The Messiah Anna Longed For

Isaiah 11:1 Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. (HCSB)

Who was Jesse first of all? He was the father of David and the grandson of Ruth. Both of these connections play a part in the references and intent of this verse.

Next, Jesus, the shoot and the branch comes from the roots and the branch of Jesse, not from the tree itself. Why is that so important?

Well, the roots, Jesse’s heritage came from the story of Ruth and Boaz. That is important because Ruth is in the Bible for much more than to portray David’s family tree.

The focus of the book of Ruth is two-fold: 1) the role of the kinsman Redeemer as lived out by Boaz on Ruth’s behalf; and, 2) the salvation of Ruth from poverty and despair and her inclusion, as a Gentile, in the lineage of David and thus of Christ.

So the roots of Jesse are redemption, inclusion and salvation.

Jesus could not come from the tree of David. If he came from the family tree, he would come from a lineage of sin.

And, physically speaking, an entirely new tree can come from the roots. The roots or a cutting has the same heritage as the original tree, but it is a totally new creation. It is its own entity and not dependent upon the roots once it reaches it up out of the soil and towards the sun.

So Jesus would inherit the good of Jesse’s line and fulfill the earthly lineage and prophecy, but he was something entirely new for the world. Something, someone that had never been seen before.

He was God in the person of a man!