The Branch of Jesse
Isaiah 11:1-5 (NASB 2020 edition)
1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make decisions by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the humble of the earth;
And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
5 Also righteousness will be the belt around His hips,
And faithfulness the belt around His waist.
REFLECTION
In the previous chapter, Isaiah speaks to us about the total destruction of the kingdom of Assyria. Israel was also destroyed, but there is a difference. For the House of David, there was hope, "for a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit" (Is 11:1). This "shoot" from Jesse, on whom "the Spirit of the Lord will rest," is the Lord Jesus Himself, the Messiah who came into the world to bring the Kingdom of Justice and Peace.
In Matthew 1:1, it is said that Jesus is "the son of David, the son of Abraham," highlighting His direct link to the lineage of Jesse. The apostle Paul also recognizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, stating in Romans 15:12: "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope." These words imply the whole Mystery of the Christian Faith. Because, being our Savior the shoot and root of Jesse, it implies both His full Humanity and His full Divinity. Root and branch. God and man. He is the "Root of David" (Rev 5:5), the legitimate King of Israel and all creation!
The Messiah, who arises from the family of Jesse, comes into the world when that lineage was apparently destroyed and impoverished. Humanly, practically everything Jesus, a descendant of David, possessed in life was borrowed: from His first cradle to His grave! He was among us as a tree cut down to its roots. For us, He "being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8).
This Christ, Jesus, is the Mediator par excellence, for through His Sacrifice for us, He guaranteed us secure entry into the Kingdom of God, where truth and mercy meet, and peace and righteousness kiss each other (Psalm 85:10).
PRAYER
Lord God, we thank You for salvation in Christ, the Root of Jesse. And help us to be faithful agents of Your Kingdom, spreading the seed of Your Gospel. Amen.
Written by the Rev. Marcelo Lemos (Brazil), Companion of the NAMS Outpost Brazil and CEO of Editora Bereia (a Christian publishing house).
