The Branch of Jesse...

This week I want to look at the Old Testament scriptures that foretold of the first coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The passages I want to visit speak of the Messiah as the Branch. The fist passage that I want to draw attention to is in the book of Isaiah.

 

A Branch from the Root of Jesse: Isaiah 11:1-5

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 a decision by what His ears hear; 4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted 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 about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. NASB

 

The passage of scripture above speaks of the Messiah as coming from the stem of Jesse. Jesse is the father of King David of Israel who reigned three thousand years ago. Jesse and David are mentioned in the genealogies of Jesus of Nazareth (the Messiah), in both the gospel of Matthew and Luke. 

 

So God is speaking through the prophets of a branch who is part of the tree of Jesse the father of King David of Israel. He is talking about the family tree of King Jesus the Christ. He is telling of the things he will do and how he will be. Bare in mind that this is a prophecy made 700 years before Jesus was born in the manger in the town of Bethlehem.

 

Looking at the promises this prophecy makes of the Messiah. The New Testament most certainly gives evidence of these gifts being demonstrated by Jesus of Nazareth. John 1:32 gives eyewitness evidence of the holy spirit alighting upon Jesus as a Dove. The beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-11 are clear evidence of Jesus wisdom and understanding. The incident of the boat in the storm where Jesus calms the storm, in Matthew 8:23-27, shows the spirit of counsel and strength and the spirit of knowledge.

 

The fear of the Lord is evident in the testimony that was his life, during the three years of his ministry, as related in the four gospels. His righteous judgment was clear for all to see in the case of the ‘centurion’s servant’ in Matthew 8:5-13 and the ‘woman at the well’ in John chapter four. The other attributes discussed in this passage in Isaiah are for a future time when Jesus returns to judge the Earth but are clearly shown in the apostle John’s prophecies in the book of Revelation.

 

The Branch of Righteousness: Jeremiah 23:5-6

(5) “ Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “ That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. (6) In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. NKJV

 

In the scripture above the prophet Jeremiah spoke of the days that are coming in which the Lord will raise to David a branch of righteousness and a King who shall reign and prosper. Jeremiah made this prophecy 600 years before Jesus was born. This scripture speaks of two events in the future known as the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom. 

 

In the Tribulation Jesus will indeed execute judgment in the Earth. It says in God’s word that had the days of tribulation not been cut short no flesh would have survived. Once the Tribulation period of seven years is complete Christ Jesus will have returned to the Earth and the Millennial Kingdom will have been established. One thousand years during which King Jesus will reign and there will indeed be righteousness in all of the Earth.

 

Jesus is the Vine - We are the Branches: John 15:1-6

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-dresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. NASB

 

In this scripture the apostle John records how Jesus described himself as the true vine and we who believe on him as the branches of the vine. God the Father is the vine-dresser and takes away branches that don’t bear fruit. Notice that Jesus speaks of our need to abide in him and he us for the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but only when it abides in the vine. If we abide in Christ he says we will bear much fruit.

 

The disciple and apostle John recounted in the Book of John in the scripture above how Jesus viewed the Church as a vine made up of branches who like himself were people. Christian People. It is interesting that God continues to use the branch analogy to describe the Messiah in the New Testament as he did in the Torah (Old Testament). The Torah speaks of a time when God will raise a branch from the Root of Jesse. Jesus became the fulfillment of that prophecy in every way and is now the King that was spoken of by Jeremiah.

 

John then, records how Jesus spoke of himself as the Vine and of believers as branches of that vine. In the time of Jesus ministry most of those branches would have come from the nation of Israel. However God was about to make changes that would graft branches of wild vines into the Kingdom of God. See the events in the scriptures below...

 

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles: Acts 9:3-6

3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

 

In the Acts of the Apostles chapter nine verses three and four we find God intervening in the life of a man called Saul who was bent on the destruction of every follower of Jesus and determined to expunge the emerging church from the first century. 

 

Jesus stopped Saul on the way to Damascus and what he said to Saul changed him from an Executioner of the Just into the foremost apostle and missionary of the gospel to the Gentiles. The change to Saul was so profound that he became known as Paul from that period of time onward. In the scripture below Paul talks of how the promise of the branch to Israel became a promise from God to all of the nations. The Gentiles...

 

Gentiles the Branch Grafted In: Romans 11:16-21

16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. NASB

 

And so it was that other branches became grafted into the Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ. Because Israel had in part rejected Jesus as the Messiah so now God made the blessing of Salvation open to Gentile, as well as, Jew. We often think that Israel totally rejected Jesus but, in fact, the first Christians were Jews, as were the Apostles and in the first centuries of the Church. Christian Churches were often Jewish. 

 

The branch from the Root of Jesse born as Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man, became the Savior of Jew and Gentile alike. Whether Vine or Olive we are honored to be hidden in Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:3 ‘For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God...’ NASB

 

Altar Call: Acts 3:19

‘Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..’ NASB

 

My dear friends if you have not found salvation in Jesus the only begotten Son of God then kneel now and ask Jesus to forgive your sins and to come into your heart. Then you may know the joy of Salvation and that you will not perish but will have eternal life.

Many thanks to Bible Gateway for the use of their beautiful scripture on-line website... https://www.biblegateway.com/

Many thanks also to BIBLETOOLS for their assistance in understanding the Branch scriptures... https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PW/k/289/The-Branch.htm

On the Lord's Day...

Good morning beloved ones. This is the first note in what will hopefully, God willing, be a long series. God has been pressing on my heart the need to share Christ with those around me. I know that personally I’m not getting any younger and that applies equally to my dear friends and acquaintances. So there is a need to be honest and present the gospel to you all and to call you to salvation. So that when you die you have a hope of Salvation and Eternal Life.

Recently a dear acquaintance and fairly new friend died and once again I felt considerable regret that I had not been courageous enough to share John 3:16 with him. To let him know that life is unpredictable and you never know what is just around the corner but that God so loves us all that he gave his only Son, Jesus Christ, that if we believe on him we will not perish but will inherit eternal life. And now it is too late and if he perishes that may indeed be my fault.

I have come to realise that there are so many people that I see and that time is precious. I could be gone or they could be gone and, I won’t have shared the light of God’s salvation with them. To let them know that ‘All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13. So come dear friends if you do not know Jesus of Nazareth, God’s only Son, the Son of Man. You need to do something about it.

Do you know that there is one thing that separates us from God and that thing is known as sin. It is an evil that permeates through all of creation. It is not your or my fault that we are sinful. We are born that way. Romans 3:10 says that “There is none righteous not even one.” Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So you see it not just you or me or a few people here and there that are trapped in sin. We are all sinners whether we like it or not and that sin separates us from God.

The Old Testament saints were under the Law of God through his servant Moses and God required to make blood sacrifice twice a day for the sins of the people. In this sacrifice animals, usually sheep or oxen were slain. Some of their blood was sprinkled on the alter and the offering burnt in holy fire. God accepted this sacrifice and forgave the people of their sins. Of course the people of Israel were called to holiness and had to keep the law of the Ten Commandments.

However even this could not appease God and he looked to a much better way. He so loved us that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus became the one and only sin sacrifice. He was crucified and his blood was shed for the sins of all mankind who would in faith believe on him. 

You never know what’s around the corner friends. But be sure of this. You need to believe on Jesus the only Son of God. Good works or a well lived life is not enough on its own to save you. As the apostle Paul said you need to ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

You’ve heard the gospel. Now act on it and get saved.

By the River...

Father. People don't listen when I tell them about you... Treat them with love and be patient with them. My Child.


But Father. When I tell them about your son and the love that he had for them. They shout at me and throw stones... My son told you that the world hated him and that it would hate you also. So it is My Child.


Father. When I tell them of the law and how grace was proclaimed to set them free but not to replace the law. They call me a hypocrite... My Child. My ways are not their ways and as high as the heavens are above the Earth so are my ways above their ways.


Father. When I tell them of Colossians chapter one where it says: ¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 

They tell me that the bible is only a story and that your son is not the Messiah. My Child. Of this generation: They have had Moses and the prophets and they woud not believe even if someone were raised from the dead and were sent to warn them... For many are called but few are chosen 


Father. I have known great blessing in my life. I have had a loving wife and many children. I have had livestock and goods more than any others. I have known great wealth. But I count it all as nothing if I have not served you. What should I do my Lord?  I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.… Revelation 3:18...


Father. What should I do when the judgment comes. My Child look then to the scriptures. Matthew 24:¹⁷ Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: ¹⁸ Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.¹⁹ And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! ²⁰ But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: ²¹ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. ²² And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 

Father. What will the Kingdom of God be like? My Child look to the book of Isaiah the prophet of the Lord. Chapter 11: ⁶ The wolf will dwell with the lamb,And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;And a little boy will lead them.⁷ Also the cow and the bear will graze. Their young will lie down together,And the lion will eat straw like the ox. ⁸ The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. ⁹ They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.¹⁰ Then in that day, the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples;And His resting place will be glorious.

Father when will the Son of God, The Messiah return. My child at the end of the Church and at the end of the prophet Daniel's seventieth week then as the Apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation chapter 19: ^11  Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns... Then shall the Messiah return to rule the Earth.

Things Young Christians Should Know

When I was about five years old, maybe four. I remember one of my brothers, after attending Church coming home and discussing a new teaching with our Father. It was approaching milking time and Dad needed to go and wash the stainless steel vat in the milking shed and then go for the herd of cows which were on the pasture in a near by paddock.

As we walked down the tanker track on a lazy summer afternoon I remember swishing the fine hot sand between my toes and making a little plume of dust. When I got a bit too invested in doing this and a cloud of dust rose. Dad told me to stop it. So I just walked and listened to what they were talking about.

I don't remember the specifics of the conversation as well as I used too. I think it involved doctrine (salvation, justification, sanctification) and what my brother had learned at Church and what Dad knew about it.

I do remember being caught up in the conversation and it seemed that Dad was showing a side of himself that I hadn't seen before. As he spoke of Christian things it was as though we were lifted into the presence of God himself. As though Dad and my older brother were in a heavenly power. I felt safe and not at all intimidated by this turn of events, I remember asking Dad if he believed in God and he said that he did. I said "I believe in God too."

They continued to have a very deep discussion as they cleaned the vat and set up the shed for milking. Then Dad got the dogs (trained cattle dogs) and they walked  down the race to get the herd in for milking. I decided to go back to the house and leave them to it.

There were many times in those years, in the '60's, up until the middle of 1967. When my brothers had conversations with our father. He was not well at the time and I don't think any of us suspected how close he was to leaving us. He could be moody and sometimes angry. He was always talented and and had many hobbies and interests. Training cattle and sheep dogs, breeding dairy cows and farming to name a few.

Dad was a Christian, a saved sinner but didn't attend church regularly. A number of pious Christians felt he wasn't a Christian at all. However, he had a great knowledge of the bible and Christian doctrine and could shift easily into the role of teacher and mentor to his children.

Thomas Alfred Gibbs was taken home as a result of a massive heart attack on June 19th 1967. He left behind a wife and seven children most of whom were in their mid to late teens. I was six at the time. It left a massive hole in our lives.

However God is good. All of his children are Christians. I can say that God has purpose in all that he does and many people have been saved through the ministrations of Thomas and Joy Gibbs's' children.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A28&version=KJV