The Third Hope, The Hope For Justice

3 O come, O come, great Lord of might,

who to your tribes on Sinai's height

in ancient times did give the law

in cloud and majesty and awe.

When we think of justice, we think of morality, lawfulness, lawlessness, and punishment. Traditionally, justice refers to correct actions within the law or moral rightness. Others view justice as a reforming agent, punishing those breaking legal and moral codes. Biblically, justice refers to everything in life going the way in which God intends. We discover the third hope of Advent in stanza three of O Come, O Come Emmanuel: the hope for justice. The hope for justice hinges on God being the giver of the law, not the punisher of rebellion. The hope of justice is a hope for a world that operates as its creator intends. As we hope for justice, we hope for a world where everyone lives as God intends and loves their neighbors because God first loves us.

The hope for justice awakens our eyes to a bigger strategy, God's larger story of healing creation in the wake of human rebellion. The third hope of Advent, the hope of justice, builds on the second hope of Advent, the hope of truth. Our hope of truth testifies that Jesus came into the world as life (John 1:4) and truth (John 14:6) and is our only hope for freedom from the enslavement of sin. In Jesus alone, we are set free and empowered by the Holy Spirit, enabled to live life as God intends, resulting in a readiness and desire for God's justice to be established on earth. God's righteousness, peace, loving-kindness, and justice reflect the very nature of God and are embodied in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), empowering a new way of life in Jesus, revealing God's healing plan for our broken world (Psalm 89:14, Micah 6:8).

"This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations. He will not cry out or shout or make his voice heard in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick; he will faithfully bring justice. He will not grow weak or be discouraged until he has established justice on earth" (Isaiah 42:1-4, CSB).

Isaiah recorded over twenty prophecies about the Messiah, all fulfilled in Jesus. Matthew 12:18-21 identifies Jesus as the servant referred to in Isaiah 42:1-4. Jesus, the baby born in poverty in Bethlehem, will bring justice to the world. Jesus will be born a king but not establish a political kingdom or demand our allegiance. Jesus, whose birth is announced by heaven's angelic armies and who commands their might, will not force himself upon humanity. A kind, gentle, and righteous king- Jesus will establish God's justice on earth. Our hope for justice in this Advent is hope in a baby king born in Bethlehem, gentle as a lamb, bearing our sin, and establishing the justice of God- when everything in life goes as God intends.

"Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8, CSB).

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to you, O Israel.