OPINION:
When you think of Jesus, what image comes to mind? Is He a baby in a manger, a man on a cross, the King of heaven? What if Jesus is greater than you imagined?
What if His birth carries more than sentiment and tradition? What if there’s more to His story and its connection to our lives than we ever dreamed?
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These are the questions we explore in “Tracing His Promise,” a journey to uncover the bigger story of Jesus and what that means for us.
Today we’ll look at incredible prophesies from Isaiah, who foretold of Christ’s coming more than any other prophet. I’m excited about today’s prophecy because it is the basis for the Jesse Tree tradition you can begin with your family, using what we’ve learned through our time together.
Below is the third in a series of excerpts from “Tracing His Promise,” which guides readers through the promise of Christ in the Old Testament, making it a meaningful addition to the Advent season. Read the first and second installments here and here.
SEE ALSO: Tracing His Promise, a Christmas Advent: Finding Jesus in the Old Testament
Prophecy of a Branch
When Ryan and I moved from Arizona to North Carolina, to say our yard was overgrown would have been an understatement. As young homeowners who had only cared for cacti, rocks, and a beloved orange tree, we were overwhelmed.
Two massive trees in our front yard blocked the view of the house from the road. Our first project involved paying landscapers a small fortune to remove them. Once the trees were gone, only bare stumps remained. The difference was unbelievable.
How does this connect to today’s prophecy?
Under King David’s leadership, Israel had been like a towering tree in the height of a North Carolina spring — powerful, majestic, and fruitful. But because of sin and idolatry, the nation had split into two warring nations — Israel and Judah — and God was removing His hand of protection. As a result, the once towering and fruitful nation would be like a massive tree cut to a bare stump. From a human perspective, their story was over. Their name tag would have read “dead” or “lifeless.”
But God had a different perspective.
SEE ALSO: Tracing His Promise, a Christmas Advent: Lessons on Jesus from King David
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. – Isaiah 11:1
Though Judah’s future appeared bleak, God saw something different. Life would come! Judah’s story was not over.
Isaiah’s prophecy of a coming branch is even more compelling because Judah was not the only nation that would be cut down. In chapter 10, Isaiah said Assyria — an enemy nation — would be like a forest of trees cut down like a stump.
Picture the message Isaiah is conveying. A dense forest of towering trees reduced to lifeless stumps. All the stumps would remain dead or dormant except one. One stump would stand in stark contrast to the others. The stump from Jesse, and only Jesse, would produce a branch.
This wouldn’t be any branch. The brilliance of Isaiah’s prophecy is who the branch represents: “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him” (Isaiah 11:2). “Upon him” — the branch is a person who would come from the stump of Jesse.
Let me put this together. If you remember the study Ruth, Jesse was the father of King David. The branch from the stump of Jesse would be a descendant of Jesse, King David’s father.
Does this sound familiar? Today’s prophecy reaffirms God’s promise to David from 300 years earlier — the Davidic covenant: the promise that a King with an eternal throne would come through the lineage of David (2 Samuel 7).
Though Judah may have felt this was the end, God had a different perspective. The stump of Jesse sprouted the Seed who would bring hope to the world!
Isaiah continues with a description of this person:
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. – Isaiah 11:2–3
From the barren nation and its line of kings, a descendant of Jesse would spring forth like a fresh branch from a dead stump. Think of how refreshing Isaiah’s prophecy would have been. The Branch would delight in the fear of the Lord. He would be unlike the godless kings that Israel and Judah had known for generations.
Isaiah said the Spirit of the Lord would rest on Him. The Spirit would not come and go as he did with the other men and women of the Old Testament. Jesus would experience something different. The Spirit of the Lord would rest and remain on Him. What’s more? In these few verses, we see evidence of all three persons of the Trinity: Father (Lord), Son (Branch), and Spirit.
This branch would be Jesus — God in the flesh, full of the Spirit, bringing hope to the world.
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Donna Amidon is a speaker and author with a passion for engaging others in the rich truths of Scripture. A graduate of Southern Evangelical Seminary, Donna has served in diverse roles as a Bible teacher, worship leader, and small group director. Donna’s book, “Tracing His Promise,” guides readers through the promise of Christ in the Old Testament, making it a meaningful addition to the Advent season. In her role at Back to the Bible, Donna provides biblical teachings that inspire others to center their lives on Christ. Visit her at www.donnaamidon.com or on social media at https://www.instagram.com/donnaamidon_/ or https://www.facebook.com/ignitetheheart
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