Broadcast
The Righteous Branch - Part 2
Isaiah 11:2
01/02/2024
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. (ESV)
This week, as we prepare for Epiphany, also known as the
``Gentiles' Christmas,'' the readings which we heard in the
Divine Service tell us about the identity of Jesus. We know that
Jesus, as truly human, was a descendant of King David, which
fulfilled several prophecies written half a millenia before His
birth.
Jesus is also the Son of God, as we are reminded in one of
the most famous verses in the Bible, ``For God so loved the world
that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life.''2
Isaiah wrote of the Messiah, Jesus, the promised Savior:
``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.''
Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, being one with Him as
part of the Trinity. Therefore, Jesus had complete knowledge of
God, and understood all the mysteries of God. He was present at
creation and all things were made through Him. As a result, with
perfect understanding, with the creative power of God, Jesus as
true man lived perfectly according to God's law. Only as true
God could Jesus perfectly keep the law. Only as true man could
His keeping of the law redeem us from sin and death.
May our Lord grant us the grace to know, accept, and trust
in Jesus as the incarnate Son of God who has earned for us the
forgiveness of our sins. Amen.
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2. John 3:16