A few years ago we had to have a tree in our backyard cut down. Though not completely dead, the emerald ash borer had infested it, and it wouldn’t survive. Furthermore, that once sturdy tree would now sway in a strong wind, and we did not want it to topple onto our kitchen in a storm, which we frequently get. That was a few years back, and that tree stump is still in the yard, just a dead stump. There is no life in it. Sometimes, though, when a good, living tree is cut down, if there is life still left in the roots, a sprout might eventually grow out of the stump. New life comes forth from something apparently thought dead. On this Second Sunday of Advent we read from the Prophet Isaiah of something similar happening. Let’s look at what God’s Word says.
Isaiah was a prophet mainly to the southern Kingdom of Judah approximately a hundred years prior to the Babylonian conquest and exile of the people. He preached against the sins of the people of Judah, their political and their religious leaders. He foretold of God’s judgment on the people and nation, and how their royal line would be cut down.
For centuries the royal line of the great King David had sat upon the throne of the Kingdom of Judah. During the reign of David’s grandson, Rehoboam, the northern Kingdom of Israel had split away, but his descendants continued to rule in Judah. However, Isaiah and many other prophets told of how the kings of Judah, the line of David, would be cut down.
This happened when Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire conquered Judah, and carried the people away captive. This was a very distressing time for the people, especially knowing that the royal family of David was cut down like a tree, and was no longer on the throne. Yet our Scripture today from Isaiah gave the people hope. God promised His people that a stem, a branch would yet come forth from Jesse’s family line (vs. 1). Jesse was David’s father, and Isaiah told that though it looked like his family line was now a dead stump, God would bring new life, and a sprout, a branch, a new king would come forth.
The Messiah, Jesus Christ, was of the line of King David. We can read His genealogies in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. He is the Rod, the Branch that came forth from the cut down stump of David’s family line. The Spirit of God was upon the Lord Jesus (vs. 2). Unlike the previous rulers of David’s line, who frequently did not rule justly or righteously, Jesus, the Messiah, would rule with righteousness and justice. We know that quite often our political leaders and judges bring faulty judgment. They hear false testimony and believe it and they take bribes. Jesus, though, is a righteous and just ruler and judge (vs. 3-5). He does not judge based on appearance, false evidence, or hearsay, like man often does. Jesus has true spiritual vision, and will judge the poor with righteousness, making right, correct, and righteous judgments. As verse 4 states, the words from His mouth will bring down and slay the wicked (II Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:15). This would be good news for the common folk, both in Isaiah’s day and even today, as so often we must live under the whims of unjust rulers. The just rule of the Messiah Jesus will come when He returns to earth.
Another sign that will occur when Jesus returns is that there will be peace and harmony among animals, and between animals and mankind (vs. 6-8). If you ever watch nature documentaries on TV, you sometimes see one animal bring down and kill another. Though the one animal kills in order to survive, it is still sad to see. Isaiah spoke of the day in Jesus’ kingdom when lions and wolves will live in harmony with the weaker animals. Little children will be able to play with snakes that were once poisonous and deadly.
Jesus, the Root of Jesse, the branch that comes forth from the stump, will bring salvation to both Jew and Gentile (vs. 10). Everyone will know Him when He returns. And on that day, there will be justice, righteousness, peace, and harmony, both among men and all creatures.
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