Jesus, The Branch Series

Isaiah #3

Jesus: The Branch

Isaiah 11:1-16

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 11:1-9

INTRODUCTION:

(background to ch. 11 and the concept of comparing Jesus to a Branch)

So far we have looked at the introduction to Isaiah including chapter 1 of Isaiah, and we have examined Isaiah’s call by God in Chapter 6. From now on we will look at the many ways Isaiah chooses to describe the Messiah in his prophetic book. The first word picture we will examine is Isaiah’s description of Messiah as a “branch” or “shoot.”

To understand this word picture we first need to understand that the Bible pictures Israel, the nation, with the symbol of a grape vine or an olive tree. Both of these pictures were used throughout the Bible and are still in use today in the nation of Israel. If you visit there sometime keep your eye out for those symbols and you will find them frequently. Why those symbols? Most likely it is because both symbols represent plants that must be tended by a care taker in order to be fruitful. Even though a grape vine can grow wild, the most productive grape vines with the most delicious grapes must have the attention of a vine dresser

Isaiah includes this picture in chapter 5 often called the “Song of the vineyard.” Though we don’t have time to deal with chapter 5 today, I will point out that the message of the parable of the vineyard is that the chosen vine must produce fruit or else it will be cut down. Israel had focused on their privilege and had forgotten their purpose. Therefore, because they were barren as a grape vine, they were about to be cut out and rooted up.

We don’t always know why disaster comes our way, but in the case of Isaiah’s prophecies he goes into detail about the sins of Israel. He explains in some detail why the Assyrians and later on the Babylonians would be used as a tool to root out Israel’s evils. The choice vine in Isaiah 5 is dug up and left to die.

And at any rate, by the end of Isaiah chapter 10 both Israel and Assyria lie on the ground like felled trees, but the promise is given that the tree of Israel will sprout again. The purpose of this word picture is to show that the Messiah will have a small and humble beginning (shoot, branch, rod, root ) like a cutting taken off of a dying plant, but after a humble start he will grow into the mightiest ruler the world has ever known.

The Symbol of the Root, is also found in the New Testament three times :

Rom. 5:12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”

Rev. 5:5, Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

The branch is seen as a live sprout (4:2) in Hebrew it is called a “Nehtzer” And in Isaiah 53 we notice the symbol of a “root out of dry ground” At first so humble (Nazarine) Matt. 2:23, but filled with the 7-fold Spirit of the Lord (wisdom, understanding, might, counsel, knowledge etc.)

1. HIS ROOTS: ISAIAH 11:1-3

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.

(The ROOT – source – of this Messiah is the SPIRIT OF THE LORD. Jesus is both the ROOT and the BRANCH because he is God who came to earth as Messiah)

The comparison here is with the barren vine of Israel which is cut down and uprooted. But from the stump of Jesse (humble beginnings from David’s father who was a humble sheep herder) comes a branch (shoot) that will take root and fill all the world with fruit (With the coming of the Messiah we will discover that what Israel could not or would not accomplish, the coming Messiah will fulfill)

Most of chapter 11 of Isaiah is about the empowerment of the Messiah as Millennial ruler.

He is endowed and empowered with the 7 fold ministry of the Spirit of God (John 1:33 designates Jesus as the one chosen of God) And from Vs. 2-3 of Isaiah 11 we know that the “fear of the Lord” is the foundation of sound government.