Isaiah 11:10
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 11:6-16
In wrapping up Isaiah 11 today, I want to take a look at a verse that we have already studied a little bit. Isaiah tells us in verse 10 that the Messiah will be the “Root of Jesse.” There are at least 16 prophecies in the Old Testament including this one that the Messiah will come from the line of David. As far as prophecies are concerned, this one is pretty common. At the time of Jesus, it was widely known by the Jews that they were waiting for a descendant of David to take his throne and rule over Israel.
However, what the Jews completely missed was that the Messiah would come not just for Israel but for all the nations. His kingdom would be more than just Israel but would extend to all the earth. After Jesus rose from the grave, God literally had to force Peter to visit a Gentile house and see the Holy Spirit come upon them to prove to him that Jesus came for the Gentiles too.
During his visit to these Gentiles, Peter said, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34). Luke, the author of Acts added his narrative to what happened that day: “The circumcised believers [Jews] who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles” (Acts 10:45).
The Gentiles will have equal access to God and live in the Messiah’s kingdom along with the Jews. Gentiles will no longer live in hostility with God as they did during the Old Covenant. If anyone is willing to place their faith in Jesus, God will welcome them into his family and be granted eternity in his kingdom. Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have” (Acts 10:47). The Holy Spirit is available to both Jews and Gentiles.
Now back to our text. Isaiah said that “the nations will rally to him… He will raise a banner for the nations” (Isaiah 11:10, 12). All the nations will be gathered to God by the Messiah. The Root of Jesse will be the banner for the nations to come to the Lord. At first glance, much if not all of Isaiah chapter 11 seems to speak of the second coming of Jesus. Even verse 10 speaks of the Messiah being a glorious resting place. It doesn’t seem like this has been fulfilled because the nations don’t seem to be at rest.
However, if Isaiah was not fulfilled by Jesus first trip to earth, the Gentiles are not currently in God’s kingdom. This was the struggle for the early Jewish Christ-followers and they were right to believe that Jesus had already fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. Paul even quoted Isaiah 11:10 as being fulfilled in Romans 15:12. Jesus came to establish a kingdom that would end hostility and remove the curse of sin. People from all nations would be drawn to Jesus and be given his glorious rest. And not just that, but Jesus would be “a banner for the nations.”
Think about the phrase raise a banner. When do we raise banners? Being from the great college basketball state of Kentucky, we’ve raised a few banners in our basketball arenas. When we win the national championship, we raise a banner to celebrate and commemorate the event for future generations of fans. When a great player is honored, we raise a banner with their number on it to draw people’s attention to their accomplishments. In order to honor our nation and the sacrifice of those who have come before us to die for our country, we raise a flag.
Jesus said, “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:31-32). The cross is the banner of Jesus. When Jesus was lifted up on the cross, he raised the banner that would draw all nations to him. This prophecy in Isaiah was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave.
The cross is the means by which all people can enter the kingdom of God. It delivers us from sin and allows us to live in his resting place. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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