Isaiah 11: 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
The ensign is an important symbol for a nation. We have a flag, and the ensign is what the flag does. Our flag means something; it serves as an ensign to other nations. It tells a story about us and reminds us of who we are. The red, white, and blue, along with the stars, mean something to us. It’s a banner whose markings define us and our authority to the world.
This ensign cannot save us. It might provide us a country in which to live and the freedoms and rights that come with that. What it can’t do is the most important thing we need. That’s where the Christian flag comes in. If not for what it stands for, we would not have a United States of America. God has provided an ensign that signifies a higher authority that brings us out of the realm of sin and our hopelessly lost condition and makes us part of a kingdom higher than any on earth. This ensign is a person who came from heaven born of a virgin and named Jesus of Nazareth. Our American flag can stand only if we believe in godly principles. Our heavenly ensign was for us but not by us. It was created by God when he gave his only begotten son. He was for Jew and Gentile alike.
I’m not sure of the future of the American flag, but I am sure about the Christian flag. It will wave forever because it represents a person who came to save. Jesus is the banner of heaven that became the sacrifice for us and opened the way to heaven. By trusting in him, we become part of his kingdom. The lost all over the world need a Savior. Jesus is the ensign. God planted a flag on this earth through him. He took our sins so that we could enjoy life and liberty as citizens of his country.
The angel told the shepherds for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The ensign was a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. That is what the shepherds looked for and what they found. He grew up and revealed the kingdom of God to us. He said I am the way, the truth, and the life. He still stands today even though modern society tramples him underfoot.
During the war of 1812, the fighting was strong. Francis Scott Key wrote the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. The flag waved its truth in the midst of the war. There is a flag that stood long before the US flag. It points to a life that is better than this.
The devil thought he was victor as Jesus was raised on the cross. Little did he know that Jesus got on that cross because he wanted to be there. Calvary was a banner that said he was the ensign for the people. By his death, burial and resurrection we find life. We don’t have to perish.
The American flag won’t deliver your soul, but Jesus will. The guarantee is glorious rest for those who believe. If you have not rallied to your ensign, come to him today. Now is the time. The flag is raised. This is a defining moment in your life. If there was ever a person/place to run, it’s under the ensign of Jesus.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 