The Second Week of Advent - begins December 7th

Today we light the Bethlehem candle, also known as the candle of peace. The candle reminds us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. It reminds us of God’s promise from Isaiah 11, where the prophet says,

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 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. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:1-3a).

Jesse was King David’s father, but the prophet is referring to his greater descendent, Jesus. Notice that Isaiah prophecies about a branch from his roots and the prophet Zechariah says,

Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:12,13).

Isaiah and Zechariah refer to the same person with the moniker, the Branch. Notice that these prophecies speak of David’s descendant who would reign over God’s people while being their Priest. This is an unusual combination of roles but speaks to the ministry of Christ for us. Not only is Jesus a righteous King, but he is a sympathetic Priest! He is the combination of righteousness and sympathy. Consider what the Apostle says, 

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:14,15).

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior this year, we’re focusing on His High Priestly ministry. While He rules in righteousness, He intercedes with gentleness and patience. In the words of the Apostle, Jesus is sympathetic to our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).

Christ has come to offer Himself in ministry for us. This truth should bring rest to our weary souls. As the Apostle says, 

We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place…where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf (Hebrews 6:18b-20).

We rejoice today in our High Priest, Jesus Christ our Lord.

For families with children

Read through the story of Jesus’ birth in Matthew 2. Just take a few verses each day. Remember that Matthew is connecting Jesus’ journey from Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth to Old Testament promises. Each of these locations is significant to his life and ministry. Read Matthew 2:1-23.

Further Study:

If you’d like to do more reading on the function of a priest, spend the next few weeks reading the book of Hebrews. Here is also the Bible Project link for Hebrews.