Jesus Rooted His Father's Peace in His Righteousness, Not Ours! (Monday, Week 1 of Advent 2011)

What Did Jesus Do?

…and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
Isaiah 11:1


Have you ever noticed what bitter fruit grows from the seeds of peace planted by man? With the signing of the Armistice that brought an end to the hostilities of World War I in November 1918, the seeds of World War II were sown. In the Peace Treaty of Versailles the roots of the greatest and most horrible conflict the world has yet known were planted; the deadly fruit of the Peace of Versailles would be bitter indeed for France to swallow, and would threaten to all but destroy the whole earth. So it always is with the peace of men, for we judge and decide by what our eyes see and our ears hear. But, because of our fallen condition in this fallen world, we are blind to true justice and deaf to true righteousness. Our hearts, deceitful (faithless) and self-righteous (which is really unrighteousness), are simply incapable of establishing real and lasting peace. Thanks be to God that Jesus rooted his Father’s peace in his own righteousness and faithfulness and not ours! (Isaiah 11:3)

With conflict, both domestic and international, raging throughout the world again this Advent season, it is frightfully clear that a desire for peace is far from uppermost in our hearts still today. But peace remains the greatest longing in the Father’s heart. The Father desires nothing so much but that this fallen and sin-filled world should be transformed into a garden of peace abiding on the mount of his holiness. (Isaiah 11:6-9) Yet, unless and until we realize that peace can only grow from the root the Father brought forth from the stump of Jesse, which is Jesus Christ the Lord, there cannot and will not be peace on earth. In the perfect faith and righteousness of Jesus alone there is peace.

The good news this Advent is that the Father is eager to plant the seed of true peace in us. What better time to ask for the true gift of Christmas, the gift of peace that is found in Christ alone? This is the season for us to hope for and to seek the personal transformation that comes with the Spirit the Father is so ready and willing to pour out upon us: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD, the Spirit of joy in his presence now and forever. (Isaiah 11:2-3) In our surrendering to Jesus, never in our demanding another’s surrendering to us, is there peace.

We all need to ask ourselves, what kind of fruit do our lives produce? For peace to be the fruit of our lives, transforming our homes, our places of work, our neighborhoods, and the world, we must be rooted in Jesus, the Son, in whose faith and righteousness the very Shalom (Peace) of the Father is rooted and bears fruit.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4