Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day fourteen of our journey and our symbol is the Stump.
I enjoy outdoor flowering trees and plants. God must enjoy them too, because He created seed-bearing plants and trees with seed-bearing fruit on the third day and saw it was good! Colorful trees and plants add so much to the beauty of God’s world. Most of the time, I am successful in providing an environment for the plants around our home to thrive. Yet, some places in the yard are just not conducive in providing the needed oxygen, water, or soil nutrients to the roots of plants.
If a plant does not look good at the surface level, I know there is a problem at the root level. The root system is the cornerstone of plant function and occupies more space than the plant it grows and supports. Taproot systems are those with many smaller roots branching off a single, main root. Diffuse or fibrous root systems [absent of a taproot] are made up of many thin roots which draw from even thinner and smaller roots. Certainly, both of these root systems are a part of physical plant growth, but also share a spiritual lesson for God’s created fruit-being family.
In our lesson today from the prophet Isaiah, Israel’s spiritual roots are being dominated and corrupted by diffuse sin; the spiritual soil is inadequate and faithfulness to God is lacking. Therefore, these unrighteous roots grow in all directions and begin to anchor themselves to the world; Israel cannot produce the righteous fruit God intended for His family. Unhealthy spiritual roots lead to unhealthy and fruitless lives. Israel’s sinful choice to turn from God caused their family tree to be cut down; their diffused roots took them all over the world.
Only a remnant of God’s covenant people stay anchored to the taproot of His love by allowing the roots of righteousness to spiritually sustain their lives. A once spiritually great nation was brought down to a religious Stump. Yet, our God is so faithful and Isaiah reminds us of the Truth; God made a Way. God had already planned for a Righteous Branch of Life to grow from this Stump of Jesse’s family; a Tree of Life to form a Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy without end. God is the only one who can grow life from dead things and He does that through a small Righteous Branch who unexpectedly comes in the form of a baby and grows into the Savior who dies on the tree for the world—Jesus.
Isaiah 11:1 NLT A Branch from David’s Line
1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch [from Jesse] bearing fruit from the old root.
Jeremiah 23:5 NLT
5
“For the time is coming,”
says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
Romans 15:4-13 NLT 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:
“For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing praises to your name.”
10 And in another place it is written,
“Rejoice with his people,
you Gentiles.”
11 And yet again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.”
12 And in another place Isaiah said,
“The heir to David’s throne [root of Jesse] will come,
and he will rule over the Gentiles.
They will place their hope on him.”
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us understand the Righteous Branch of Life as it connects to the Stump of Jesse, David’s father. Jesus is our Taproot and Cornerstone, so Holy Spirit please keep us connected and thriving. Restore and revive our spiritual system of roots with your holiness and power so our lives bring glory to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.