The Second Sunday of Advent 07 12 2025
FIRST READING: Isaiah 11.1-10
NEW TESTAMENT READING: Romans 15.4-13
GOSPEL Matthew 3.1-12
Prophet Isaiah, was one of the prophets who prophesied about the coming of the Messiah on several occasions. The messiah simply means the anointed one. Kings are usually the anointed person. It is in this tradition that the King of England on his enthronement is anointed in the name of God.
During the time of prophet Isaiah people were expecting the divine messiah to come and set things right.
We heard a dramatic prophecy of Isaiah. He says that a tree has been cut down and all that is left is a stump without any life. Suddenly a shoot comes out of the stump and flourish. The Messiah will be born out of a dead situation.
The prophet goes on to tell about the nature of the messiah: ‘The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.’ The messiah will care for the poor people and those that are meek.
The messiah will bring about a new world, the wolf will live with the lamb, the lion and the fatling together and a little child will lead them. The messiah will change the nature of people. No one will hurt another person, a world without violence and world of glorious co-existence. The Messiah will flood people’s lives with a new knowledge of God. There will be knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea.
We see and believe that Jesus is the messiah whom prophet Isaiah foretold, The Messiah who came in the lineage of David.
John the Baptist renewed this announcement to the whole world, announcing the coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah and the beginning of a new age
‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’
John the Baptist was a courageous voice in the wilderness, he asked people to change in preparation for the coming messiah. John proclaimed, ‘Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire’.The tree that does not bear good fruit is going to be cut down. Therefore he called every one, to change. Bear fruit worthy of your repentance in other words he called people to live as people who have changed the direction of their lives. Let there be evidence that you have changed.
Just like the words of Isaiah and the words of John the Baptist, the Advent season draws our attention to the coming Messiah, the eternal judge at the second coming and the Prince of peace at Christmas
We get ready to meet him at Christmas and always be ready to meet him when he comes to judge the world.