Isa.11:1 – Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
Jesus is said to come from the stem or branch of Jesse. For those who may not know, David was Jesse’s son. David, who became a great king, came from a family of insignificance. David was apparently the least likely to be king being the youngest of eight sons of an insignificant family. This was the heritage of Jesus, born as the descendant of a common family. Of course this branch from Jesse lived in Nazareth. The name Nazareth actually is derived from the Hebrew word for branch. He was the supposed son of Joseph the carpenter a common man in a common town. There was nothing about Him at first look that would impress anyone yet His birth, ministry, death, and resurrection have shaped history. Here is how Ambrose describes this Branch
“The root of Jesse the patriarch is the family of the Jews, Mary is the rod, Christ the flower of Mary, who, about to spread the good odor of faith throughout the whole world, budded forth from a virgin womb, as he himself said: “I am the flower of the plain, a lily of the valley”. Scripture also expresses the Son’s incarnation beautifully: “from a bud you have gone up,” for like a plant of the earth he was to be conceived in the womb of a virgin. And like a fragrant flower sent forth from the maternal bosom in the splendor of the dawn, he was to go up for the redemption of the whole world, as Isaiah says: “There will come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will blossom from his root.”…It is right, therefore, that the rod which is of royal lineage from the house of David, whose flower is Christ, who vanquished the foul odor of worldly filth, poured forth the fragrance of eternal life.”
His natural ancestry, at first glance, was not impressive. Like one of the apostles said at the beginning, “Can any good thing come from Nazareth?” But a careful examination will lead to some different conclusions. He was the promised One who was said to be “the seed of the woman, Immanuel, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and the Desire of all nations”. So this insignificant Branch from Nazareth, born in an animal’s feeding trough in Bethlehem, has born fruit for generations and is still changing the world today.
1 thought on “GOD’S BRANCH”
Our misjudgments should become another lesson of humility that God need not accomplish His plans after consulting with any of us. Whose comprehension even comes close, certainly not mine. Perhaps those who draw closer, have less misjudgments, that’s what I’m going towards.