The Branch of the Lord

OLD TESTAMENT: Zechariah 5-6
POETRY: Psalm 144
NEW TESTAMENT: John 17:6-19

Zechariah 6:12-13(NLT) Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the LORD. ¹³ Yes, he will build the Temple of the LORD. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.’

Psalms 144:12-13 (NLT) May our sons flourish in their youth
like well-nurtured plants.
May our daughters be like graceful pillars,
carved to beautify a palace.
¹³ May our barns be filled
with crops of every kind.
May the flocks in our fields multiply by the thousands,
even tens of thousands,

John 17:13-21  (NLT)“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. ¹⁴ I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵ I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. ¹⁶ They do not belong to this world any more than I do. ¹⁷ Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. ¹⁸ Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. ¹⁹ And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. ²⁰ “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

This is a wonderful story that we are a part of in the church today.  We are called members of this wonderful church of the body of Christ where God has set us.  We are called out from the world for a purpose and God is building a holy temple for us to be part of where God will dwell.  To be called out from the world is the same as being made holy. When you build a structure out of stone the rocks must be cut or dressed to make them ready to be used in the construction of the structure.  Look at these verses from Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NLT) So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. ²⁰ Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. ²¹ We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. ²² Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

God has chosen you who were rocks with no shape and dressed you to become part of His holy temple.  We have been separated from the world and given a purpose to be part of this great plan.  We are carefully joined together making us part of each other as well as part of God’s dwelling place.  Yesterday we looked at a different figure of the “Branch” who is Jesus Christ.  This word would be better translated as “shoot” or “tree”.  Israel is called the olive tree of God in the OT.  Jesus is the new olive tree growing from the stump and roots of Jesse.

Jeremiah 11:16 ¹⁶ I, the LORD, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit.

This figure has the same meaning as the dressed stone from Ephesians.  Both of the figures of the dressed stone and the grafted branch give us insight into God’s matchless grace and love for mankind.  God is doing everything for His glory and the glory given to Christ Jesus His son.  We are His masterpiece in Christ, another figure of His love for us.  Live today as a wonderful child of God part of a present and future plan of deliverance for all heaven and earth.

-Tom Siderius

Reflection Questions:

Which figure of speech stands out the most in your mind?

How is God dressing (shaping) you for His service today?