December 8, 2019 - Isaiah 11:1-10 - "From the Stump of Jesse, a Fruitful Branch"

"Oh, come, O Root of Jesse, free  Your own from Satan’s tyranny;  From depths of hell your people save,  And bring them victory o’er the grave." For nine centuries Christians have been singing this hymn during the season of Advent, urging Jesus Christ to come and set them free from the tyranny of Satan, death, and hell. We still live in that confident hope, so we still invite him to come. True, the Lord will  arrive with swift judgment. He will cut down those who refuse to produce the fruits of repentance that he looks for, and he will cast them into the fire. Yet for all those who put their hope in him, he will come with mercy and grace. He will make all things new, bringing everlasting peace. "Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel!"