Read: Isaiah 11:1-9
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him. (v. 2)
For more than a decade, superhero movies have dominated the film industry. I understand the appeal. I am attracted to stories in which good triumphs over evil. And I find inspiration in characters who have the power to bring order and justice to the world.
In the book of Isaiah, the Lord God promises to send a hero. Like his forebear, King David, this hero will bring justice and equality to the defenseless people of his kingdom. Unlike David, this hero’s reign will extend far beyond Israel. He will fill the earth with the peace and knowledge of God “as the waters cover the sea” (v. 9). How? He will be filled with “the Spirit of the LORD”—the same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation.
When I watch superhero movies, I sometimes wish I had the power to change the world. And I always wish someone greater than me would show up and make everything right, once and for all. The good news is that the promised hero, Jesus Christ, came filled with the Spirit to defeat the powers of sin and death and hell. He then gave us his very Spirit—“the Spirit of wisdom and understanding . . . counsel and might . . . knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (v. 2).
This means Christians already have more world-changing power than we know. Best of all we have the promise of our hero’s return to complete his good work of saving the world. —Ben Van Arragon
As you pray, thank God for sending us the Savior and the Spirit.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon is the Minister of Worship and Leadership at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
