Tuesday, December 3, 2024  //  Day 3

And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
 —Romans 15:12–13

The Gospel is for all people. 

I could end this devotion right here with those words and it would be just as powerful as anything else I could say. 

The Gospel is for all people. 

When Paul is writing this part of his letter to the Christians in Rome, he cites a pretty familiar source in the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet whose name literally means “YAHWEH is Salvation.” How fitting that Paul would choose to quote this prophet in order to show that God’s salvation, once reserved for the people of Israel, has come for all people – gentiles included. That is wonderful news for you and me

This passage calls all people to praise the Lord because He is the God of Hope. Think of how the roots of a tree connect to the trunk, which then bares branches that ultimately produce fruit. That’s what Early Church author Ambrosiaster imagined when writing his commentary on Romans. “The root of Jesse is the tree of David, which bore fruit on the branch that is the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to Christ” (Ambrosiaster, Commentaries on Romans–2 Corinthians). Through this blessed lineage, Jesus came to this world to be our hope and salvation. That’s what Emmanuel, the theme for Advent this year at Redeemer, is pointing at. God Himself has come to us and that is good news. Thank God for the Root of Jesse, the world’s hope, Jesus Christ. We were once not God’s people… now we are fully His.

The Gospel is for all people.