Advent is a time to Expect the Unexpected.  It is an arrival of something very unexpected.  As we await with Advent expectations, we should expect the unexpected.

1. New Shoots from Old Logs
Have you ever heard of “nurse logs”?  Ever wondered what makes a wild forest so vital, so alive?  If you would go tromping through the messy undergrowth of a forest floor, and poke around a bit among the mossy sticks and needles, you might find some big hunks of dead, decaying tree trunks.  These nurturers of new life are called “nurse logs.”  They are dead tree trunks.  But in reality, those dead trees are still thriving.  They are busy giving life to a whole new generation for the forest. The decaying surface of the dead tree creates a perfect growing medium for a tiny seed, a struggling seedling, even a young sapling. The decaying tree becomes nursemaid, a nurse-tree, to the upcoming new tree generation.

Alongside the main road on Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands between Seattle and Vancouver, there is a big old stump, broken off about four feet up its still broad-based diameter. Springing out of these ragged remains is a beautiful little fir tree. The baby is itself now almost four feet tall, perfectly proportioned, sprouting tall and straight directly out of the old snaggled stump that provides it with a booster seat for nutrients, sunlight, and survival.

Every Christmas someone takes the time to decorate this beautiful symbol of new-life-out-of-old. Pretty ribbons and golden bells adorn the tender, delicate green of the new tree that grows and flourishes on the stability, strength, and sustenance the old, broken tree provides for it.  A beautiful little Christmas tree growing out of something dead.  Not what you expected!

That's the same image Isaiah’s text describes with such poetic power. Notice how the prophet describes the coming of the great messianic King. He doesn't describe a giant warrior, or a sudden storm of divinely-charged power. Instead the prophet's image starts small. The long awaited Messiah arrives as a shoot, a tiny, tender, green sprout.  Not what was expected!

When Isaiah wrote this prophecy, the people of Israel were living in great fear – the looming cloud of the Assyrian advance, the threat of international war, was making them tremble.  Isaiah spent the first 10 chapters warning the people of this, and urging them to repent of their unfaithfulness to God.  Spiritually, they were dying.  Because they ignored this warning, the kingdom of Judah would be chopped down.  Reduced to nothing but a stump.  A dead stump.

Friends, doesn’t that describe our spiritual life when you and I are unfaithful to God?  God is the source of life!  We cut ourselves off from Him by putting ourselves first.  By not being faithful in following Him.  By giving in to temptations to give ourselves pleasure, when in reality the pleasure is a lie that takes us away from Him.  By robbing ourselves of the opportunities to grow through his Word.  By following the ways of this world instead of his.  And by refusing to trust that the life He has given us is the best thing we could ever have!

Isaiah was calling on these people to trust in the God who loves them and gave them life.  A shoot will come up!  God’s faithfulness does not end when human faithfulness has collapsed.  God’s enemies are tall trees which He will chop down.  But God not only knows how to chop down mighty woods, He also knows how to regenerate life in dying wood.  God brings life out of death!  So people, turn to your faithful God, where you can find salvation from the trouble you have brought on yourself!  And that isn’t just Isaiah talking to the people of Judah.  He’s talking to you and me.  God brings life out of death.  He will give your life new life! 

2. Life From Death
When you see the image of a new shoot growing out of an old stump, remember what God has done for you.  God works his salvation out of the lowly rather than the mighty. Roots, stumps, spindly green shoots, tender new branches - none of these images are big, flashy, or impressive in any worldly way. They are instead small, simple signs of life and the hope that God is here with us.  No one expected much out of such a small, hard-to-notice beginning!

In one of the latest editions of Webster's Dictionary, yet another pop-culture term has been credentialized: bling-bling. Bling-bling, for those of you who don't have teenagers or aren't pop-music stars, refers to big, gaudy, bright baubles with which one decorates oneself and one's life. Huge chunky gold jewelry, over-sized and obviously fake gems, sequins, rhinestone-encrusted, over-the-top glitz of all kinds, qualify as bling-bling.  Bling-bling exists for one reason and one reason only: to be noticed.

Despite appearances to the contrary, the Christmas season is NOT about bling-bling. That doesn't seem to be the case after a walk around shopping malls and Main Streets garlanded, glistening, and gaudy. But in the season of Advent we're not preparing for the arrival of a dazzling behemoth. We're preparing for the arrival of a small, seemingly insignificant shoot! Advent looks forward not to blinding bling-bling, but to twinkle, twinkle little Star! Advent is about roots and shoots, not froo-froo and figgy pudding!  Instead of celebrating the twinkle-in-the-eye of God, we're often blinded by the glare of Eaton Centre glitz and glamour!

But let’s not miss the small tender shoot which came to bring life from death, faithfulness in spite of unfaithfulness, righteousness in spite of unrighteousness, and forgiveness in spite of sin.  All unexpected!  You and I were dead as stumps.  But we were given life through this Root of Jesse.  You see, He doesn’t judge us by what he sees or hears from us.  Because, let me tell you, that would be ugly.  God has always had a big heart for the spiritually disadvantaged, and we are as spiritually disadvantaged as can be!  We are more than needy, we are beggars!  We have nothing!  But this new King judges us with His righteousness!  The perfect righteousness He wears around himself at all times!  He has been faithful, even when we have not!  Even though you were dead, you’re now alive!  Could we ever have expected something like this?!

3. Wolves Living with Lambs
With Advent, we can expect the unexpected.  And talk about unexpected… how about wolves living with lambs?  Leopards lying down with goats?  Calves and lions being led by toddlers?  Cows eating with bears?  Infants playing with snakes?  Things we would never expect!

Can you imagine life where none are eaters and none are eaten?  A world where no one takes advantage of another’s weakness?  A world in which none will lash out in fear against a perceived threat?  A kingdom where the self-seeking laws of behavior that have governed us will be replaced by the law of love?  It is certainly hard to imagine, isn’t it, whether we are talking about the wild animal kingdom, or whether we are talking about your work place, or your school, or your street, or your home?  Is this kingdom here now?  No.  But it will be.  Because of that tender little shoot that came into our world.  The result of the Messianic King’s advent will be a kingdom in which peace prevails as it once did in Eden!  None are eaters and none are eaten.  None taking advantage and none being taken advantage of.  Wolves and lambs.  All because Jesus destroyed the devil’s kingdom and gave us righteousness and peace with God.  So one day, we get to look forward to lions and lambs. Expect the unexpected!

            But instead of this being the season when "the wolf shall live with the lamb,” this becomes the season when the wolf comes out in all of us. Don't think so? Check out the parking lot of your closest mall. Listen to the horns honking obscenities at each other. Witness the Nascar antics as drivers desperately race for the next available parking space. Try dodging the rat-race running for the nearest mall entrance.

            Instead of living like the old, dead way we were saved from, why don’t we get ready for the new way of living, the lion and the lamb way of living we will enjoy one day in heaven?  Can you tell me what would be a better way to prepare for Christmas?

There is a story from the days when the African-American community in the South was not allowed to vote. During elections, a certain community of African-Americans in Florida would rent a voting machine and go through the voting process. Now, they knew that their votes would not be counted, but they voted anyway. When asked by members of the white community why they did this every year, they replied, “Oh, just practicing. Just practicing.”

They could not vote now, but they knew in their hearts that a new day was coming. They believed in a just God who had not forsaken them. One day they would vote. One day they would take their place in society. Right now they were “just practicing,” but one day the promise of freedom, dignity and justice would be realized!  One day, we will be living in perfect righteousness and peace under the banner of the Root of Jesse.  And his place of rest will be glorious!  So – wouldn’t now be a good time to be practicing for how we will live there?

In the meantime, let’s not forget that God is at work in the world still today. Not in ways that we will always expect. No more than Israel expected God to enter this world in such a lowly way. But God is at work in our world and in our individual lives.  It is so important that we do not lose faith in the presence of God with us.  And that we expect the unexpected!

Mary Meyer tells a heartwarming Christmas story that might bring that truth home for us. Her family had just gone to the mission field in Liberia, West Africa. It was their first Christmas away from home, and it was a busy time. She and her husband were working in an orphanage where they were helping to supervise 50 children, along with their own three small children. Mary was trying to make Christmas special for the children at the orphanage and for many of the families in the village. At the same time, she was trying to make Christmas special for her own family and to instill in their children the true meaning of Christmas: that it is Jesus’ birthday.

Because their children had always had birthday cakes in special shapes, Mary made Jesus’ birthday cake in the shape of a Christmas tree. She used hard candies to represent Christmas balls and lights on the tree, and she put a tall, thin candle in the center of the cake. The children were excited and surprised to see the special birthday cake for Jesus. As they looked at it, one of the children piped up, “Who’s going to blow out the candle?” Mary didn’t know how to answer, so she said, “I don’t know. We’ll have to wait until later to find out.” They placed the cake in the middle of their table and enjoyed their Christmas dinner. When they had finished eating, the family joined hands and sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. Just as they completed the song, a gust of wind came in through the windows and blew out the candle! Mary’s three kids stared in amazement. One of them said, “Jesus blew out his candle!”

Some will say it was only coincidence that a gust of air came through the house at just that moment. It would have been hard to convince those children, however. For them, it was proof positive that Jesus was with them! You and I need to understand that God is with us! It doesn’t make any difference how difficult things might be for us. God does not forsake His own. He has been faithful, even when we are not.  He promises new life out of the decay of our old one. God loves you when you haven’t been lovable.  He is preparing a place of rest for you where no harm can come to you.  Friends, with God, you can expect the unexpected!  Amen.