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The Branch of Jesse

Isaiah 11:1-5
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;  but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

Jesse was the father of King David and it was through such a line that the Messiah would come, and in his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, of which we celebrate as Palm Sunday, the crowds cried out "Hosanna to the Son of David!" Matt 21:9

The stump of Jesse is the kingly line which was chopped down through the Babylonian captivity. But it was restored through Christ who was the branch Isaiah speaks of. So also for one to become a Christian he must first become a stump in humiliation. And then as John the Baptist says, "He must increase and I must decrease."John 3:30 Thus the apostle Paul speaks of his former credentials saying, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." Php 3:7

A main branch also has other branches coming from it, as Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." John 15:5  And by abiding in Christ we bear fruit. Thus as Christians we can identify with Christ in this passage as Paul says, " I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Gal 2:20

It is through the Spirit of God that we live and reign with Christ. We are born of the Spirit and the Spirit rests upon us. It is through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that we can know God more intimately. Paul prays for the Ephesians saying, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Ephesians 1:17  As our Counselor, the Holy Spirit teaches us and testifies of Christ. John 14:26  "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 15:26  "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me."

The Spirit also imparts the fear of the Lord, thus Christians take life seriously, departing from evil and walking in submission to the Lord, knowing that condemnation awaits those who live a lifestyle of sin. (1Cor 6:9,10)

When God sent Samuel to the sons of Jesse in order to chose a King among them, Samuel at first judged them by outward appearance. But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."1 Samuel 16:7  And so also when the Lord himself came people misjudged him. For "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering." Isaiah 53:3

Christ is yet to reign on earth in the sense Isaiah speaks of here. For Isaiah is speaking of the Millenial Kingdom in which Christians will also reign with Christ as it is written, "They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Rev 20:4


The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources Jan 29,2022