One of the strangest Christmas metaphors for Jesus is found in the hauntingly beautiful hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: “O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free thine own from Satan’s tyranny.” The “rod of Jesse” is language borrowed from the prophet Isaiah who foretells a day when a descendant of David will restore the kingdom to Israel. This week we’ll consider the corresponding prophecy from Jeremiah who speaks of a “righteous branch” for David who will execute righteousness and justice for Israel. I find the metaphor strange because a green branch emerging from a dead stump doesn’t seem very powerful or effective at all—especially if we think about everything that had gone wrong for Israel and for us. Join us this week as we consider the upside-down nature of the power of God on the first Sunday of Advent.
