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Meditation

Reader,

The first familiar words in today's passage, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given," finally turn us toward very familiar advent ground.

As I noted yesterday, this future event is written in the present tense. God's salvation plan has been ordained and confirmed, and now it is literally being fleshed out in clear, unequivocal terms.

He will come in human form as a vulnerable child.

We now know His form, and we know his fashion. He will be wise, mighty, everlasting and the Prince of Peace.

I'm struck by the idea that his peace will "increase."

To our modern minds, "peace" is the absence of division, dissent, and violence rather than the presence of something tangible. Peace is passive. But the peace Jesus brings will be active, increasing, and from everlasting to everlasting.

It is a presence not an absence.

Today's passage is Isaiah 9: 6-7 (and is highlighted in black)

Isaiah 9

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Encouragement

Through Isaiah's prophetic words, we catch our first glimpse of the incarnate Jesus we encounter in the first chapters of the gospels of Luke and Matthew.

From this point on, to paraphrase John the Baptist, he must increase our imaginations, our hearts, and our minds as we fix our gaze on Him and His redeeming work.

As we do so, His peace will increase in us.

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Andy

God's Word in Your Hand

This week's readings are accompanied by traditional carols from England. Today's is called "Sussex Carol".

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