The Righteous Branch - Part 3
Isaiah 11:3-4
01/03/2024
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide
disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his
mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall
kill the wicked. (ESV)
Isaiah continued his description of the Messiah, the One God
sent to redeem His people from sin and death.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He
shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide
disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness
he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the
meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with
the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips
he shall kill the wicked.
There are two things which stand out. First, Jesus delights
in respect, awe, reverence, and trust in His heavenly Father.
The fear of the Lord is not terror, but an acknowledgment that He
is our creator and the One who sustains us.
Second, as a judge, Jesus does not look at the external
evidence only. There is frequently an appearance of justice that
does not take into account the heart and soul of those involved.
This means, we will be surprised at some of the people we see in
heaven, and surprised at some of the people excluded. We see
actions, evidence of faith; our Lord sees the faith itself.
The Messiah seeks to help the poor, those with physical
needs, as well as those who are weak in spirit. His delight is
in saving all people from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
May our Lord grant us the strength of faith to trust in Him
for our redemption. Amen.Category: Moments of Meditation
Daily devotions as heard on KJOE 106.1 FM
The Righteous Branch — Part 2: 01/02/2024
The Righteous Branch - Part 2
Isaiah 11:2
01/02/2024
2 And 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
the fear of the Lord. (ESV)
This week, as we prepare for Epiphany, also known as the
``Gentiles' Christmas,'' the readings which we heard in the
Divine Service tell us about the identity of Jesus. We know that
Jesus, as truly human, was a descendant of King David, which
fulfilled several prophecies written half a millenia before His
birth.
Jesus is also the Son of God, as we are reminded in one of
the most famous verses in the Bible, ``For God so loved the world
that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life.''2
Isaiah wrote of the Messiah, Jesus, the promised Savior:
``And 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 the fear of the Lord.''
Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, being one with Him as
part of the Trinity. Therefore, Jesus had complete knowledge of
God, and understood all the mysteries of God. He was present at
creation and all things were made through Him. As a result, with
perfect understanding, with the creative power of God, Jesus as
true man lived perfectly according to God's law. Only as true
God could Jesus perfectly keep the law. Only as true man could
His keeping of the law redeem us from sin and death.
May our Lord grant us the grace to know, accept, and trust
in Jesus as the incarnate Son of God who has earned for us the
forgiveness of our sins. Amen.
____________________
2. John 3:16
The Righteous Branch – Part 1: 01/01/2024
The Righteous Branch - Part 1
Isaiah 11:1
01/01/2024
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of
Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear
fruit. (ESV)
Today is the eighth day of Christmas, the day the church
remembers that Jesus was circumcised and named according to the
ceremonial laws given by God to Moses. As Jesus shed His first
drops of blood on our behalf, He took upon Himself the guilt and
punishment of our sin. Even on the eighth day of His life, Jesus
was our Savior from eternal death.
Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet
Isaiah spoke of the Savior as coming from the family of Jesse,
King David's father. Even though the events which followed
Isaiah's prophecy seemed to show that King David's dynasty was
obliterated, there remained descendants of the King who were poor
and humble.
Isaiah wrote: ``There shall come forth a shoot from the
stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.''
Both Matthew and Luke show that Jesus was descended from David.
The angel Gabriel told the virgin Mary, ``And behold, you will
conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name
Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father
David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of
his kingdom there will be no end.''1
Happy New Year, the long-promised Savior is born and has
taken on your sins and mine. May our Lord grant you a blessed
new year, and may you grow in faith towards God. Amen.
____________________
1. Luke 2:31b-33 (ESV)