ニューイングランドの母校からアドベントの便り、その19
2016 Gordon-Conwell Advent Devotional, Day 20 Meditation
2016 Gordon-Conwell
Advent Devotional | Day 20 | The Lord Exalted
Isaiah 2:1-11
Isaiah 2:1-11 reminds us that when we celebrate the coming of our Savior, we do so with the whole world as a witness. We understand that Christ is that “highest mountain” and “all nations shall flow to [him]” (v. 2). Christmas is global. It is universal. It is for all people at all times. Commenting on this passage, the Venerable Bede (c 700) noted, “The first shoot of the burgeoning church, like that of some kind of great vine, would be planted. Just so, by an increase in the spreading of the word, the church would extend the branches of her teaching into the whole world.”
But here we also see a warning that we cannot become complacent as we steward the resources that our Lord has given to us—“There is no end to their treasures” (v. 7). These are not to be piled up selfishly for our own use, but are meant to be shared. Finally, the passage is a vision of peace. It is peace brought to the whole world through God’s initiative, where his people “learn war no more” (v. 4).
Every Advent season should take us back to these remarkable truths. “Peace on earth, goodwill to men” takes on new significance as “the Lord will be exalted in that day” (v. 11).
Dr. Todd Johnson
Associate Professor of Global Christianity
