Root of Jesse: Hope, Peace, and Healing

Devotional

Day 1: The Messiah bears Spirit-led wisdom, justice, and peace.

A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse that bears perfect fruit—fruit rooted in the Spirit of the Lord: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. This King judges not by appearances but with righteousness for the poor and equity for the meek; his reign rewires hearts and brings peace where there has been division. Trusting and tasting that fruit invites the same Spirit to work in and through the community, changing how people see one another and bringing healing into relationships. [32:09]

Isaiah 11:1-5 (ESV)
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

Reflection: Which one attribute of the Spirit listed above (wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord) do you most need right now, and what one concrete spiritual practice will you adopt this week to invite that work of the Spirit into your daily life?

Day 2: God promises a new, restored creation and home.

The vision of a new heaven and a new earth describes a place where death, mourning, crying, and pain are gone and where God dwells with his people in glorious rest. The King who promises "Behold, I am making all things new" is faithful and true; his words call the weary to hope and promise a future where goodness is fully restored. Living in that hope reshapes present grief—calling the community to be people who bring light into dark places while trusting the promised completion. [49:07]

Revelation 21:1-6 (ESV)
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."

Reflection: What specific fear or loss do you most long to hand over to the God who makes all things new, and what single act of faith (a prayer, a forgiveness, a service) will you do this week to live toward that promised newness?

Day 3: Christ offers life and belonging through his supper.

In the upper room Jesus gave his body and blood—bread broken and cup poured—as the sign of a new covenant: a full, costly gift meant to bring people home into union with him. That communion promises forgiveness, belonging, and the assurance that the King will make sure his people arrive where he is. Receiving this gift calls the heart to accept that grace is not earned but given, and to live from the rest and peace that flows from it. [45:10]

Luke 22:19-20 (ESV)
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."

Reflection: What “old lie” about yourself (I must earn love, I am only a work in progress, I’m unworthy) do you need to set down at the communion table, and what outward sign this week (a prayer, a confession, a visit to someone in need) will show that you are accepting Christ’s full gift?

Day 4: Christ surrendered his will to God's plan.

In Gethsemane Jesus faced the cost of bearing sin and, in agony, chose surrender: "Not my will, but yours be done." That act shows the depth of his obedience and becomes the path for those who follow—learning to place burdens into the hands of the Father rather than clutching control. Practicing this surrender is not passive resignation but a trusting reorientation that frees people to carry one another with compassion and peace. [38:13]

Luke 22:42 (ESV)
Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.

Reflection: Identify one burden, decision, or fear you are still holding onto; what would "not my will but yours" look like for you this week in one concrete choice, and how will you ask a friend or a member of the community to hold you accountable?

Day 5: Jesus shows wise, humble discernment in duty.

Jesus navigated public pressure and private testing with a wisdom that judged rightly—not by appearances but by what is true and just—and taught people to render to earthly authorities what belongs to them while giving God what is His. That model calls the community to humble discernment in public life, refusing both fearful retreat and grasping power, and to act with integrity where civic duty and faith intersect. Living this way helps the church be a peacemaker in a divided world. [37:00]

Matthew 22:21 (ESV)
Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

Reflection: In one specific area of public life (work, voting, social media, family leadership), where are you tempted to assert control or retreat in fear, and what is one concrete step you will take this week to render to God what is God's in how you act or speak?

Sermon Summary

We gathered as one family—insiders and outsiders alike—to meet the God who breaks down walls and brings peace. We invited the Holy Spirit to meet grieving hearts, calm anxious minds, and open confused eyes to the goodness of Jesus. In confession, we owned how easily we judge what is different and how quickly we withdraw from people we don’t understand. And we asked the Spirit to rewire us, so that others would encounter the living love of Christ when they encounter us.

We then named our grief, especially sharp at Christmas, and remembered the great story we live in. From Eden’s loss to the serpent’s lie, from Abraham’s promise to the stump of Jesse, God has been preparing a King whose fruit is truly good. Isaiah sketches this King: the Spirit rests on Him; He is wise, powerful, just; He knows hearts and defends the poor and meek; He brings a Kingdom where nothing harms or destroys. We traced the line to Jesus—His untrippable wisdom, His miracle-working might, His holy fear of the Father best seen in Gethsemane. He gives Himself as the true fruit—His body and blood—like a bridegroom’s cup, pledging, “I will get you home.”

Revelation lifts our eyes to where this story lands: a new heaven and new earth, tears wiped away, no more death or pain. The Alpha and Omega calls the thirsty to drink the water of life without cost. So we came with our tears and our trust. We lit candles as a prayer for light in the dark, honored those we miss, and rested in the promise that in Christ, they—and we—are held. I invited you to open your heart to His love this week, to let Him meet you where you need peace, and to keep company with Him through simple devotionals and the Table of grace. He is faithful. He will finish what He started. Come to Him, and find rest.

Key Takeaways

1. Confession that heals our divisions Owning our reluctance to love “difference” is not self-condemnation; it’s an invitation for the Spirit to rewire our reflexes. As we confess, God grants courage to move toward people we’d rather avoid and eyes to see His image in them. The fruit is not tolerance but Christlike love that can bear weight. This is how peace begins in ordinary encounters. [15:50]
2. Choose the Messiah’s fruit over lies The serpent still whispers that life apart from God will make us “more.” It never does—it fragments us. Jesus offers Himself as the good fruit that undoes Eden’s curse, heals relationships, and leads us home. Choosing His life, again and again, is how our souls become whole. [29:45]
3. The King ruled by holy reverence True authority is not bluster or crowd-pleasing; it is joyful submission to the Father’s will. In Gethsemane, Jesus chose the costly path of love, and that obedience became our salvation. Reverence like His makes us courageous, clear, and kind in a confusing world. It frees us from living for approval to live for God. [38:13]
4. Peacemaking previews the coming kingdom Isaiah’s vision of wolves and lambs living together is not naïve; it’s a horizon that shapes our steps now. When we refuse cycles of harm, tell the truth without destroying, and practice costly reconciliation, we hint at the world that’s coming. Peacemaking is not passivity—it’s prophetic courage. It trains our instincts for heaven. [41:18]
5. Grieve honestly, anchored in promise Christian hope does not silence tears; it gives them a place to fall. We light candles because Christ is light in our darkness—and because the One who is making all things new has pledged to wipe away every tear. Mourning and hope can coexist, and in Jesus, hope has the final word. [47:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:30] - Call to worship: God breaks walls
[11:48] - Prayer for weary and anxious
[14:03] - Confession over difference and division
[15:50] - Assurance: Spirit rewires us for love
[27:39] - Grief in Advent; longing for Eden
[30:50] - Stump of Jesse and promise
[35:30] - Character of the Spirit-anointed King
[38:13] - Gethsemane obedience: Not my will
[41:18] - Peaceable kingdom: wolf and lamb
[44:31] - Jesus the King offers life
[45:10] - Cup of covenant and belonging
[47:44] - New creation: all things new
[60:34] - Candle-lighting: praying our grief
[74:52] - Pastoral prayer, invitation, blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Isaiah 11:1–10
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, nor decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Observation questions

What concrete images and actions describe the shoot from the stump of Jesse and the Spirit that rests on him in Isaiah 11:1–2? What do those images suggest about who this King will be?
Which qualities of judgment and care are named in verses 3–5? How do those qualities differ from ordinary human leadership?
How does Isaiah describe the peaceable kingdom in verses 6–9? What details stand out as both surprising and hope‑giving?
The congregation confessed reluctance to love people who are different and asked the Spirit to rewire those reflexes. Where in the service was that prayer offered as a moment of confession? [15:50]

Interpretation questions

What does the phrase “the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him” imply about how this King will make decisions and act for the poor and meek? How does the Spirit shape judgment and compassion?
The King’s “delight is in the fear of the LORD.” How does reverence for God produce courageous obedience rather than timidity or passivity, especially in costly choices? [38:13]
The peaceable images (wolf with lamb, lion eating straw) point to deep change. Does Isaiah’s language imply elimination of desire to harm, a change in relationships, or both? How should that inform the church’s work of peacemaking now?
The shoot from Jesse bears “good fruit” that undoes the broken fruit of Eden. How does choosing the Messiah’s fruit differ from believing the lie that life “apart from God” will make one more? [29:45]

Application questions

Confession that invites the Spirit to rewire our reflexes begins our work of peacemaking. Recall a specific person or group you tend to avoid or judge. What one humble step of reconciliation or curiosity can you take toward them this week? [15:50]
Jesus offers Himself as the true fruit that heals relationships and leads home. What desires, habits, or “fruits” are you currently reaching for that fragment your life? What concrete practice (prayer, fasting, receiving the Lord’s Supper, a sacrificial kindness) will you choose this week to “eat” Christ’s fruit instead? [29:45]
Reverence for God frees us from living for human approval. Where have you lately made decisions to gain approval rather than to obey God? What is one small, tangible act of obedience you can take in the next seven days that demonstrates holy reverence? [38:13]
Peacemaking is prophetic courage, not passivity. Name a relationship or conflict in which you can refuse the cycle of harm and begin costly reconciliation. What is the first practical thing you will do (a phone call, a visit, a written apology, mediation)? Set a date. [41:18]
Grief and hope can coexist; Christ holds both. Who or what are you grieving this season? What concrete spiritual practice will you use to bring that grief to God (lighting a candle, bringing a photo to the Table, scheduled times of lament in prayer)? [47:44]
The King invites the thirsty to the water of life and promises rest. Which of the simple devotional resources (daily readings, a short prayer time, sharing the Table of grace) will you commit to this week so you can be met by Christ where you most need peace? When will you do it? [56:04]

Sermon Clips

The scripture is clear that when we confess our sin, the places where we miss the mark of love and kindness and goodness, compassion, when the Holy Spirit convicts us, and we say, yes, you're right, in that very moment, it's permission for the Holy Spirit to rewire us, to give us the strength and the courage to be a people who truly honor Jesus in our every interaction. [00:15:22] (28 seconds) #ConfessToBeRewired

One Of The Things He Says He Has The Fear Of God And What That Means Is That There's Such A Reverence For God In The Heart Of This Man That He Will Follow The Agenda Of This God More Than His Own Agenda And We See It Happening In The Garden Of GethsemaneWhen He's Sweating Blood At The Concept Of Absorbing The Sin Of The World Into His Soul And Being Separated From The Triune GodAnd Taking All Of Our Sin Upon The Cross And Being Crucified For It [00:37:54] (34 seconds) #FearOfGodReverence

AndSo When We Look at Jesus Are We Seeing One Who Is Painted By Power The Powerful Of The World And There's Something About Jesus HeKnows What's Going On You Can Lie Your Ears Can Fool You And Your Eyes Can Deceive You But He Has A Deeper Knowing Of Who A Person Is HeWould Say To Some Of His disciples I Saw You Before Up There I Know Who You Are AndThroughout The Scriptures We See Him Knowing The Heart Of PeopleHe Can JudgeHe Knows The Very Core People AndHe Says That It's The Poor And The Meek Who Will Come To Him First [00:39:14] (50 seconds) #JesusKnowsHearts

AndSo WeThis One Who's Coming And There's This Case That Can Be Made For Jesus To Be The Messiah The Promised One And Isaiah Is Putting Some Of The Framework Because God Wants Us To Get Who The Messiah Is Because The Messiah Is Bearing Fruit He's Bearing The Fruit That If We Can Take From His Tree And Eat It It Will Transforce Into That Place Of Good [00:40:03] (36 seconds) #FruitOfTheMessiah

AndThen He Begins To Let Us In On What This Good Place Is Like What Is This New Kingdom Of Heaven And You'll See In Kind Of A Big 10,000 Foot Level It's A Place Where People Aren't Being Destroyed There's No Destruction Happening Here There's No Death Happening Here This Is A Place And Then Later On You Say It's A Place Of Peace It's A Place Of Rest This Kingdom [00:40:42] (26 seconds) #KingdomOfRest

AndSo We Have A Picture Of A Timeline Right Isaiah Is Saying That This Is Going To Happen And And The People In The Midst Of The Stump Where The Nations Destroyed I Wondering How Can This Ever Happen There Will Never Be A Nation Of Course We Know That Daniel Would Prophesy About This Coming King Not Made With Human Hands That Would Destroy All The Other KingdomAnd Eventually The Roman EmpireAnd That He Would Establish This Kingdom Forever [00:42:56] (36 seconds) #ProphecyAndKingdom

And Then Five Six Seven Hundred Years Would Happen And There Be A Prophet Named John The Baptist WhoWould Use Some Of Isaiah Words To SayHe's Preparing The Way For The KingAnd Then Jesus Would Come And He Would Declare Himself To Be The King HeWould Demonstrate That He The Whole Fullness Of The Holy Spirit Was Upon HimAnd Motivated Him And That He Had The Power And Might [00:44:15] (30 seconds) #PrepareTheWayKing

I Mean I Think About It I Think That When Isaiah Wrote These Words To The First Community That Heard Them They Must Have Said This Is Crazy I Mean We Are Like Destroy Nation There's No Way That This Could Ever Happen AndIf They But But If They Stop For A Moment And Look Through The Rear View Mirror Of How God Had Even Established Them To Be A NationAbraham And Sarah Had This Miraculous Child That Sarah Is 100 Years OldHow JosephIs Is Taken Away And Made A Slave And Then All Lifted Up To The Second Of The Pharaoh In Order That The People Of Israel Could Be Saved From A Famine [00:51:11] (58 seconds) #FaithFromHisFaithfulness

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