Again today we are studying the words of the prophet Isaiah. Why are the prophets so important to read during Advent? Because they spoke hope to a people who were walking in darkness, the hope of the coming Savior.
Though we are thousands of years removed from the lives of the ancient Israelites, we live with the same need. We need hope. We need good news. The darkness of this world threatens us.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel refers to Jesus as the Key of David, a reference to Isaiah 22.
Isaiah 22:22
I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Reflections
Imagine hell as a prison. It is a prison that holds captive people who are enslaved to sin. They cannot set themselves free. Their only hope is a Savior. Someone who has the key to unlocking the door.
Jesus is the only one whose shoulders are broad enough to hold a weight this big. He holds the key of hell and death, and by his cross and resurrection, he unlocks the power that sin has over people, setting us free for eternal life with God.
What are the things that have held you captive in this life? Sin? Fear? Unhealthy relationships?
How has Jesus set you free?
Prayer
O God, who offers your Son Jesus, to be the Key of David, set us free from captivity to sin and death, to be saved not only from eternal condemnation, but also saved FOR eternal life with you and all the saints, that we may praise your name forever, and always enjoy your consolations. We pray in the mighty name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
