only one who can
provide a way to have true relationship
with God. This relationship and restoration
bring us joy.
This passage, however, comes from the
opposite direction. Israel and the nations
have been doing whatever they can to get
whatever they want at any cost. For Israel
this has meant the ill treatment of people,
the neglecting of the poor, the orphan and
the widow, the lame and the sick. Israel has
tried to get what she thinks she needs but
has rejected the only thing she really
needed; right relationship with God.
Now, for Israel and the nations, this
rejection of God will bring about
punishment and destruction. All of the
things that might normally be depended on
will be done away with by God. Where
there was rain and vegetation there will
now be wilderness. Where there was the
abundance of life there will now be death.
This reversal of things from life to death is
just the beginning of the story though. The
reversal will be followed by another
reversal; from death to life.
God is coming. God is coming to fix all of
the broken things in our life. Advent is the
season of expectantly awaiting the coming
of our salvation. This passage proclaims the
coming of the one who is able to save. He
will come and prepare us for the journey to
meet our God. This preparation is
characterized by the healing of our physical
maladies. Even the land will be fixed. After
we are fixed God prepares a road for us to
travel safely down. We will go down this
road and meet God and rejoice eternally.
We believe, as Christians, that Jesus is the
one who is going to bring about this kind of
fixing. In fact, in Luke 4:16-19, Jesus reads a
passage very similar to this passage and
then tells everyone that it has been fulfilled
in their hearing. Jesus is the only one who is
3
Sunday, December 18th, 2016 The Fourth Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7:10-16 – A Sign
CATCHING UP ON THE STORY:
whose two kings you are in dread will be
deserted.
Ahaz, the son of Jotham, who was the son of
Uzziah, is king in Judah. At this time King
Reznicek of Aram (Syria) and King Pekah
son of Remaliah of Israel (also referred to as
Ephraim) joined forces to attack Jerusalem
to either compel Ahaz and Judah to join
them in their rebellion from Assyria, or to
overthrow Ahaz and place a more agreeable
king on the throne. All the while, Egypt, to
the south, is taking advantage of the
political instability and raiding cities and
towns in Judah.
SPECIFIC DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS:
Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to
yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you
were very unfamiliar with the story.
1. Why would God ask Ahaz to ask for
a sign?
2. Why does Ahaz refuse to ask for a
sign?
In the midst of all of this, Isaiah is told by
God to go, taking with him his son, Shearjashub (which means, “a remnant shall
return”), to Ahaz to offer him advice and
direction. Isaiah seeks to reassure Ahaz that
God is indeed working for Judah. The two
kings, which Isaiah refers to as “smoldering
stumps of firebrands,” will not pose a
permanent threat. Rather, both Aram and
Ephraim will be destroyed.
3. Isaiah seems to be fairly upset that
Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign. Why
would this upset Isaiah?
4. God gives Ahaz a sign anyway.
Why would God do that?
5. The sign that Isaiah gives to Ahaz is
a child with the name Immanuel
(“God with us).” How would this
sign have challenged Ahaz? In this
season of Advent, why would we
read this passage now?
ISAIAH 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
11 Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be
deep as Sheol or high as heaven. 12 But Ahaz
said, I will not ask, and I will not put the
Lord to the test. 13 Then Isaiah said: “Hear
then, O house of David! Is it too little for
you to weary mortals, that you weary my
God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will
give you a sign. Look, the young woman is
with child and shall bear a son, and shall
name him Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds
and honey by the time he knows how to
refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For
before the child knows how to refuse the
evil and choose the good, the land before
6. Describe a time when you knew that
you needed to trust that God would
somehow bring you through a
rough situation. How did you
respond? Did you wait for God’s
deliverance, or did you seek a
solution for yourself? What were the
results?
7. Describe a time where you knew the
“God with us” way of responding
but failed to do so. What were the
results?
1
Sunday, December 18th, 2016 The Fourth Sunday of Advent
8. How can we learn to allow God to
be with us in the way that Ahaz
should have?
beginning first as a little child. May we wait
at his feet, learning always and in every
situation to be like him. May we allow him
to truly be God with us.
SO WHAT…?
All Advent we have been waiting with
Jesus, learning what it means to be his
follower, walking in his paths. Another
theme that has woven its way throughout
each week is the theme of seeking peace.
This week’s passage is no different. Ahaz
finds himself in a very desperate situation.
He has a choice to make: he can trust that
God will lead him and his people out of
trouble and he can allow God to be with
him. Or, he can choose to do his own thing,
rejecting God’s presence. Ahaz will
ultimately choose to do his own thing,
rejecting God as Immanuel.
As we learn to walk in God’s paths, we are
often confronted with similar situations,
except none of us are leaders of our nation!
We often find ourselves in the midst of
struggle, desperation and even conflict.
God, who is always with us, comes to us to
show us a way out, to give us a sign. Only,
we do not want a sign because we have
made up our mind about the way we want
to go. Deep down inside we know the sign
we will receive will be the sign of
Immanuel, of a God with us in the form of a
gentle and humble child. It’s not the sign of
revenge or of a conquering hero.
Waiting with Jesus means that we must
wait for God to work all things together for
his purposes, not through violence or
coercion, but through the self-sacrificial
work of love born out through the cross.
This sign we read about from Isaiah is both
hard to hear and easy to accept. It is hard to
hear because we often do not want a sign
that figures a defenseless child. We want a
sign that bares a mighty rescuer. At the
same time, it is easy to accept because we
know that this Immanuel has already come,
he has already begun to rescue us,
2
Christmas DaySunday, December 25th, 2016 Isaiah 9:1-7 – A Great Light!
CATCHING UP ON THE STORY:
5
Judah, the southern portion of what was
once the unified nation of Israel, is ruled by
King Ahaz. Ahaz is a rather inept king
whose policies will not help Judah as she is
confronted with pressure from the north in
Assyria. The prophet Isaiah, for his part,
seeks to encourage Ahaz to exercise radical
obedience and faith in God. Ahaz refuses
and so Judah suffers immensely. To be sure,
Judah’s fate is not all Ahaz’s fault. They
have been faithless in their relation to God
for quite some time. Oracles of doom and
gloom are abundant in the chapters leading
up to our current passage, but hope is latent
in Isaiah’s encouragement to Ahaz to follow
God.
6
7
ISAIAH 9:1-7
But there will be no gloom for those who
were in anguish. In the former time he
brought into contempt the land of Zebulun
and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter
time he will make glorious the way of the
sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of
the nations.
2
3
4
you have broken as on the day of
Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping
warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his
kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and
forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do
this.
SPECIFIC DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS:
Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to
yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you
were very unfamiliar with the story.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep
darkness—
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing
plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
1. The text talks about “former times”
of darkness and gloom, and “latter
times” where darkness and gloom
are no longer. Describe a time in
your life that was filled with
darkness and gloom. Describe a time
in your life when you emerged from
the darkness and gloom into the
light. What feelings were associated
with that movement?
2. Who are the people who have
“walked in darkness” and what is
the light that now shines for them?
1
Christmas DaySunday, December 25th, 2016 3. The prophet describes the joy the
people have in this new light as the
joy that comes at the end of a
harvest and at the collection of
plunder after a war. What similar
life situations might produce those
types of joy in us today?
saving outcomes that God’s actions always
produce.
Our salvation does not stop with merely our
escape from those things that pursue us to
our destruction. No, in our salvation we
long for the hands that so lovingly crafted
us to take our broken and misshapen lives
and make them beautiful again. And as our
lives are reshaped and we are beckoned to
cry out from the tallest mountains the good
news we have received and experienced.
We are called to be evangelists. Our call as
evangelists was never meant to be only
verbal. We are commissioned to participate
with God in binding up the brokenhearted
and repairing the ruined cities of people’s
lives.
4. In verse 4 the prophet describes the
“yoke of their burden.” What is that
yoke? How is God going to deal
with that yoke? (For more context on
the day of Midian, read Judges 6-7).
5. Who is the child that is born in verse
6 for Judah in its social and political
context? Who is the child for us
today?
6. How have you experienced Christ as
“Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty
God,” “Everlasting Father,” or
“Prince of Peace?”
Certainly the salvation and liberation that
God gives is for us. But it is for us so that
we might participate with this King Jesus in
what he is doing: establishing justice and
righteousness so that peace might prevail.
Our faith is for us, but it is for us so that it
might be put to work for others. As we
celebrate the birth of this King Jesus, we do
so by working through the power of God’s
Holy Spirit to establish justice and
righteousness in our lives, families, church,
towns, countries and world.
7. What does justice mean? What does
righteousness mean? How might
they be related to the peace God
intends for creation? What might it
look like for us to seek to establish
justice and righteousness?
SO WHAT…?
Jurgen Moltmann, a contemporary
theologian, believes that if we want to bring
righteousness to the world we must first
start from our experience of God’s
righteousness (Moltmann, 65). This
Advent, and hopefully every Advent, as we
have moved toward King Jesus’ birth, we
have experienced in our own lives God’s
justice and righteousness. May our
experience of God’s righteousness and
justice in our own lives compel us out to
proclaim Christ’s birth by working to
establish righteousness and justice here and
now.
The light that has dawned, for Judah and
for us, is the light of a king who comes to
establish God’s kingdom on earth as it is in
heaven. For Judah it was an earthly king
who was anointed by God to do God’s
work on earth. For us, this King is none
other than Jesus whose birthday we
celebrate today. If we look back over the
lessons we have learned this Advent, we fill
find that we have been saved by this King
even though we have been in our sins for so
very long. We find ourselves always
waiting for God to intervene. But God does
intervene. When we think there is no
possible way of salvation, God works in
some new way that achieves the same
Works Cited:
2
Jürgen Moltmann, Ethics of Hope, trans. Margaret
Kohl (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2012).