When people talk about Jesus, they often regard him as a simple person with a simple purpose. And often, sometimes comically, they transform him into the person they want him to be rather than the person he is. However, as we will see today, even the early prophecies of Jesus describe a person who is anything but simple. Goodness, wisdom, power, and authority are not things that fit neatly into a corrupt and wicked world. He is a wise judge and counselor who brings justice to the poor, but he is also a conquering king. He is gentle with the weak yet unblinking in his judgment of the wicked. He was born in humility, but he was born to rule. Isaiah describes him like this:

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

On Christmas, we are surrounded by songs and images of the baby Jesus. It is a symbol of hope and peace — and it is exactly that. But maybe not in the way we sometimes think. This child is quite literally one of a kind. This tiny baby was born to rule. He was born to judge the wicked. He was born to reconnect us to God. In fact, Jesus is God becoming one of us — to fellowship with us.

The brain-busting part about Jesus is that he is all of these things and more. The wicked will not go on forever, committing one atrocity after another. Evil people who lived long, prosperous lives and died of old age did not “get away with it.” There is a king who will judge with righteousness, and there is coming a day when everything that has been done will be brought into account. And this humble child is both the judge and eternal King. Creation itself will be brought back into order.

Our hope is not that one day we can rule our own lives and live in peace. Our hope is in a king who became one of us so that we can become one with him in his kingdom. We are now a part of God’s family again. God bought us back from our rebellion and our slavery to desire; He took the cost of our sins upon Himself. We have a future now and forgiveness for our past. Judgment is no longer a dread that looms in the distance.

Jesus has come, and with him came the grace we need to be restored, fully restored, forever restored. We have a living hope that evil will not reign forever. Justice is coming. So this week, as the symbols of Christmas surround us, let’s not forget that Christmas is much more than a pleasant memory or a happy thought. It is a memory of this baby Isaiah predicted who came to give his life to save us. But his work is not over. It is just beginning.

Advent is a time of hope for the future. We now know the name of this child that Isaiah foresaw. However, as we can see from this prophecy and many others, his work is still in progress. He is coming again to judge and to rule. And we have a lot of work to do to prepare for our coming King.

This week, share that hope with someone. Be intentional about it. Live into the coming kingdom we all hope for, and remember, Advent is not a time of looking back. It is a time of looking forward to our coming King. Let’s serve Him well this week.

Have a great week!