Hope in a Holy Branch

Isaiah 11:1–2 “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 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 of the fear of the Lord.”

Introduction:

Hope, most people understand as “wishful thinking” but the Word of God has a different contextual meaning. It is a “confident expectation.” A firm assurance about things in life that are unclear or unknown. In Romans 8:24-25, For we are saved by hope: [but] hope that is seen is not hope: [for] what a man seeth , why doth he [yet] hope for? 25 [But] [if] we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

There are moments in life when we feel cut down—moments when plans fall apart, strength runs low, and the future looks uncertain, unclear, and we have more questions than answers. Israel and Judah knew that feeling well. As Isaiah spoke, their nation looked like a fallen tree: the glory of David’s line reduced to a stump. But right in the middle of despair, God sent a promise: a Branch will rise.

Not from a palace…

Not from a President…

But from a stump.

God was declaring that hope can still grow, even in the places that look beyond recovery. This message calls us to trust the One who brings life out of what others call lost.

Theme Statement

Hope is alive because God can raise a Holy Branch from the places we thought were finished.

Background Context:

In Genesis 49:10, it was clearly prophesied that a Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. It mentions that the scepter shall not depart from Judah. A scepter was a staff or rod used by a Shepherd to lead his flock.

There was a period from 810 - 750 BC that both Israel and Judah witness great prosperity.

Around 745 BC, the Assyrians had a new leader who was on a mission to overtake others land.

The LORD used the Assyrians as a tool to judge His people because they continued to disobey Him.

In Isaiah 10, the LORD cuts down Assyria and Judah like trees. and reduced them to tree stumps.

For the Israelites, this illustrated that God still had an unfinished assignment for His people.

Three Points:

Hope in God’s Promise

Hope grows from impossible situations

Hope finds unmatched divine strength

Point #1 - Hope in God’s Promise

11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

[And] a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

Observation:

Some bible translator contribute the stem and stump literally the same.

A stump symbolizes death and decay. In Chapter 10 of Isaiah, there is this image of a forest full of trees, which represent strength and power. These trees represent the Assyrians and the Israelites. Due to the arrogance of the Assyrians and the disobedience of the Israelites, the LORD cuts them down like a tree

We want to highlight this to show the humble origins of God’s promise. Notice the text does not use David’s name, who is well known, but focus on his father Jesse

Interpretation:

God promised that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah.

Jacob had twelve sons. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob. Reuben, who was the oldest son and would have normally been given the double portion of land and the family blessing, but with his involvement in selling Joseph denied him that inheritance.

Judah also hated his brother Joseph and was apart of the drama of selling Joseph. He suffered some great losses. Two of his sons lost their lives. Tamar who was Judah’s daughter in law and was married to one of Judah’s son, then tricks Judah into sleeping with her.

Even though Judah did not always cross the “t’s” and dot the “i’s” he was held in high esteem as the fourth son of Jacob. Judah took on leadership roles in the family.

Application:

Proverbs 24:16 “For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.”

Three Points:

Hope in God’s Promise

Hope grows from impossible situations

Hope finds unmatched divine strength

Point #2: Hope grows from impossible situations

11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

[And] a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

The Hebrew word netzer (“branch”) ties in with the name given to Jesus in Matt. 2:23—“the Nazarene.” Matthew 2:23 “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.””

The four Gospels describe “the Branch” for us as follows:

Matthew—David’s righteous Branch (Jer. 23:5);

Mark—my servant the Branch (Zech. 3:8);

Luke—the man whose name is the Branch (Zech. 6:12);

John—the Branch of Jehovah (Isa. 4:2).

Interpretation:

A tree provides a lot of benefits in the ecosystem. The tree provides homes for the birds and squirrels. Trees produce oxygen for both animal and human life.

Even after their life in the ground, trees continue to give - providing wood for human use, and in their life cycle, they embody a metaphorical representation of death and resurrection, with seeds falling and dying to bring new life, and trees potentially sprouting new shoots even after being cut down.

Looking at the anatomy of a tree. A stump is the base part of a tree after it has been cut down or fail down.

Why does this appear to be an impossible situation? Look at the text. “A Branch shall grow out of His roots.”

Point - The purpose of cutting down the tree was to kill the tree. However, when you don’t dig the tree from the root, then there is still a chance for transformation or change to happen.

Because as long as the root is in connection with the soil, whatever microcells or microorganisms inside the stump they are still receiving nutrients

We see in the bible, when we see soil, that symbolizes the human heart.

Remember Luke 8:5–8 ““A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!””

Application:

When we have ears to hear and a heart to receive the Word of God, then whatever may be impossible has the potential to be possible.

Faith comes by hearing. Hearing comes by the Word of God.

God says in Jeremiah 32:27 ““Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

Points:

Hope in God’s Promise

Hope grows from impossible situations

Hope finds unmatched divine strength

Point #3 - Hope finds unmatched divine strength

2 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] of the fear of the Lord.

Interpretation:

If we want to transform our hope into strength, then we must have connection with the Spirit of the LORD.

From the time of this passage to the time John the Baptist who preached sermons of repentance in the desert (not in a church) 700 - 750 years had passed away.

Despite this message, people were coming from surrounding areas confessing their sins and being baptized in the River of Jordan.

John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:10 “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Anyone who was unfruitful and unrepented would face divine judgement.

John the Baptist says in Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

After Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God descended on Him in the form of a dove. God said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Application:

Being in connection with Jesus is the transformation of hope into strength. The Spirit of the LORD is imperative and significant because the Spirit:

Gives you wisdom and understanding (making better decision and having deeper insight in life)

Provides counsel and might (guidance and courage/boldness).

Research says that 1 out of 4 Adults deal with Mental Health issues

50% of mental health issues begin at the age of 14

Why does this sermon matter today? What happens to the man or woman, boy or girl who are not in connection with the Spirit of the LORD.

Finally, knowledge of who the LORD is, and fear Him. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the LORD. And that means that we should honor and reverence Him.

Closing Illustration

A few years ago after a major storm, a man walked through his yard surveying the damage. One of his favorite trees—tall, strong, decades old—had been snapped in half. Only a stump remained. Friends told him, “You might as well dig it up. It’s done.” But he decided to leave it. Weeks passed… then months. One spring morning he walked outside and stopped in his tracks. Right on the side of that old stump, a tiny green shoot had broken through. It was small… but alive. It was fragile… but full of promise. What everyone said was finished was quietly growing again.

God works the same way. He sends hope to the places we thought were ruined. He causes new life to rise where we only saw loss. And just like that tiny green sprout, the Holy Branch reminds us that God is never finished writing our story.

As I close my brothers and sisters, just like a tree that bears leaves and fruit. They fall down to the ground, and when they fall to the ground the seed which is now dead is mixed with the soil (Word of God). These dead seeds begin to take root and live again. This sounds just like my LORD and Saviour. When He died out on the cross, and they buried Him in the grave. And early that Sunday Morning He rose from that grave with all Power. And because He lives, I can face tomorrow. I have Hope in a Holy Branch.

Song

Lyrics

God sent his son, they called him Jesus He came to love, heal and forgive He lived and died to buy my pardon An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living just because He lives

How sweet to hold a newborn baby And feel the pride and the joy He gives But greater still the calm assurance This child can face uncertain days because He lives

And then one day, I'll cross that river I'll fight life's final war with pain And then as death gives way to victory I'll see the lights of glory, and I'll know He lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living just because He lives

Because He lives Because He lives

Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: Gloria Gaither / William J. Gaither