O Come Thou Rod of Jesse
The seven ancient O Antiphons, were sung on the final seven days before Christmas. These urgent biblical prayers address the coming Messiah by seven majestic Old Testament titles: Wisdom, LORD, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Sun, King of Nations, and Emmanuel. Together they form the corporate call of the Christmas hymn, voicing Israel’s (and the church’s) longing for the promised Deliverer to ransom, rule, and dwell with His people.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save And give them victory o'er the grave
Believers in Jesus live between the already and not yet. At Christmas, we anchor in the already which fuels our hope for the not yet.
Revelation 22:16-21
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. 18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. 20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.
Christ is both the Root and the Shoot-- "the source of David and the heir to his throne"-- the already and the not yet.
Isaiah 11:1-5
1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 He will delight in obeying the LORD.
He will not judge by appearance
nor make a decision based on hearsay.
4 He will give justice to the poor
and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
5 He will wear righteousness like a belt
and truth like an undergarment.
Matthew 2:23
So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Applications
When all that is left is a stump, believe God for what He can do with a stump.
You are living between the already and not yet; keep singing the song of Advent.
Isaiah 11:10
In that day the heir to David’s throne
will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.
Revelation 22:20
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save And give them victory o'er the grave
Believers in Jesus live between the already and not yet. At Christmas, we anchor in the already which fuels our hope for the not yet.
Revelation 22:16-21
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. 18 And I solemnly declare to everyone who hears the words of prophecy written in this book: If anyone adds anything to what is written here, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone removes any of the words from this book of prophecy, God will remove that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. 20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.
Christ is both the Root and the Shoot-- "the source of David and the heir to his throne"-- the already and the not yet.
Isaiah 11:1-5
1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 He will delight in obeying the LORD.
He will not judge by appearance
nor make a decision based on hearsay.
4 He will give justice to the poor
and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
5 He will wear righteousness like a belt
and truth like an undergarment.
Matthew 2:23
So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Applications
When all that is left is a stump, believe God for what He can do with a stump.
You are living between the already and not yet; keep singing the song of Advent.
Isaiah 11:10
In that day the heir to David’s throne
will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.
Revelation 22:20
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
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