The Baptism of our LORD (OTA)

Isaiah 11:1-10

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. 

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, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. 

Okay, wolf with Lamb seems pretty peaceful, but cow with bear grazing together.  I guess I don't usually think of a bear devouring a cow.  Lion devouring the fat calf sounds about right.  Isaiah reveals to all of us, the peaceful understanding of everlasting life.

I always like to think of the example in this way.  God uses various illustrations to get across this simple point.  Think of the strongest enemies, deep down to their core.  Superman and Lex Luther teaming up.  Think of Batman and the Joker working together.  You think of Yoda and Palpatine joining together to advance the force.

There will be true peace in the world.  When the one upon whom the Holy Spirit rests comes, God will finally bring peace to all of his creation.  When Jesus Christ is born, truly a Savior has come to reconcile those who are opposed to God with God himself.  God brings peace, by sacrificing his Son for your sins.

Come Lord Jesus and Come Quickly, so that the wolf may lay down with the Lamb and the Bear graze with the cow.  It is God who has reconciled us to himself.  Come Lord Jesus and give us eternal Peace.