An Advent for the Nations
Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from David Platt’s new book The Name of Jesus, which includes a guide for praying for the nations during Advent.
“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.” – Isaiah 11:10 (NIV)
What does it mean for Jesus to be a “banner for the peoples”? To help answer that question, picture the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Thousands of people look on in person, along with millions of others behind screens, as athletes enter a stadium walking behind the flag of their country.
As crowds cheer them on, joy beams from the faces of Olympians who are representing their respective nations. Eventually, they all gather under one Olympic flag with rings representing the colors from every country’s flag in this competition that brings them together.
With this imagery in your mind, now picture the way the Bible talks about how humankind is made up of nations, or peoples (we see both of these terms in Isaiah 11:10). Every one of us belongs to a distinct ethnic group, or people group, with whom we share common language and cultural characteristics.
This is more specific than even our own country, for most countries are comprised of diverse people groups. Some researchers estimate there are more than 16,000 distinct people groups in the world.
Much like those Olympic athletes who represent their nation, it is right and good to be proud of your ethnic background and the people group to which you belong. Our differences beautifully display the creativity of our Creator, and our histories testify to God’s grace through those who have gone before us.
Now imagine a scene in which people from every single ethnic group in the history of the world come streaming into one place and gather under one banner that represents the beauty and glory of all the nations. This is Jesus. He is the only Savior who can deliver anyone from any people group from their sin, and he is the only King who is worthy of the worship of every nation in history.
It’s no surprise, then, that right after Jesus is born, wise men—well-respected, high-ranking officials with power and influence—from the nations come to bow down before him with extravagant offerings.
It’s a foretaste of the ultimate ceremony to come in heaven, when men and women from every nation will gather around Jesus as the banner for the peoples, just as God promised in Isaiah 11:10.
REFLECT
What does it say about Jesus’ character that he will be worshiped not just by certain groups of people but by every group of people? How does that affect the way you view—and act toward—people from different people groups?
PRAY
Praise Jesus as the banner for all peoples, pray for salvation to spread in specific countries that come to your mind, and pray particularly for over 35 million people among the Xiang Han of China who have not been reached with the good news that Jesus is the Savior and Lord of all nations.
