As we move through Advent, here’s a sermon for the second week based on the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emanuel”
Here are the preaching notes:
Introduction – What is the significance of the coming of Jesus Christ?
As we sing O Come O Come Emmanuel each year – what are we asking God to do?
These are words put into the mouth of ancient Israel. What are we saying they wanted God to do?
v1 We call upon the Messiah to deliver us from the bondage of captivity and exile. Ezek 7,36
v2 We call for the Wisdom who ordered all creation to show us the way. Prov 8
v3 We call for the son of David to set us free from Satan’s tyranny Zech 3:2
v 4 We call upon Jesus to cheer and deliver us
v5 We call upon Jesus to exercise the Key of David to open God’s kingdom to usIs22:22
v 6 We call upon Jesus to display the power of God at Mount Sinai to give His New People instruction. Ex 20|Dt 18|Mt 5-7
v7 We call upon Jesus to come and heal the nations. He alone is the one who can satisfy humanity’s deepest desires. Haggai 2:7
Did we know what we were praying for?
We are praying for Jesus to empower His people to extend His Lordship and Salvation!
Explanation
Romans 15:4 says “For whatever was written in the past was written or our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.”
The longings of Israel for the Messiah remind us who believe of who Jesus the Messiah is and what He should mean to us.
The message of the Old Testament is not for Israel alone but for Jew and Gentile who believe in the Messiah. Paul continues –
8 For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, 9 and so that Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles, and I will sing psalms to Your name.
10 Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people! 11 And again: Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; all the peoples should praise Him!
12 And again, Isaiah says:
The root of Jesse will appear, the One who rises to rule the Gentiles; the Gentiles will hope in Him.
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul has concluded that as we embrace who Jesus the Messiah is, as we trust in this Messiah, the power of the Holy Spirit will fill us and produce endurance and hope within us.
Who is the Jesus we expect to meet at Christmas?
Many of us like the “Baby Jesus” – cute, controllable.
Some of us like to imagine Jesus suffering on a Crucifix, satisfied with his death for us but never seeming to delight in His Resurrection.
Few of us like the Warrior Jesus we see executing justice in the Book of Revelation because He is truly frightening and He seals the fate of the unrepentant.
That is why Advent is, in some ways, a “small Lent” as we repent and prepare ourselves spiritually to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:1-12)
Who is this Jesus we contemplate in Advent? Let us look at Isaiah 11 –
11:1 – Instead of another failed descendant of David, God will send a new shoot or spring growth from Jesse, David’s Father. If David did not fail another offspring like him will be raised up.
11:2-3a – Like David (1 Sam 16:13) the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon the Messiah. We come to Him who Himself has the fullness of the Spirit that is made evident in our Lord’s wisdom, understanding, strategy, strength, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. These equip Him for his Messianic ministry – we pray for these spiritual attributes to be possessed by all those who renew their baptismal vows and own them for themselves in confirmation. In other words we pray for each fellow Christian to enter into the work of the Messiah in his or her own capacity and gifting and in the Messiah’s power.
The Messiah’s delight will be to reverence and obey the Father which is to be our our delight as we enter into life in the fullness of Christ.
What is the Messiah’s ministry to be?
11:3b – 4a The Messiah will administer justice and deliver the poor who do not have lawyers and lobbyists to argue for them and sway the powerful to do their bidding.
11:4b – Those who do not bow before this Messiah and receive His benefits (Psalm 2: 12) will face His vengeance and defend His people from the ruthless and wicked who have delighted in harming them.
11:5 – Justice and Truth will characterize His ministry.
11:6 – 9 – As the ministry of the Messiah extends the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, the things we recognize as naturally at odds with peace and safety will lose their power to inflict death an suffering under the ministry of Messiah that begins in history and culminates in a New Heaven and a New Earth.
11:10 The Exalted Messiah will draw the nations to Himself. “Nations will look to him for guidance, and his residence will be majestic.”
Application
Jesus the Messiah whose Birth we prepare to Celebrate in Advent,
Jesus the Messiah whose second coming we Ponder in Advent,
Jesus the Messiah who is “Christ in us the Hope of Glory” (Col 1:27) whose gifts we pray for each believer to manifest (1 Cor 12) has a plan for you and for me.
We enter into this plan when we bow before Him and imbibe His Word and are Fed by Him at the Lord’s Table and walk with Him, claiming all He offers to us and seals His promises to us in Holy Baptism.
Your calling is to show forth the beauty of Jesus Christ and all He accomplishes and thereby extend His salvation and Lordship across the nations.
Illustration
In 1942 William Cameron Townsend had a vision because the Cakchiquel Indians of Guatemala who had no Bible in their language asked “Why does the God who created us not speak our language?” He began a movement to see the Bible translated into every language on earth. Hundreds of such people groups remain who do not have a single word of Scripture in their language.
Public schools in England didn’t start until 1831. A newspaper publisher and Anglican layman Robert Raikes. In 1780 he used his publishing profits to fund and his newspaper to publicize the existence and location of “Sunday Schools”. Boys in that day whose parents were not wealthy enough to send them to school worked in factories. He provided real education on their only day off – Sunday. General education topics were combined with Bible Study and Evangelism. By 1831 1,250,000 children were being served in such schools on the Lord’s Day, 25% of the population. When public education was started for these children, Sunday Schools continued but changed their focus to Bible Study.
Jesus empowers His people to extend His Lordship and Salvation!
What do you sense Jesus the Messiah would have YOU do to extend His Lordship and Salvation?
What is the unique burden, gifting, and calling Jesus has given you? Will you do it?
