AN ADVENT SERMON WITH SIX BRANCH TEXTS
Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1
Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33: 15
Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6: 12
Sermon by:
Rev. H.A. Bergsma
Published by the
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
OF THE
FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA.
(November 2003)
LITURGY:
Votum
Psalter 375
Law of God
Scripture Reading Zechariah 3
Text Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1;
Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 33:15;
Zechariah 3:18; Zechariah 6: 12
Psalter 30
Prayer
Offerings
Psalter 164
Sermon
Psalter 187
Prayer
Psalter 134
Benediction
Doxology: Psalter 413
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Congregation of the Lord,
During the Advent season it is good practice to look at some of the terms that the prophets of the
Old Testament have used for Jesus.
Such terms can be complete sermons all by themselves.
Such terms say something special about Jesus.
Such terms can help us obtain a better knowledge of Jesus, so that faith in Him may be born in
us, or so that such faith may be strengthened in us.
For instance, think of the term “Branch.”
This is a term that is used over and over again by some of the Old Testament prophets, and it has
something special, something wonderful to say about Jesus.
I hope to show you that this term “Branch” is a very fitting term for Jesus.
Now, it so happens that the Bible speaks of Jesus as the “Branch” on a number of occasions.
As such, I have chosen six Old Testament Bible texts that tell us something about Jesus the
Branch … two are from the prophet Isaiah; two from the prophet Jeremiah; and two from the
prophet Zechariah.
I ask your attention for the message by this theme …
AN ADVENT SERMON WITH SIX BRANCH TEXTS
1. Growing Branch
2. Serving Branch
3. Building Branch
4. Righteous Branch
5. Beautiful Branch
6. Glorious Branch
Let us, under the heading of …
Growing Branch, consider our first Old Testament text …
In Isaiah 11:1, we are told … “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
Branch shall grow out of his roots.”
This tells us already that the term “Branch” here speaks of a very peculiar branch.
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We are not talking about any old branch on any old tree.
No, we are talking here about a very special type of branch that is just at the beginning stages of
becoming a tree.
Such a branch could therefore also be called a “Shoot” a “Sprout” a “Twig” or a “Rod.”
Why? Because it refers specifically to a single, new growth, coming out of a stump of a cutdown tree.
Now, Jesus is such a Branch because He has come forth like a rod out of the stem of Jesse.
This means that Jesus has come forth out of the family line of Jesse.
As you know, at one time the family line of Jesse could be likened to a large royal family-tree,
because this family line could once boast of such men as King David and King Solomon.
However, this large royal family-tree did not stay.
As a tree, this family line of Jesse was cut down to the ground, and all that remained eventually
was a stem, a stump.
That is, all that remained of the family line of Jesse were two poor people, living in Nazareth of
Galilee … two plain people, commoners, the one was named Joseph, and the other Mary.
As such, they were the stem of Jesse, and like a stump of a cut-down tree.
They were all that was left of Israel’s once illustrious royal line.
But what is the good news about this stump of a tree?
Well, it happened on a certain day, a day that we now commemorate as Christmas Day.
A rod came forth out of the stem of Jesse; a Branch grew out of its roots.
And this rod or Branch is Jesus!
Now, why is Jesus referred to as a Branch?
What is the reason for this?
What does it mean that Jesus is like a Branch growing out of the roots of a cut-down stump of a
tree?
It tells us that Jesus is of lowly beginnings, and of humanly impossible beginnings.
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As the Branch out of a stump, Jesus is the evidence of overcoming great odds; He is the evidence
of a new beginning, and of renewed life.
More over, particularly, as the Branch, Jesus holds the promise that He is there, not just for some
decoration, but as a functional and living Branch, producing, what a branch worthy of the name
Branch does best … produce and bear fruit.
Congregation! This is what we can say on the bases of our first “Branch” text … Jesus is like a
living and growing Branch, holding forth great promises.
Isn’t this already a beautiful thought that we can have about Jesus?
In Him are hidden great and wonderful promises.
This is what made the Apostle Paul say, many years later, as is recorded in 2 Corinthians 1:20
“For all the promises of God in him (Jesus) are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by
us.”
As a Branch, Jesus is the One with some great and wonderful promises.
And if you and I are to enjoy those Branch-promises, you and I will have to put our faith and
trust in Him.
This takes me to my second text under the heading of …
Serving Branch, as we listen to Zechariah 3:8 …
“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men
wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.”
Again, this text refers to Jesus as the Branch.
Here in this text, God Himself is speaking and telling Israel that He will bring forth His “Servant
the Branch.”
Jesus is therefore a Serving Branch.
Who is He serving?
He is first of all serving His Father in heaven … “My servant the Branch” says God.
Here, God’s Son is described as the Servant of God, not doing His own will, but doing the will of
His Father.
His arrival into the world, being born in a stable in Bethlehem, being wrapped in swaddling
clothes, being laid in a manger, was first and foremost according to the will of His Father.
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And although it was a humiliation for the Son of God and even, eventually, an agonizing
sacrifice for the Son of God, He obeyed the will of His Father readily and willingly.
We can hear Him say it at one point, with the words of Psalm 40 … “Lo I come … I delight to do
thy will, O my God!”
As such, Jesus is a Serving Branch, serving the will of His Father.
But Jesus is also, as a Serving Branch, being a Servant to His people and for the salvation of His
people.
When He came into the world, He came in the “form of a servant”, serving and administering
salvation to His people, that is, those who would believe on Him.
The most classic example of Jesus serving His people, is when He removed His cloak, wrapped a
towel around Him, and washed the feet of His disciples.
Dear people! Our Savior is a Serving Branch, doing the will of His Father, and serving us who
believe, with His wonderful salvation.
The salvation for which Jesus sacrificed Himself is not something we need to look for or hunt
down; it is offered to us by Jesus the Servant; and offered to us as it were on the platter of the
Gospel.
Do not reject, turn-down, or turn away from it; rather, receive it with humility and faith.
It is a gift of whom God calls, “My servant, the Branch.”
This takes me to my third text under the heading of …
Building Branch, as we listen to Zechariah 6:12 …
“And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose
name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the
LORD.”
Of course, one of the great accomplishments of Jesus has been to sacrifice Himself for the
redemption of sinners.
This sacrifice occurred when He offered Himself in the place of sinners, to be nailed on the cross
and die the death of crucifixion.
At the end of that sacrifice He could say of the sacrifice … “It is finished!”
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But one of His equally great accomplishments, and which is still an ongoing accomplishment, is
that of building the temple of the Lord.
This does not mean that Jesus is some sort of a construction worker or a carpenter or a bricklayer, but rather, that He is busy building a spiritual temple, that is … His Church.
As the Building Branch, Jesus is busy building the temple of the Lord, and He is doing this by
His Word and Holy Spirit.
He is busy doing so now, as His Word of the Gospel is being preached from the pulpits in
churches.
Jesus is the Building Branch, who uses people like you and me for the building and constructing
of the temple of the Lord.
All those who, upon reading or hearing His Word, repent of their sin and believe on the Lord,
become building blocks for this temple of the Lord.
And this temple, this Church of the Lord, is not a small building project, dear people!
It consists of believers from every tongue and tribe and culture and nation of this world.
It has, so to speak, building blocks of every sort of race and colour.
And year by year, decade by decade, century by century, Jesus the Building Branch, is adding
believers to the temple of the Lord.
One day, this temple-project will be completed, and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ will
shine forth in all her diversity of colour.
One day Jesus, the Building Branch will be able to say again … “It is finished!” and will be able
to look with pride and joy upon His work and declare … “Behold, it is very good!”
Jesus, the Building Branch.
This concept leads me to ask some personal questions.
Dear people! Are you part of His building project?
Are you part of the stock that is suitable for His building project?
What makes you suitable?
The sacrifice of Jesus; His body, and His blood.
And so I must ask you … Have you placed your faith in the sacrifice of Jesus?
Have you found, by faith, His body to be the necessary payment for your guilt, and His blood to
be the necessary cleanser of your sin?
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Have you placed your trust in Jesus’ saving work, and as such, become a living stone in the
temple which Jesus the Building Branch is currently building? (See 1 Peter 2:5)
Ponder those questions seriously and prayerfully, and do not rest till you can answer “Yes” to
them.
Well now, having heard something about the work of Jesus the Branch … of growing, of serving
and of building, let us go on for the remainder of our time to worship Jesus the Branch, by way
of our last three texts.
Which takes me to speak of …
Righteous Branch, according to two texts from the prophet Jeremiah …
Jeremiah 23:5 … “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a
righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in
the earth.”
Jeremiah 33:15 … “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to
grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.”
One of the things that should motivate us to worship Jesus the Branch is, that He is a Righteous
Branch or the Branch of Righteousness.
There is something about Jesus the Branch that cannot be found in any man.
He is perfectly honest and truthful; He will never deceive you.
He is perfectly just and fair; He will never act in self-interest.
He is perfectly straight-forward; He will never lead you astray.
There is not a grain of falsehood with Him.
Never was there any deceit or guile found in His mouth, as the Bible tells us.
Well now, this is what it means that He is righteous, and called in our text a Righteous Branch.
This should make it very compelling for you and me to place our trust in Him, doesn’t it?
We should have no objections or reservations about believing in Him.
There are no hidden costs involved; not even any fine print … Jesus is very “up-front” in what
He is all about, because He is a Righteous Branch
He is, as God declared the Branch of righteousness, and therefore let us believe in Him.
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That’s one way of worshipping Jesus the Branch.
But there is another way of worshipping Jesus the Branch.
This leads me to say something about Jesus being a …
Beautiful Branch, according to our next branch-text Isaiah 4:2 …
“In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth
shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.”
The branch of the Lord shall be beautiful! Imagine!
Again, this is in reference to Jesus; and Jesus is beautiful; most certainly in the eyes of the
believer.
All you need to do, to be convinced of this, is to read in your Bible the Song of Solomon.
Jesus is beautiful as the Son of God; He is beautiful as the Son of Man; He is beautiful as Savior,
beautiful as Redeemer, beautiful as Mediator.
Jesus is beautiful; no, not in the eyes of the world; when He was born, the world did not see
anything beautiful about Him.
But Joseph and Mary did; and the shepherds did; and the wise-men did; to them Jesus was
beautiful.
So is He to everyone who knows Him savingly … He is Beautiful!
And then it is only natural that those who consider Him beautiful would adore Him.
I believe that this particular consideration spawned the well-known Christmas song that ends
with … “O come let us adore Him!”
It is quite common in this world to adore that which is beautiful, even if it is just physical beauty;
beauty sparks adoration.
How much more should this be the case as we see the beauty of Jesus, because His beauty is not
only a physical beauty, but more so even a spiritual – a divine – beauty; Jesus is beautiful in
character and disposition, or as the bride of Solomon’s Song once expressed it, “He is altogether
lovely!” (The Song of Solomon 5:16)
Jesus is a Beautiful Branch, and adoration is another way of worshipping Him; in fact, praise is
our holy duty!
But there is yet another way of worshipping Jesus the Branch.
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And this leads me lastly to say something about Jesus being a …
Glorious Branch, again, according to Isaiah 4:2 …
“In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth
shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.”
The branch of the Lord shall be glorious!
This cannot mean anything else, dear people, but that Jesus is full of glory, that He exists in
glory, that He is surrounded with glory, and that this very glory radiates forth from Him.
The apostle Paul could once speak of “The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
No doubt, such glory was revealed already to the shepherds who came to the stable and looked in
the manger; they saw something of the glory of Jesus.
And do you know what they did when they had seen something of the glory of Jesus?
… They made known abroad what they had heard;
… And they returned to their work, “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had
heard and seen.” (Luke 2:20)
Dear people! This is the sort of worship we would want to be engaged in as we begin to
understand that Jesus is a Glorious Branch.
Then we too, will want to tell others about Him, and glorify and praise God for Him.
This is also one of the sorts of ways in which we may worship Jesus.
We worship Him for being a Glorious Branch, and we worship Him for His glory.
This is what made the angels sing above the fields of Ephratah … “Glory to God in the
Highest!”
Well now, it has been a rather different Advent message this time, in that we have considered the
ways in which Jesus has been declared The Branch.
Do you still know the six terms?
He is known as a Growing Branch … with promises;
… as a Serving Branch … with a wonderful offer;
… as a Building Branch … for our potential to grow;
… as a Righteous Branch … for placing our trust in, unreservedly;
… as a Beautiful Branch … for adoration and praise;
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… and as a Glorious Branch ... for proclaiming His glory abroad.
Six Branch texts; and they all speak of Jesus.
And they all speak of Jesus, because He worthy to have such attention.
We have drawn these six Branch-terms from six Old Testament Bible texts, spoken by Old
Testament prophets.
But in conclusion and by way of application, let us be taken into the New Testament for a
moment.
To John chapter 15.
There, Jesus Christ, the greatest of all Prophet speaks.
And He too has something to say about branches … “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that
abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do
nothing.”
Here is a wonderful development and progression, worthy all considerations.
Jesus, as Branch, has grown to full stature, and He calls Himself “The true vine”
And those attached to Him may now be called “branches.”
As He is, so may believers be.
And now Jesus says to all who have learned to believe in Him, the Branch, and who are now
branches in Him …
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be
done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
An Advent Word from the Branch to the branches
Or you could say …
… A spiritual Christmas card from Jesus to His people.
May God grant to each one of us a Blessed celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Branch.
Amen
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