The Branch

Transcript

I just had a couple of comments brother brother Jim boyko suggested that I just give a brief outline of who I am because there's a lot of folks in stone probably don't have never heard of me and don't know who I am but I met brother Jim a few years ago at the Lakefield Bible school and recently we reconnected on a reading group that we hold in Ontario and Jim I think he suggested that I try the Stoughton class we were looking for something kind of like a refresh

uh so it was through my wife Roberta that I became acquainted with the hope of the Gospel over 60 years ago we live in Burlington Ontario we're members of the Mountain Grove Ecclesia

we have two children our daughter was friends with many years ago with brother Bob Eagles

and our son and daughter-in-law are friends of Matt and Amy Swift and personally we spent many enjoyable occasions visiting the New England area over the years so it's one of our favorite parts of the the world to go to and Roberta and I we really enjoy the class and have received encouragement through participation and we plan to continue to to be attending to the class so that's just a little bit of a background uh I don't have a criminal record or anything like that so

we're ready to go so this evening uh the topic is the branch and you can see on the screen the man whose name is the branch

so we want to investigate is who who was this man or who is this man and a study of the name reveals God's plan and purpose with his creation

uh God's purpose with the creation it's Understanding God's purpose builds our faith and gives us hope peace

and comfort

um there are three classes to this Jim asked me if I could do if I'd be willing to do some multiple classes so this was a series that I prepared a year or so ago so the first one is the branch and then uh the role of a branch and the third one will be the branch has the suffering servant

and so we're first we're going to uh

excuse me the and the third one is the body of the branch

so the first one we're going to look at this evening is the branch

there are two Hebrew words for the the word branch

the first one is SEMA uh and it means a sprouter to spring forward or spring forth and niser a descendant or to Bud

uh these words essentially convey the idea of of being a descendant

of of

so the branch uh I just got to move this if I can

so

just a bit of a background on the on on the branch the Hebrews and other Semitic peoples use the term the branch in order to show that a certain person belongs to or descends from a particular family line to give the same sense we might use the term Heir descended our seed like Hebrew English links to sentence and such phrases as a family tree of all the branched passages Isaiah 1 11 1 shows this usage the best as the context reveals the Messiah will descend from the line of Jesse look the the father of David

so Isaiah 1 11 1 and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse in a branch shall grow out of his roots

so the branch the word Branch here is uh nesser and it it is suggested of a descendant or a sprout

and the NIV kind of gives a little bit different um understanding a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse and from his roots a branch will bear fruit

so the

the descriptive words in the IV relate to a branch

and this fruit is to fill the Earth with God's glory through the work of the branch and I like the idea that it it brings out this idea that the branch will bear fruit because it more or less gives us an idea of the mission of the branch or the mission of the Messiah

if you look at Isaiah 4 and 2. but in that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious the fruit of the land will be the Pride and Glory of all who survive in Israel

and this is the word um Seema a sprout or a branch and we see it springing Fork from the from The Vedic tree

and the branch is undoubtedly the Messiah

so we move on to Psalm 132 and 1. there will there will I make the heart of David to Bud I have ordained a lamp for my anointed

I will make the bud I will make and the butt are the same Hebrew word which is Kieran

and are very close to meaning in the word branch

and I will make means to Spring forth and the horn indicates strength the strength of a man is revealed in his in his children

so the idea is to grow to to sprout or to Bud suggesting the branch as a future leader

the anointed applies to the Messiah

and the anointed excuse me they've already done that and the bud of David Wool but the branch of David will bud and grow in strength as king

so I have some new testament examples of of all this bits together Zacharias prophesied saying blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David so you can see how there's the connection this idea of raising up a horn or indicating power the raising up is the springing forth and of course it brings in the eye the concept of the davidic family

so to raise up cause to be born or to appear and sacrifices alluding to the birth of Jesus as a fulfillment of Psalm 132 that we looked at and then we have this indication in Revelation 5 and 5. weep not Behold The Lion the tribe of Judah the root of David has prevailed to open the book so we see that there's a in the New Testament there are connections leading us back to what was we we looked at in Isaiah

the root is to sprout to sheet that brings forth from a root and the metaphor suggesting Offspring or progeny

now there's a connection between the branch and the word uh Nazareth many scholars today think that the name Nazareth comes from the Hebrew word netzer

the branch which we looked at in Isaiah 1 11 and 1. in Matthew 23 and he came and dwelled in the city called Nazareth that he might be but that it might be fulfilled which is spoken of by the prophets he shall be called a Nazarene

this is the only reference to Jesus being a Nazarene not to be confused with a Nazarite

um NASA was a was a town of no significance it is only mentioned in the New Testament and it is the place where Jesus lived why mention it it must be that Matthew wants to make a connection between the branch and Nazareth

it is possible that Matthew was playing on the word Nazareth and the word Nisa or Nasser he is stating two conclusions that Jesus was from Nazareth and that Jesus is the nesser the promised Branch from the stock of Jesse and of the Senate of David the promised anointed king

so we move on to John uh 1 45 and 46 . Philip from Nathanael and told him we have found the one Moses wrote about in the law and about whom the prophets also wrote Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph Nazareth can anything good come from there Nathaniel s come and see Philip

so Nazareth is referred to as the town of the branch and Nazareth is inhabited a Nazarene is an inhabitant of Nazareth

suggesting that Jesus is the branch

there is another um suggestion or another example when Jesus encounters a blind man this is in Luke 18 3 5-39 Jesus was nigh unto Jericho and a certain blind man Sat by the wayside begging and hearing the bullet had passed by he asked what it meant and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth passes by

notice the man's response and he cried saying Jesus the son of David have mercy on me and they rebuked him that he should hold his peace but he cried so much the more though son of David have mercy on me

But Blind Man's determination shows his confidence in the power and compassion of Jesus that hit this heir to David's Throne would heal him

was his faith based on the connection he made between the name Nazareth the branch town with the great Messianic prophecy above the branch out of the snap of Jesse and I guess we have the question I have but don't necessarily have an answer to was was this a commonly held understanding because it's interesting that they said as Jesus of Nazareth and he and he invoked the name the son of David so it shows that he has some understanding that that was somehow connected

in any event his words were were a great confession of faith and show that he had some some understanding

so in order to consider some prophetic references to both the branch and how they intersect with Israel some have a dual fulfillment

Isaiah 7 14 therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel

Emmanuel God With Us a promise of God's protection both physically and spiritually

suggesting that the branch will have will fulfill the mercy promised to the fathers

Isaiah 40 1 2 Comfort Comfort my people said your your God speak tenderly to Jerusalem tell her her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned

Comfort e also means to repent and it is if you check it's translated 41 times as repent

so comfort and consolation will only come after Israel's

repentance

and this of course is by God's compassion God Is providing an opportunity of restoration at the appearance of the branch

one thing that is common in all the prophets is God's condemnation of Israel's failure followed by his offer of Hope and restoration you quite often see those two things uh coupled together

and then Isaiah 1 18 to 20 come now and let us reason together saith the Lord through your sin though your sins be as scared of thee shall be as white as snow though they'd be rigged like Crimson they shall be as wool if he'd be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land but if you refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured with the sword for the wealth of the Lord has spoken it and so only through repentance can we have hope this applies to us of course but in in particular it applies to Israel

Isaiah 4 and 2 in that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the land will be the Pride and Glory of the survivors of Israel in that day as a phrase of significance used 50 times just in Isaiah it is a day that foretells of an event that is beautiful and glorious in the eyes of God

Isaiah 60 21 by people also shall be righteous and they shall inherit the land forever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified and that's the expectation of in that day this is what we hope to see and and God in his purpose and plan will make that happen

so we asked the question how will the how will he be beautiful and glorious

the fruit of the land it anticipates an unequal prop of prosperity in the Kingdom

survivors of Israel are praised for telling the amazing rebuilding and deliverance of Israel

the welfare of the nation of Israel is dependent on the work of the Messiah the branch until the coming of the Kingdom

foreign

quotation from

Jeremiah 23 verses 1 and 2. the Lord says the leaders of my people are are sure to be judged they were supposed to watch over my people like Shepherds watch over their sheep but they are causing my people to be destroyed and Scattered so the Lord God of Israel has this to say about the leaders who are ruling the over his people you have caused my people to be dispersed and have driven them into Exile you have not taken care of them so I will punish you for the evil that you have done I the Lord affirm it

so a judgment here is referring to the Captivity in Babylon and then later because there was no improvement in the behavior of those people the dispersion of the Jews in A.D 70. Isaiah presents a picture of a nation in crisis the Kings and Priests are frail mortal men and the subjects are rebellious Israel has failed to serve God in a righteous manner

so Isaiah 104 all what a sinful Nation they are loaded down with a burden of guilt they are evil people corrupt children who are projected the Lord they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs

on him

this is the unfortunate history of the children of Israel although chosen Jews are no different than other people they suffer for the effects they suffer from the effects of a fleshly Nation and we know that nothing has really changed since

870 I'm sure there are some Jews that would be considered righteous but I think the mainstream is probably I've heard uh Tel Aviv uh described as being like in Las Vegas so it gives you an idea of what goes on

uh but God is willing to re relieve this burden of guilt

he says in Jeremiah 23 3 and 5 then I myself will gather those of my people who are still alive from all the countries where I have driven them and I'll bring them back to their Homeland I the Lord promised that a new time will will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous Branch a descendant of David and he will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right

in the land

so we have this promise of restoration which we have witnessed in the re-establishment of the nation of Israel and now we await the full restoration and we await the king as Believers of the Gospel of the Kingdom we can rejoice in the sheer and certain hope of its restitution we have this assurance and the inspired words of Isaiah 26 one of the bar in that day you shall the song Be Sung in the land and Judah we have a strong City Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks open you the gates that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in

that will keep him in perfect peace whose mind has stayed on thee because he trusts in the trustee in the Lord forever for the Lord Jehovah is Everlasting strength

and

this is what God's expectation is for his people but it's a powerful exhortation for us as well that that we try to weave these principles into our lives as we wait the second coming of the branch and we see here that Jehovah is the enduring protector

is what he promises he will fulfill without question

this is the Hope for all who place their confidence in the branch who will be king

and there is there had to be preparation for the davidic Covenant to be fulfilled

the same uh probably Isaiah 43 a voice of one crime in the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord make straight in the desert away for our God

when a king of the East proposed to tour in his Dominion he sent a courier before them to tell the people to prepare the roads so John the Baptist is regarded as The Courier of the branch who would be king to proclaim the king is coming

repair not your your roads but your hearts and your faith and repent this was John's message

Hearts full of faith and repentance and a reception receptiveness to the branch

going a step further in the New Testament inquiry come to the birth of Christ and we will consider the following incident

Matthew 3 1-2 in those days came

John the Baptist preaching

in the wilderness of Judea and say repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is of hand

the kingdom in Greek means uh royal power or king shepherd

not to be confused with an actual Kingdom but rather the authority to rule over a kingdom and I think this was the message that John was bringing to the people that they should prepare themselves for the for the the appearance of the branch who eventually would be king

used in the New Testament to refer to the reign of the Messiah

so John is heralding the coming of the branch the Future King

John 8 12 a verse we're all familiar with when Jesus spoke again to the people he said I am the light of the world whosoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life

Isaiah gives us a sample of the teachings of the branch the light that he would bring and Isaiah chapter 2 we read these verses beginning of verse two and it should come to pass in the last days of the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and All Nations shall flow onto it and many people shall go and say Come Ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the god of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his path for art of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem so we're just gonna briefly desect this uh this verse or these verses his pass would be moral instruction his law would be righteous Behavior his word from Jerusalem would be the coming of peace and this is what God desires for Israel and for all people

and let's start again a strong exhortation for us to Endeavor to Aspire to these to these teachings of the branch

in theory this is what should have inspired the Wayward Nation but it did not and Jesus was rejected by the people he came to save

a little bit ahead of myself here

so on John 1 and 11 this is his own received him not

in Isaiah 53 says

verse 2 for he grew up before him like a young plant like a root out of dry ground again you can see the illusion to the idea of the branch in the wording of that verse and he was despised and rejected a man a man of Sorrows so this verse sort of uh is fitting when we read in John that he would they received him not that it was a rejection of the branch

and Jesus makes some unusual stays statements causing his followers to cause question his authenticity in John 6. he says uh Jesus said again I tell you the truth unless you eat the fleship of the son of man and drink his blood he cannot have eternal life I am the true bread that came down from heaven anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did

many of his disciples said this is very hard to understand how can anybody accept them

and verse 61 they say does this offend you

and of course this resulted in rejection verse 66 at this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him

this was the leading question Jesus knew those who were offended would leave him giving them the opportunity some went to the Pharisees betraying Jesus and told them what he had done John 11 [Music]

verse 47 and so the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said what are we to do for this man performs many signs

48. if we let him go

on like this everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place

and our nation you know you notice the uricancy here that they they really were concerned with their position and the wealth that it brought them

50. it is better for you that one man should die for the people not the whole nation should perish

and 53 so from that day on they made plans to put him to death

and so

I'm just going to now look at a a brief chronology uh showing

what led up to Jesus being sacrificed Luke 30 23-32 and they began to accuse him saying we found this fellow perverting the nation and for beginning to give tribute to Caesar saying that he have solved this this Christ a king

John 6 15. and when Jesus therefore received that he would come and take him by force to make him King he'd be part of the king into among himself alone

in Matthew 27-1 and when the morning was come all the chief priests and Elders of the people took counsel against Jesus

to put him to death

and when they had come to the place which is called Calvary there are they crucified him and the male factors one on the right and in the other on the left then said Jesus father forgive them for they know not what they do and they parted his agreement and cast lots

Zechariah 12 and 10. I wrote Pearl on the kingship of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of Grace and Suffocation so that they will look to me the one they have pierced they will lament for him as one laments for an only son and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn

together uh in the authorized version you notice it's from The Net Bible it would it says they will look on me but I think it's more accurately portrayed here they will look to me the emphasis then is not on looking on or at but looking to the Messiah in faith when the branch will restore the kingdom and take his rightful place as King on the throne of David in Psalm 89 David meditated on God's covenant made with him reading of the psalm at your leisure is very profitable but we only can we can only look at a few verses

um

you know

in verse 27 of Psalm 89 it says also I'll make him my first one higher than the kings of all the Earth my Mercy will I keep for him forever and my Covenant shall stand fast

with him

the verse 27 I believe refers to the branch

and we see in verses 46 and 47 this citation oh Lord how long will this go on will you hide yourself forever remember now

how short my life is and how empty and futile is this human existence existence

he asked a question how long before this is fulfilled my life is short I will experience this coming well I experience is coming in my lifetime

is a question we should all be concerned with

but not discouraged by scripture assures us

along a way that promise will be fulfilled enough I should have mentioned that I think this is David speaking here and he it's he is referencing making a reference to the branch and he asked the question how long will this go on and will you hide yourself forever and so he was longing for the Fulfillment of the davidic Covenant and that and that he would sometimes experience the the appearance of the branch and of course we know that that cannot happen until the resurrection

so I'll mark 13 and 32 says however no one knows the day or they are when these things will happen not even the angels in heaven are the son himself only the father knows

and I think when we think about this brothers and sisters this this is It's comforting to know that we don't know everything we only know what we know and we have to be patient and we have to be faithful as we await the appearing of the branch so delays are not defeats but there are opportunities there are opportunities for us to to serve in a in a in a faithful manner

uh

supporting one another and encouraging one another to maintain

a steady path to the kingdom

foreign discouragement is alleviated by our personal faith

Paul cites the resurrection of Jesus as proof that the covenant made with David is valid and will be fulfilled

and this is this is the

the building up of our personal faith when we understand and appreciate this

acts 13 verses 32 to 35. and we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers he is for he has fulfilled To Us by reason raising Jesus as also it is written in the second Psalm you are my son today I have begotten you and as for the fact that he raised him from the dead no more to return to corruption he is spoken in this way I will give you thee that I will give you the holy and sure blessing of David therefore he said also in another Psalm he will not let your Holy One see corruption it's a powerful statement and one that validates our faith in God in his son and in the coming of the Kingdom that he has promised when Jeremiah 23 5-6 behold the day comes 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 in this in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is my name and this is his name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness

uh it's a powerful witness that all the things that Israel has been through God still promises to save them and that Jerusalem will draw safely

this is obviously a Latter-Day prophecy and we just move forward and Jeremiah chapter 33 verse 17. this is what the Lord says David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel

forever

uh like the two

The Logical Fork from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem this is what we all hope for this is you know we just have to uh

bring this to mind when we listen to the news each evening you know this is a wonderful promise that there will be righteousness and peace emanating from Jerusalem

our righteous rule will be enforced under the direction of the branch

God's promises will be fulfilled in Jeremiah 33 20 21 thus saith the Lord if you can break my Covenant with a day and my Covenant with the night so that day and night will not come into their appointed time then also my Covenant with David my servant may be broken so that that he shall not have a son to Reign on his throne and we know that this is impossible that you know we we go to bed each night and we wake up to the sunshine in the morning and so we know that the the davidic Covenant is sure and fast and hopefully will eventually soon to be fulfilled

although there is no King on the throne of David for

excuse me although there has been no King on the throne of David for approximately 2500 years the promise to David has never changed the coming of the branch will fulfill the requirement of the Covenant and this is assured in these verses that we just read in Jeremiah 33 20. and 21. in second Peter 1-19 it says so we have the prophetic word confirmed which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day Dawns and the morning star rise in your heart

Jesus is the light that shines in this in in this darkened World The Morning Star which prophecy has concerned now is the time to prepare ourselves for his appearing

and just to close off Isaiah 12 and 2 behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord God is my strength and song and he has become my salvation

Transcript

um tonight we're going to talk about the servant branch

and in the previous class we established that Jesus the son of God The Offspring of David is the branch

and

in Zachariah we had this promise

or prophecy whatever you wish soon I'm going to bring my servant the branch

and the Messiah as the servant is the suffering servant and we have this promise that Zechariah has given us and it was the promise was actually fulfilled at the first appearance of of the Lord Jesus and the branch was which established the source of Our Hope and we will see

in as we go on that the completion of our hope is at the second appearing of the branch

uh in this class we will be considering Messiah the servant and we have a little bit more detail here in Zechariah 3 8. listen high priest Joshua you and your associate seated before you who are some who are men symbolic of things to come soon I'm going to bring my servant the branch

and it's not my intention to to dwell on the historical background of Zechariah but I'll just share a few comments to with you to sort of set the the background of the stage

uh it is in the period which deals with the return from Exile under Ezra and Nehemiah and the Miracle of deliverance from Exile shows that by the grace of God Joshua and his priests are absolved from their farmer behavior and are accepted Again by God

he mentions that these are men symbolic of things to come this points beyond the deliverance from exile to a greater Act of Grace by God which is still in the future and in verse 10 of this chapter it says in that day says the Lord everyone will invite his friend to Fellowship under his Vine and under his fig tree

this has an echo uh to Micah far and I believe it's in the Kingdom age that Michael 4 1 and 4 in the last days it shall come to pass they shall set every man under his Vine and under his fig tree and None Shall make him afraid

this will be accomplished by the servant branch in the age to come

in chapter 3 Zechariah experienced Visions it is a vision of Joshua the high priest and his companions as typical men

Joshua Joshua's name means Jehovah is salvation which suggests a parallel between Joshua

and Jesus in the vision Joshua represents Jesus and Joshua's companions represent Jesus's companions those who have responded to his calling

this is seen in the words you and your associate see it before you who are men and symbolic of things to come soon I'm going to bring my servant the branch and when we see all of those factors put together it's given the picture of the coming of Jesus the work that he will do and the work that he will uh eventually accomplish completely at his coming

uh soon and we just take a look here at Isaiah 429 and I think it kind of gives us a picture similar to what

zachariah's promise behold the former things have come to pass and new things I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them that's from Isaiah 42 9. Messiah the server Branch came into the world to do his father's will to redeem and to restore Israel to God's intended purpose and to be a light to the Gentiles

so the former things I think are referring to the exile

and and the return

and the springing forth is the root word for the branch

and we and we did look at that in the last class

uh new things is the springing forth of the branch and his accomplishments

and then in Zechariah 3 and 8 we said try to bring it back together all you are a symbol of that I am about to introduce my servant the branch all of these things that transpire

are leading up to the appearing of the branch

and the all here is referring to Joshua and his companions

and this is um zechariah's vision is symbolic of the branch in the future

now and these this these are ideas of of Jesus

um coming and with his associates is confirmed by scripture if you look at we look at revelation

um verse 5 we've not Behold The Lion of the tribe of Judah the root or the branch of of David has prevailed

and in verse 10 it says that and they have let's see if I can move that

sorry and they have made us a kingdom of priests to our God and we shall reign

on the Earth

what the heck

I think a bit of difficulty here it doesn't want to advance

I think I'm froze can anybody hear me

yeah why don't you why don't you stop the program and restart it see see if that works

okay

it's okay

okay now find your slide that you

yeah I'll just um yeah I just started from there and just click through now I just have to uh open the presentation

sounds good

okay well okay now we're

okay

so just to kind of recap

we're dealing here with the the promise in in the Revelation and it says that Jesus has prevailed and that uh there is a kingdom of priests and

these are pretty are the symbolic of the of the things to come I'm trying to relate this back to what Zechariah promised

and the King James version uh has that made him a kingdom or made us King God no excuse me has made us unto God Kings and Priests but I think the the

um

quotation that I have on in verse 10 a kingdom of priests is a better rendering than uh Kings and Priests and the reason for that there is only one king and that is the branch

and the branch will unite the office of King and Priests with his colleagues when the kingdom age is established now this is just as Zachariah had predicted to Prevail and bring about this new order the branch must complete his work as the suffering servant this is the focus of this class so now we want to look at the the concept of the branch as the suffering servant and we're just going to um sort of do a paraphrase through Philippians 7 to 11. and for chapter two

they um took upon him the form of a servant which is established that he's a servant and became obedient unto death and illustrating his suffering and God also had highly exalted him and the name of Jesus every knee should bow

and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the father

so we see from looking at these uh various quotations it it establishes that Jesus is the branch that he is the servant branch and that there are in his future uh

um suffering that he'll have to endure them Jesus in his role as a suffering servant had to have an unyielding disposition

to endure onto the end of his ministry this dedication and flint-like determination is evident in the words first

recorded about Jesus

from Luke 2 49 and 52 and he said to them why is it that you have sought me did ye not know that I ought to be occupied in my father's business and Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature and favor with God and with man

so this determination that we see here even at a young age is uh prophesied by his eye Isaiah and

um 42 and 3. yes

sorry I had a bar that I can't read what's on the screen so verse three and four we want to look at in fullness he will in faithfulness he will bring forth Justice he will not father father falter or be discouraged till he establishes Justice on Earth in his teaching the aisles will put their hope in him

again we'll just I'll just read verse 3 again and faithfulness he will bring forth Justice he will not follow her or be discouraged he will

until he established Justice on the earth in his teaching to the Isles put their hope in him

and then Isaiah 50 verse 7 and the Lord had helps me therefore I have been I have not been disgraced I have set my face like Flint or determination and I know that I shall not be put to shame or to failure

but again we see this quotation here I've set my face like Flint suggesting Supreme hardness

even in the face of death he did not falter he was Victorious to the end and this quotation from Luke 9 and 51 and it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem

and so to be received up suggests that he said his his course toward Jerusalem knowing that in the end he faced the cross

and so you can see from from the this outline that

right from an early age Jesus had the determination could do his father's will and to not fail even in the face of death

so sort of having established I would take a look now at the background on on a few quotations on on the servant in Isaiah and we're going to be looking at Israel as a servant and then the branch as a servant the prophecies relating to God's servant found in Isaiah chapters 41-53 in this section the national servant Israel is compared with the individual servant the Messiah branch

much to this to this credit of the farmer God called Israel as the national servant to an honorable position of service but they despise the privilege and failed miserably much to their shame for this they are sharply rebuked and see this in Isaiah 42 17-20 those who trust in Idols will turn back and be utterly humiliated and those who say to metal images you are Gods listen you deaf ones take notice you blind ones my servant is truly blind My Messenger is truly deaf my Covenant partner the servant of the Lord is truly blind you see many things but you don't comprehend their ears are open but they do not hear so it's a it's a description of the

failure of Israel to take the role of a servant and be a witness to God

Israel is described as totally blind and deaf to the Commandments

of God in this regard there is a comparison drawn between the national servant Israel and the Israel and the individual servant the Messiah

it was have a look at Isaiah 50 verse 5. the Lord God has opened my ear and I was not rebellious nor did I turn away and again again is an excellent example or description of the of the Messiah or the the branch servant

this is the obedient response of Messiah and compared to what we just read about Israel

in Psalm 46 and 8. sacrifice and offering though did is not desire my ears has thou opened burnt offering and sin offering has thou not required I Delight to do thy will o God day thy law is within my heart

so the opening of the year is a symbol of the dedicated slave servant who Delights to do the will of his master the national servant Israel was to be God's obedient witness to the Nations and unfortunately they failed God's individual servant the branch would accomplish with Israel could not the work of the suffering servant would usher in the Redemption of mankind and prepare the Earth for the coming Kingdom thus fulfilling the desire of his father so God says to Israel behold my servant an indication of a change of emphasis or a change in in the style of of service

and so now when we enter in here in verse 41. he's now talking about the servant branch behold my servant whom I uphold my elect in whom I sold Delights I have put my spirit upon him and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles

the word behold suggests Wonder ah and importance

behold to contemplate a person especially remarkable or an impressive one you pay attention to that person or to observe that person in this case a servant which would be God's servant

it is not a coincidence that in chapter 41 behold occurs six times drawing attention to Israel's failure and the seventh occurrence is in chapter 42 1. this is the number of completion indicating Divine Perfection has been achieved with with greatness to follow in the work of the branch

just look at Isaiah 42 1 and a different uh in the NIV behold my servant whom I uphold my elect and whom I sold the lights I have put my spirit upon him and he will bring forth judgment to the Gentiles

and just sort of uh break this verse down my elect is the chosen of God a special ideal servant

one who accomplishes God's purpose by bringing Justice to the Gentiles and eventually to Israel

in whom I sold the lights this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him these are the words that are out of that the Transfiguration

and this requires our righteous servant and God could not Delight in one who was unrighteous and we we've seen from the brief description that we've we've talked about that the unrighteousness of Israel would be unacceptable to God

Isaiah continues his description of the servant's work in Isaiah 42 and 6. by the Lord have called you to demonstrate my righteousness I will take you by the hand and guard you and I will give you to My People Israel as a symbol of my faithful Covenant with them and you will be a light to guide the Gentiles and and you can see the two aspects of the Gospel there that uh

the the branch is going to be a symbol to the of the faithful Covenant that was made with Israel and that he will be a light to guide the Gentiles

Isaiah 49 5 and 6. though Israel did not gather yet shall I

shall I Emmanuel be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength

for you have for you to be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the the preservative Israel and I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the Earth and again we see this idea of foreshadowing of the Gospel the preaching of the gospel and the in the gospel being fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ and all men and women who

talk to him in in truth will be incorporated into that glorious time

so this was the primary work of the sermon Branch to fulfill the covenants God had made with Israel and to bring the light of salvation to the Gentiles

Israel continued in Disobedience to God and but God continues to offer Grace

to them that they have this reassurance in the in these verses that we're going to look at now Isaiah 51 1-2 and then verse 11. listen to me you who pursue righteousness who seek the Lord look to the Rock which is Christ look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who gave you birth when I called him he was only one man and I blessed him and made him many therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto zion an everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads and they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away

so the suffering servant is the focus of Israel's hope

he is the assurance that God has not forsaken him the rock the servant of the Lord will restore Israel from their waywardness through instruction and correction and I was reminded of this verse that the Lord is not slack concerning his promises and I think it's an interesting thing when you look at most of the prophetic writings when when Israel is being chastised those chapters always end with God reassuring Israel that not always is lost if they repent he will remember his Covenant to them

and I think that's a very reassuring thing for us that that even though we at times falter and fail in the way we have the Assurance through God's grace that we can be forgiven and that not all is lost God's grace is extended to all who associate themselves with his Covenant of John 4 and 34 Jesus said to him onto them my meat or my energy is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work

to fulfill the will of the father and accomplish the father's work would not be without pain and suffering leading to the sacrificial death of this obedient servant

and we will discover this in Isaiah 53. but before we do here's a sample of the hardships in his role as the suffering servant

verse uh

put in Isaiah 50 verse 6. I offered my back to those who attacked my jaws to those who tore out my bread I did not hide my face from insults and from spitting

Mark 10 and 34 and they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and severely kill him

Jesus would endure the these hardships because he finds his strength in his father's promise he was able to go through this and he was able to do the father's will because he knew that eventually the father would fulfill the promises that he had made

yet after three days he will rise again and of course this was the greatest promise that was offered to him his strength and resilience was rooted in the resurrection from the dead and we see this in Psalm 16 verses 8 to 11. I have set the lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices my body also shall rest secure because you will not abandon me to the to the realm of death nor will you let your faithful one see Decay you will show me the path of life and in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore

what a marvelous promise that Jesus had to sustain him as he hung on the cross and sure he

thought about the psalm and took great comfort in it and it's something that we we can take comfort in because we know that we are in line for the same promises that was made made to Jesus the same are made to those that are faithful to to the heavenly father

so now take a a look at Isaiah 53 we're just going to make a few brief comments in each verse

it is illustrative of the Suffering The servant Branch endures on behalf of us hopefully it will give us a better understanding of his suffering and a greater appreciation

of what he accomplished for us

it was a life devoted to compassion and mercy culminating in a voluntary death by his father's Grace the branch Rose to everlasting life

so the suffering servant in Isaiah 53 and 1. who has believed our message into whom has the arm of the Lord being revealed

column

quoting in Romans 10 16 said they have not all obeyed the gospel and so in some respects it must have been a letdown for Jesus to realize that not everybody accepted

his words it would be but it would be the filth faithful those who respond to the message

what was the message

now Isaiah 50 to

seven and ten how beautiful are the feet of him who brings good news who proclaims peace who brings Glad Tidings of good things who Proclaim salvation who's his design your god reigns

the Lord has made bear his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the Earth shall see the salvation of God

to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed

the arm of the Lord is a metaphor of a military power the large Warrior servant must fight a different battle the battle the enemy of sin and of human nature

this was the role of the servant branch that he would battle the enemy of sin and overcome his nature

but briefly consider some of the daily obstacles Jesus experiencing in Isaiah 53 and 2 for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as I wrote out of dry ground he has no farm farm or comeliness but we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him

we see the some examples so

if one in Luke 52 and 52 and Jesus increased in wisdom and in favor with God and we we already looked at that but I just want to add the thought that it was in the real world

you know um Jesus lived in a world that we live in the we're the things that we are subjected to every day the trials the challenges and in in his strength and determination was able to overcome them in his growing up as the servant Branch um he will be like a plant growing out of a dry land wispy struggling fighting for life not growing in the surroundings of wealth and opulence but in surroundings where life is hard everything must be worked for therefore he will be struggling to survive physically and spiritually

um Isaiah 11 and 1 and there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots

being despised Jesus was and he was rejected he had no kingly bearingly David who had a healthy handsome appearance no one would admire his outward appearance there will be nothing of beauty to attract them to him

in fact he was the son of a carpenter complete with bristers and Harden hands surely this cannot be the Messiah

and they had this sort of a derogatory remark others said this is the Christ but some said shall Christ come out of Galilean

echoing nathanael's words can anything good come from Nazareth Galilee a place of law esteem

Jesus was a man who through Labor and persecution at age prematurely John 8 57 they said then then said the Jews unto him Thou Art not yet 50 years old and has thou seen Abraham an indication of how worn and weathered he was from the work that he had performed and so he

like every man and woman struggling in this world to do the best that he could

Isaiah 53-3 he is despised and rejected of man A Man of Sorrows and acquainted with greed and we had as it were our face from him and he was despised and we esteemed him not

it was a transient existence but he had no not a place to lay his head he was opposed and Mel and menaced Psalm 4 Luke 4 29 they thrust him out of the city and led him onto the brow at the hill that anyway cast him down headlong

he suffered the indifference of his family or even his brothers believed him not he often worked himself into exhaustion

suddenly a pure storm struck the lake with waves breaking into the boat but Jesus was sleeping

and he he will grieve at the hardness of men's hearts

and he sight deeply in his spirit and said wiped out this generation seek after a sign apparently I say unto you there shall be no sign given unto this generation

so the word here acquainted means to know by experience and we can see from these these quotations that we've just gone through that he experienced all of these things the you know translating existence being menaced in the uh the indifference of his family exhaustion and the hardness of men's hearts

but he learned obedience by the things which he suffered and it's a wonderful example for us you know sometimes we bellyache about things that we have to put up with but we have to endure nothing like the Lord Jesus Christ endured

on our behalf

from his personal experience he developed compassion for my own kind and Isaiah 53 and 4 he is born our griefs

um thank you

when Jesus saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever he touched her hand and the fever left her one evening came many who were demon-possessed were brought to him and he drove out the spirits of the word and healed the sick you know it's a wonderful illustration of his compassion for his for his men for mankind

and

when you look at that you can see why he was exhausted half the time because he was just besieged by by crowds and masses of people looking for his help

he had to deal with the pressure of the crowds who followed him this was to fulfill what was spoken to the prophet Isaiah he took up our infirmities and bar our diseases diseases he died for the sins of man because this was the greatest disease that mankind suffered from foreign

we did esteem of stricken smitten of God and afflicted

to remove the effect of sin and to save others he had to endure sorrow unto death

the servant of God suffers for the sins of others and it's mentioned 12 times in the in this the third chapter and I'm not going to over the verses but you'll find them there 12 of them mentioning this Johnny and 40 but now you seek to kill me a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God

Afflicted a state of humiliation and mental anguish at the hands of evil men who believe Jesus should suffer because he was especially sinful

you know they they considered him to be the greatest sinner on Earth and they were willing to put him to death for the

Isaiah 53 and 5 but he was wounded for our transgressions and he was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed

notice the the the verbs that are used here wounded bruised

chastised and encouraged

as we read these words it becomes clear that Jesus excuse me clear that God's servant would bear the sins of the world through suffering both physically and mentally it is the ultimate in punishment and he was very much a Living Sacrifice

Romans 8 1-2 there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus for the law of sin and death in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death

we are the direct beneficiaries of his suffering of this ultimate punishment and this Living Sacrifice that he be had he performed

on our behalf

and as we meditate on these words it should truly fill us with awe and with appreciation

he healed many from the sickness of sin

Isaiah 53 6 we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all

Prophet Zechariah said in 13-7 Smite the shepherd and the Sheep shall be scattered

you think about the the masses of people that followed Jesus but on the end they all evaporated they all left him and followed him no more

and on the night of Jesus's arrest he warned the disciples that that they would flee as well when threatened and we see this in Matthew 26 31 and 56. then Jesus told them this very night it will all fall away on account of me bird is written I will strike the shepherd and the Sheep

how the flock will be scattered in verse 56. than all the disciples forsook him and fled that must have been a heartbreaking moment even though he knew it was coming

first Peter 2 25. for you were like sheep going the street but now you have returned to the shepherd and and the overseer

of your souls

even the apostles were weak and fearful as strange sheep and in the time of their testing but now at this point in history where Peter's writing that they had now returned to their master we need Jesus in our lives for consoling and strengthening and we need to return him to him when we need him let us take heart in times of trial and failures and return to the shepherd of our sheep for healing for strength and for encouragement

a fuller expectation is now given on how the servant would suffer Messiah faced depression from the authorities and was treated cruelly by them yet he was not humiliate himself before them neither did he complain by speaking or asking for mercy

Isaiah 57 53-7 he was oppressed and treated Percy yet he never said a word he was led like a lamb to the slaughter but a sheep is silent before the shears he did not open his mouth

before the Sanhedrin and when he was accused of the chief priests and the elders he answered nothing before Herod Herod asked Jesus question after question but Jesus refused to answer before Pilate pilate entered his headquarters and again said to Jesus where are you from but Jesus gave him no answer

Jesus was on trial being silent was a most amazing Act of resistance he was beset by evil men intent on doing him harm and Jesus was not powerless he could have shouted down their false accusations he could have used his power to hurt them and Destroy them and Escape he was right and they were wrong and Jesus was silent

how do we react do we remain silent when we are rebuffed or face hostility or do we lash out defensively when we are attempted to react in such a way let us think about the reaction of Jesus

foreign

led to a Slaughter

and Hebrews 10 and 7. then I said here am I it is written about me in the scroll I have come to do your will oh my God

Isaiah 53 and 8 and he was taken from prison and from judgment and who shall declare this his generation for he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he strickened

he was led away after an unjust trial the purpose of his pressures oppressors was that he might be cut off out of the land of the living no more Vivid description of death could be given

in Daniel 9 and 20 26 it's predicted that the Messiah shall be cut off predicting a violent death

cut off means to divide literally to cut and two this is taken from an ancient custom of sailing the Covenant and you know and we won't we won't read this we're getting running out of time but you look at Genesis 15 it gives a description there of God ratifying his Covenant with Abram

suggest so this idea of being cut off is suggesting that Jesus was

a covenant victim

Isaiah 53 and 8 and he was taken from prison and judgment and who shall declare this his generation where he was caught up out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken or the word means wounded

making the cutting off of Messiah as a covenant victim necessary

uh in verse 9 in his death messiah's death was intended to be cruel and punitive

but he had nothing to fear Isaiah 49 and 8 I will protect you and give you the to the people as my Covenant with them

Psalm 16 9-10 my body also will rest secure because you will not abandon me to the Realms of to the Dead nor will you let your faithful one see decay

and so we can see that

Jesus had even though he

died of violent death he had nothing to fear he knew that

it was a temporary thing in the grave and that he would be raised by his Heavenly Father

Isaiah 53-9 and he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death

it states in verse 9 he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich it is not possible to be to bury someone in two different tombs how then is this phrase explained

I think the translation in the net version is a little clearer than the intended to bury him with criminals but he ended up in a tomb in a rich man's tomb because he had committed no violent Deeds nor had he spoken to see flee

what was intended here is Jesus will be numbered among the sinful the wicked and and the rich

and with no one we could claim his body Jesus and death would have experienced the same fate of the two criminals if not for the intervention of Joseph of armathea who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus and a rich man's tomb

and you know we can see that in Matthew 27 verses 57 to 60. the final section of this property shows the death of Jesus to have been the will of God Jesus sacrifice was essential to fill the role of the branch and to produce the promise seed yet it pleased the Lord to make his soul an offering for sin

uh and this was the the bruising process

the Healer Messiah will crush sins

the sin of the Serpent's head and when we know this from Genesis 3 and 15 and you're you're all familiar with that but the interesting thing here is is that God shall prolong his days again a promise of the resurrection and and to be raised up into Glory with the father because of this non-fatal blow Messiah will be resurrected and as days shall be prolonged and he shall see is seed

so

this this promise of being prolonging his days and and that he would see a seed it is found in Genesis 22 and 18 and I see each of all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou has obeyed my voice Paul speaks about it in Galatians 3 and 16 and you know we were familiar with that verse 29 that Galatians 3 of where Abraham seen there were heirs to the promises and Ephesians 9 2 19 and 20. consequently you are no longer foreigners and strangers but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household to build on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Christ himself as the Chief Cornerstone in Christ we become fellow citizens with all the rights and privileges citizenship

provides

without Jesus

without Jesus's life death and Resurrection we would be in a condition to describing of Paul as aliens from the Commonwealth of God's people strangers from the covenants of promise when we see that this has been

fulfilled in Isaiah 53 and 10. yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief

when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand

how fortunate we are that God finds pleasure in in loving us by providing his son so we can be part of his Plan of Salvation and the renewal of the Earth Jesus has accomplished his perfect work by offering himself for the sins of many mankind can now reach out in faith and grasp The Hope offered to them and become a part of his promise seed

in his work Jesus goes on building his house it is a continual process

and as we will see in the next class

the body of the branch we will explore what it means to be his seed and to be members of the house that he is building for the future

Transcript

so the topic this evening is the body of the branch which uh this group represents

and you might ask well where were we find in the in the Bible uh an indication that there is such a body and how is it to come about and

who is the director of of the body

the Earth of Zechariah 6 and 12 it says here is the man whose name is the branch and he will Branch out from this place and build the temple or I've inserted the word house

of the Lord

the focal point here is the building of a temple or a house by the branch this can be understood in two ways it can be a literal Temple or as a body of believers

the picture of ezekiel's Temple the literal Temple could refer to ezekiel's Temple which is described in Isaiah 40 to 48. this is not the objective of this class ezekiel's Temple is an extensive subject fraught with differing opinions as to whether it is a literal Temple and if construction will take place in the Kingdom age

what we hope to share is the branch will build a spiritual house

as described in First Peter 2 and 5. you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house

so we will consider zechariah's prophecy as a spiritual host which is the body of the branch that all believers are called to be a part of this spiritual house is described in more detail in Isaiah 56 verses 6 to 8. I will also bring the foreigners which is the

the Gentiles

who commit themselves to the Lord who serve him and love his name who hold fast to my Covenant I will bring them to my Holy Mountain of Jerusalem for The Sovereign Lord who brings back the cast of Israel says I will bring others to besides My People Israel

and then in uh John 10 16 other sheep not of this fold again meaning the Gentiles them I must bring are to be included so this house is a house a spiritual house that's being built for all people

to just expand on this a little bit we're told in John 15 that Jesus is the blind and we are the branches

and he left this invitation for his followers abide at me and I in you and we just take a look at the word abide for a moment because I think it gives us more of a concept of of a spiritual house

it means to dwell or to remain together to share a home as a family it also means to be a cohesive uh group

okay

John reveals that Jesus intention is to include all men and women in God's house in the third chapter of Hebrews Jesus is seen to be greater than Moses as important as he was Moses served in a role of preparation and not one of fulfillment Moses was responsible for building the liver the literal Tabernacle but Jesus is building up the spiritual House of which the literal Tabernacle was a mere shadow

so we see this you have to follow this because I'm I'm making some comparisons on each verse from one to six therefore brothers and sisters consider Jesus as a high priest who was faithful to God who appointed him just as Moses also was faithful in all of God's house so we see that Jesus is is the Builder of this house for Jesus is being counted worthy of more Glory than Moses as a builder of a house has more honor than the house itself

Jesus is shown to be greater than Moses as the Builder of God's house verse 4 for every house is built by someone but the Builder of all things is God the spiritual house requires an overseer a mediator Christ acts in that capacity verse 5. now Moses was faithful in all of God's house as a servant to testify to the things that were to be spoken of later

emphasis on the word in in Moses Moses was only in that house as a servant and then verse 6 but Christ is stable over the house of God as a son and we are his house if we indeed hold fast our confidence and our hope as a son indicating his position of authority and supervision over God's house and then in Hebrews 10 21 it says having a high priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true herb

you may recall from the previous lesson that in Isaiah there were two category categories of servant contrasting the the national servant

what the individual servant and who we identified as the righteous servant the branch

this is the last reference where the servant of God is referred to in the singular there is a shift of emphasis starting after Isaiah 53 and 11. my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous and so we concede from that reference here that there's an indication that the righteous servant will now begin to count others as righteous through his through the Redemptive process

the work of God's suffering servant has now climaxed in the justification of many and then beginning in Isaiah 54-56 marks the change there is no more references to the servant but 11 references to servants plural indicating the justification of many the branch will produce more servants for God

and God will preserve a Remnant out of this group and we're going to here now at Isaiah 65. uh the Lord says this in verse 8. as a new wine is found in a bunch of grapes and one says don't destroy it for there are some good in it so I will act because of my servants and not destroy them all I will produce descendants from Jacob and Judah and my servants will dwell there

we move on to verse 11 and 12. but you have abandoned the Lord who'd forgiveth for the forgot my Holy Mountain I will Destin you for the sword because I called you and you did not answer I spoke and you did not hear you did what was evil in my sight and chose what I did not Delight in

so you can see that the almighty is unhappy here at the with the performance of these of these of this Remnant that he is going to preserve

verse 13. therefore this is what the Lord God says look my servant will rejoice but ye will be put to shame and I think he's referencing here to the the one the justification of the money of the many and then in verse 14 and 15 look

my servant will shout for Joy with a glad hurt and you will cry out from an anguished heart and you will lament out of a broken Spirit you will leave your name behind as a curse for my chosen ones and the Lord God will kill you but he will give his servants another name

so this Remnant will receive a change of identity which merits a new name and we can see this is referenced in in Revelation 2 17. to the one who conquers I will give a white stone with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it

so the white stone represents Victory and acquittal from sin and a new name new in significance and understanding it is a Divine name and it's similar to the Lord our righteousness this was the name that was given to the branch the Lord our righteousness and those that become a part of his house will Reserve will receive similar Divine names which no man knows

acceptance into the body is based on righteousness and equality and we see this described to us in in Galatians 3 26 and 28. for your all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus and there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither Bond or free there is neither male or female but you're all one in Christ Jesus and I think that verse really solidifies the fact that the body of of the branch is open to all those who call upon him in spirit and in truth

God's individual Spirit excuse me God's individual servant the branch would accomplish what the national witness service servant could not

we see this in Isaiah 53 and 11. and when he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish he will be satisfied because of his experience my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous for he will bear all their sins

so the word satisfied here means that that what Jesus was determined to accomplish has been satisfied

and he will bear this the sins of many to make them righteous

and and the same verse just from a different um translation

after he suffered he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge or really I think what it really means is by knowledge of him many righteous servants will

will be justified

so by knowledge of him I think we can appreciate this is a full understanding and appreciation of his Redemptive Ministry which was promised in the gospel message

and so sort of the there's three steps here faith and the teachings of Jesus Grace by by his grace we are delivered from the Wrath to come

and hope we are saved by the hope not just hope but the hope of the Gospel

so when we look at faith hope

Faith Grace and hope Paul brings us to our attention with some heavy emphasis on it I believe Romans 3 22-24 this righteousness is given through the faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and all are Justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that came by Jesus Christ and of course the recognition of these principles is is what makes one qualified to be a part of the body of the branch and we're going to look at Romans 5 1 and 2. therefore since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

through him we have gained access by faith into his grace in which we now stand and we boast in the hope of the glory of God

Paul's words are indeed comforting and strengthen our faith and on occasion we can go astray as Isaiah had reminded us in 53. we all like sheep go astray

but by knowledge of what he has done we can be restored

now we're going to just uh change a little bit of the direction here with the death of Jesus the building of the house continues in Earnest this is assured through the covenant made with David regarding the branch in Jeremiah 33 14 and 15. it says I the Lord affirm the time will certainly come when I will fill my gracious promise concerning the Nations the nations of Israel and Judah and in those days and at that time I will raise up for them a righteous descendant of David and he will do what is just and right in the land and so now we're now in this verse getting a view of the future

uh David was very confident of this he says this is near the end of his life in second Samuel 23 and 5. although my house is not so with God yet he has made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things Ensure for this is all my salvation and all of my desire or My Hope

and he will not make and he will not make an increase will he will he not make an increase so he was confident that what Jeremiah spoke of and what was promised to him and we're going to take a look at second Samuel in a minute but he was definite that this was going to happen and this and that he was going to see it

and so the Messiah

is the branch is God's choice to build this house and we can we've seen this from other scriptures that we've already looked at

so on second Samuel 7 12 and 13 it says and when my days will be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers I will set up thy seed after me which shall proceed out of my bowels and I will establish his kingdom and he shall call a house for my name and and I will establish the Throne of his kingdom forever

so upon the death of David God assured him that there would be a continuation of his seed and of his kingdom an understanding of the Covenant hinges on the word forever most commentators assign fulfillment of the Covenant to Solomon this is an incorrect for a number of reasons but I've I've chosen to

Solomon's kingdom did not last forever and eventually it went into decline

and in ad70 witnessed the complete overturning of the Kingdom of Israel by the Romans

and verse 19 and II Samuel 7 says and and you didn't stop there oh Lord God you have also spoken about the future of your servant's family or your servant's house or it can be rendered Dynasty

so you can see that again David had great confidence in the fact that the things that were promised to him in verses 12 and 13. would be fulfilled

so David looked beyond Solomon to one uh greater than Solomon

and you might recall that this verse here is Ezekiel 20 and 27 is in reference to zedekiah he was the last king of Israel and it says I will overturn overturn it and it shall be no more until he comes whose right it is and I will giveth him

so this is confirmed in Acts 2 29 32. brothers and sisters I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David since he was a prophet he knew that God had sworn a note to him to see one of his Descendants on his throne I see that well I see what was to come he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah or the branch and he was not abandoned in hate or the grave and his flesh did not experience Decay and God raised this Jesus we are all Witnesses of this

the second Samuel 13 again and he will build a house for my name and I will make his dynasty permanent and this was God's promise to David to be fulfilled in Jesus in second Samuel 7 16 and thy house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee and thy Throne shall be established forever

so we have all the components here of

um a spiritual Kingdom or a spiritual house we have we have the kingdom mentioned we have a throne mentioned we have a house or a dynasty mentioned a house or a family and an or an organized body so we see all the components here being promised uh for the body of of the of the branch

thank you

so to erect the building many components are required the first requirement is the Builder who has a desire to build a house and will take ownership of it and we see this expressed in Psalm 27 1 unless the Lord build the house those who build it labor and Vain and so right from the beginning um in Zechariah God promised that this house would be constructed in the the branch would be the Builder of the house and he and his Blessing was upon it

so it was to build a spiritual house requires God's blessing those who inhabit the house must cooperate with the builder and this Psalm may be an allusion to the preservation of David's house which is consistent with our subject every house requires a strong Foundation

and so we say in Isaiah 28 16 therefore the Lord God said look I have Lena Stone in Zion I've tested Stone a precious Cornerstone a sure Foundation the one who believes will be unshakable

Jesus is the sure Foundation of God's house he is the stone lady in Zion and he is unshakable based on his belief in the promise made to David by his father and This Promise is passed to those who believe

who become a part of the sure Foundation

John 17 22 and the and the glory which the dog gave me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one so you can see how all of this Isaiah 28 16 and in the description of of the uh the house and how strong it was sort of complements 1722 or those that are in part of the house are one

so I just take a little closer look at Isaiah 28 verse 16. therefore the Lord God said look I have laid a stone in Zion a test of stone a precious Cornerstone sure a sure Foundation the one who believes will be unshakable

Jesus indeed was the test of stone and we we learned in her consideration of Isaiah 53 that Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are and yet without sin so all of these descriptive words and Isaiah 28 16 are in reference to Jesus and and and the strength that and The Obedience that he displayed

first was how Israel and all men and women have been tested those who deny him do so

at their their own Peril and those who accept and

do not regret it and we see this in Romans 9 31 31 and third to 33. Israel has not attained the law of righteousness because they sought it not by faith but by the works of the law for they stumble at The Stumbling Stone as it is written behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense and whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed or shall not be disappointed

the one who came to offer to save his Brethren was rejected in that task by the spiritual leaders of Israel

but it was because of that that every the that very excuse me but it was because of that very rejection that Jesus was offered as the sacrifice for the sins of all men and so the Cross of Christ while precious to some became a source of confusion of fence and stumbling to others

so even though he was decided despised and rejected of men he triumphed over the ridicule and the shame that he had to endure and consider this and I think this is possibly what drove Jesus the most was this principle that greater love with no man than this that a man will lay down his life for his friends this is how he became unshakable he focused on this he focused on the fact that he that he would eventually satisfy the demand the demand of his sacrifice for the Redemption of mankind

and it was be it was because of this unselfish act that Jesus became the Chief Cornerstone

so we just look at Isaiah 28 and 16 again therefore the Lord said look I have Laden

a stone in Zion a precious Corner Stone

and it will be unshakable

so

118 22 the stone that the builders rejected has now become the Cornerstone

you know you don't know no matter what these individuals did these leaders of Israel there's no way that they could thwart or prevent the fact that Jesus would would be triumphant be raised again and be and continue his work of building this house he has become the Chief Cornerstone of that house

now first Peter 2 and 7 therefore he who believe he is precious but to those who are disobedient

I think the point is is that he's precious to those that are um that are obedient but those who are disobedient he's just he he carries no consequence

the indifference in the rejectors and their disbelief did not affect the outcome

and verse 7 the stone which the builders rejected has become the Chief Cornerstone so I guess the point I was trying to make here was that

they're indifference to him and the rejection of him did not affect the outcome he was raised from the dead and he still became the Chief Cornerstone

and it was because of his unshakable obedience that this was accomplished

and I think that the statement that he is precious encompasses all that Jesus has done for mankind without him we would be without hope

and alienate aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel

so

Jesus is the chief of Cornerstone now just make a couple of comments here and I I hope that you'll take out of this the effect that being the Cornerstone has on the Ecclesia or the body the Cornerstone is the first stone set during the building process

careful measurements are taken to ensure the corner

stone is square to ensure the proper alignment of the remainder of the building you can see how that's very suggestive of how we should be interacting in the body

the importance of the Cornerstone is in the example Jesus slept for those of his household they are to align themselves with his example so the house will will continue to grow

and provide a safe and nourishing environment and this is this was the the main objective

of Jesus building the building this house for believers to be a part of

first Peter 2 21. for to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you or us leaving us an example so that we might follow in his steps

John 17 26 . have made made your name known to them and I will make it known so that the love with which ye love me may be in them and I in them so we see that Jesus has a very um every expectation of having a very close and intimate relationship with those that follow him and you know if you remember

in chapter 17 that that his prayer was that he would be his word would be an influence on those that came after him

Christ himself is the Builder of this of his spiritual house and he has built it on his unchangeable foundation of Love mercy and Grace men and women who obey the truth are being prepared to build on the foundation of Jesus so the house of God will be strong and secure

as we have seen the Chief Cornerstone is the first stone to be laid and it is the most important but the house is made up of other stones and Peter refers to them as living stones

they are the individual believer each is being prepared

polished and made ready for his place in the house Christ's stone hand performs this preparation

the work we have been called to accomplish is is to build the spiritual house

so first Peter two and five

you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to me a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ

so Living Stones means Stone should be active and engaged

in the activities of the house

uh built into a spiritual house it's in the presence tense

and so those in the house should be living and vibrant and again fully engaged

and the spiritual sacrifices

are the spirit of unity

the only way that we can have Unity if we sacrifice ourselves

one to another

we are building our spiritual house together as Believers of the Lord Jesus Christ and Mark 3 25 says

in a house if a house is divided against itself that house cannot stand

Proverbs 9 and 1 the Seven Pillars of wisdom wisdom has built her house and she has human out her Seven Pillars

what are those Seven Pillars that are holding this house up well we see that in Ephesians verse chapter four four to six and those pillars are one body one spirit one hope one Lord one faith one baptism and one God and our father these are the pillars that we that will if we abide by them and pay attention to them we'll we'll provide the spiritual Unity that we need to sustain the house

so this house is still under development and will be under development until the branch appears

but the point is clear

Salah is a stone Lies by itself it is useless

it only becomes useful when it becomes a part of the house

solitary religion is ruled out as an impossibility clearly that means that the Ecclesia is a community the individual believer finds this true Place only when he is built into that house the individual cannot remain alone he must be built into the fabric of the body of Christ

Ephesians 2 20 21. together we are in his house built on the foundation of the Apostles the prophets and the Cornerstone is to Christ Jesus himself we are carefully joined together in him becoming a holy Temple or a holy house for the Lord

we are in the process of being built together to become a Dwelling Place for God

and we are the Temple of the Living God as Paul tells us in in the Corinthians

and Isaiah 66 and 2. uh

does

present a little bit of pressure for us I will look favorably on those on this kind of person the one who was humble submissive in spirit and trembles at my word again these are characteristics or components that help to establish a firm foundation in a strong house

if we are to be priests in God's Kingdom

the the previous things that we have been talking about the qualities that we should be developing uh and manifesting now are important because if we if we manifest them now we will be helping to develop ourselves for the future age when we will be Kings or priests in in God's Kingdom

second Peter 2 and 9 but ye are a chosen generation how fortunate we are a royal priesthood a holy nation of peculiar people that you should show forth the Praises of him who have called you out of Darkness into his Marvelous Light

so Believers are a royal priesthood who have access to God

through the branch

Believers must offer their service their Worship in themselves to God following the example of the branch

and Believers are to be different than their peers the difference lies in the fact that the Saints are dedicated to God's standards and to God's service

regardless of the trials and demands or Temptations of life we can take refuge in the hope of the age to come and while we wait for that we can take refuge in the house that we are building

Psalm 80 verse 14 15. we beseech you o God of hosts look down from heaven and visit this Vine

or the house of of of God we remember when we talked about this in John 15. which your right hand is planted the branch that you made strong for yourself let your hand be upon the man of your right hand upon the son of man

the original vine of Israel has been wasted awaiting to be restored

the Branch's Roots have grown and strengthened see that in John 15. and it continues to grow and will fill eventually the whole Earth

uh Isaiah 9 7. of the increase of this government and of his peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with Justice henceforth even forever the Zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this

Psalm 89 27-28 I will make him my firstborn higher than the kings of the earth my Mercy will I keep for him forevermore and my Covenant shall stand fast

with him

Jesus Will demonstrate the same strength and determination against those who oppose his rulership as king over the whole earth as he did in his battle against sin

as sort of a close-off

we'll have a few words about our hope Jeremiah 23 5-6 the days are coming declares the Lord when I will raise up for David A righteous Branch a king who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land and in his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live safely this is the name by which he will be called

the Lord our righteous savior

the picture we see of Jesus is different now it is the same servant portrayed in by his Isaiah the same strong character the same compassion the same tenderness but the lines of sorrow and grief are gone the vistage that was so marred has now taken on a beautiful a beauty surpassing all the sons of Adam a radiant Joy No unto mortal unknown to Mortals he is the firstborn of the family of God and we have been called to be his brothers and sisters

thank you

Isaiah 4 and 2 in that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious

the beauty that is being described here is the branch the branch is righteous Beauty

there's a moral Beauty a moral beauty that is real external beauty is only a shadow of that moral Beauty which will last forever

what is so extraordinary is that we have we will share

in that

moral Beauty

and I always take comfort in this verse it's one it's one of my favorites in First John 3 and 2. beloved now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and it's a beautiful description of the the moral beauty that we will share

with the Lord Jesus Christ in the house that he has built

each day the Fulfillment of God's covenant with David is closer to becoming completed to becoming a reality so it is with patience and expectation we await the king

even soul come Lord Jesus