Isaiah promises a Spirit-anointed ruler from Jesse’s stump, a world remade in justice and peace; the Gospel confronts us with John’s axe laid to the roots and his call to repentance. The tender shoot and the sharp axe belong to the same hope: God’s new growth requires a cutting away. Our expectation is active—repentant hearts that make space for the King whose breath brings true life.
Isaiah 11:1–10; Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19; Romans 15:4–13; Matthew 3:1–12