Series: Immanuel
Week: Two
Passage: Isaiah 11:1-9
Title: The Impact of A Planted Tree
Interesting Statement: Greg bought a 35-foot tall Christmas tree for his two-story 30 ft. tall house. Did he put the tree outside his house and decorate it there? No. He cut that tree into three equal parts and installed them in every floor of his house - including the roof! The bottom 10 ft. chunk had branches in the living room; the middle was squeezed into the spare bedroom and the top 15 ft. section was placed on the roof directly above the bedroom. It took Greg and 7 of his friends 2 entire days to put the tree in place. Then they decorated it with 160 big ornaments and 2000 LED lights with a star perched on top. 3 facts about Greg’s tree: It was a “Big” tree, it was a “dead” tree and (outside of being a pretty) it didn’t do anything of any value. Greg said: "From the outside it is a bit of an optical illusion because it appears to be one huge tree that has shot up through the ceilings and floorboards and out through the roof."
Introduction: In Isaiah 11, God speaks of the tree planted in Bethlehem. Isaiah previously spoke about God’s plan to “cut down” the “trees” of Assyria and Israel. Regarding Assyria, “…the LORD Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.” (Isaiah 10:33-34) Regarding Israel and Judah God declared: “So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day… Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.” (Isaiah 9:14, 18) Why? So a new tree would emerge…
#1: To Bring About Change (Isaiah 11:1-2)
• Explanation: While the symbolism of power and majesty of two nations existed, God declared He was going to take an ax and go through the forests to cut it all down because of their pride. When finished, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1) The prophecies about the coming Messiah (Jesus) start in Isaiah 7. A virgin would conceive and give birth to a son called Immanuel. In Isaiah 9 God tells us Emmanuel would minister in Galilee. He would be a great ruler and leader of His people, a light to those walking in the shadow of death. Now in Isaiah 11 we are told the Messiah would be like a great tree growing out of the stump of Jesse having more influence than anyone has ever had or ever will.
• Illustration: The Jews would have noticed the imagery of trees (mostly olive) as they were an important and valuable tree for people in that region that “bore fruit”. Olives were a source of food, medicine and a base for the anointing oil used in anointing their kings, priests and prophets. Spiritually the oil of that tree represented peace, faithfulness, endurance and new life. The tree symbolized new life was because it was virtually indestructible as they could grow in almost any soil, flourish in great heat, with little water. Most Olive trees can live up to 500-1000 years with new sprouts and trees emerging from the stump roots, even if the trees are cut down. Even if a the grove catches on fire, a good Olive Tree Grower can graft an olive shoot into the stump of that tree and grow a new tree in its place.
• Application: So what does all that mean? Isaiah declares that in the devastation left behind after the destruction of Assyria and Israel C.H.A.N.G.E. would take place…
o Correction - A BRANCH (out of the stump of Jesse) is Christ who corrects life! (1)
o Help –Christ gives the gift of the SPIRIT – not a false spirit or a deceiving spirit or even the spirit of a man – the spirit of God for all people. (2a)
o Answers – Christ gives WISDOM/ truth. (2b)
o Newness – Christ’s truth is new and to be used/UNDERSTAND. (2c)
o Guidance – Christ gives perfect COUNSEL. (2d)
o Energy – Christ gives MIGHT/energy for trials and tribulations. (2e)
• In addition Christ has KNOWLEDGE we don't coming from properly FEARING the Lord. These seven aspects of the Spirit of God are grouped together in a "seven" to show the fullness and perfection of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had all these attributes from eternity. When Christ emptied Himself at the incarnation, he allowed the Holy Spirit to fill Him as a man, being an eternal example to us and a sympathizer with us.
• Jesus – a single shoot that had been grafted into the Stump or Jesse - grew to such a large tree that He has changed culture, history. And most importantly He changed our lives. It’s interesting that this tree didn’t just grow out of the ground. It had been grafted into the “Stump of Jesse” that had been cut down and destroyed.
#2: To Judge Properly (Isaiah 11:3-5)
• Explanation (3): Nothing pleased Jesus more than doing the will of His Father. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:34) Thus Jesus did not rely on outward appearance or by the mere words that someone said. Jesus came as something Assyria, Israel, Judah and all nations desperately needed - a righteous judge that had no partiality but would magistrate based on true fairness. If the poor and the weak were to be given justice, then all would be. God announced judgment would come through Christ and it would be once and for all.
• Illustration (5): Righteousness and justice are so close to Jesus they are like belts around His waist. Righteousness and justice touch everything He does. Isaiah 11:5 talks about a girdle (belt/sash) that adorns Christ the righteous judge. A girdle was used in two ways in the OT…
o Decoration – In Isaiah 3:24 (and other parts of OT) girdles were an indispensable part of an oriental dress. Their garments were loose and flowing, and it became necessary to gird them up when they ran, danced, or labored (judged). When that came up… look out!
o Sign of Power - The cord in the girdle was used to bind captives. "Gird" put on one the bonds of a prisoner instead of the ordinary girdle (John 21:18).
• Application (4): Many of us will meet Christ because we have received His grace but we forget many will meet Christ the final judge who does not judge rashly and partially but considerately and justly. Four ways of the world become irrelevant in the eyes of judgment of the Lord…
o Looks and Reputation – Christ the final judge will not go by your good looks or reputation among man, He will judge according to your heart. (3b)
o Man’s Opinion – Man’s opinion is useless as God’s Word will have the final say. Christ will judge with “the rod of His mouth” - His word, which is his scepter (“The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter.” (Psalm 110:2) By the rod of his power that is sharper than a sword (Hebrews 4:12) it destroys the enemies of God declaring the nature of Christ's kingdom that it is not of this world. (4)
Conclusion (Isaiah 11:6-9): When the new tree (Jesus) comes again to permanently bring about change and judge properly nature will be transformed. No longer will there be predators among the animals as all animals (and people) will be only herbivores. While once the Lord gave Noah (and all mankind) permission to eat meat but in the reign of the Messiah, that will be reversed.
The bible tells us that the earth groans for this transformation when the Messiah will change the earth back to what it once was, judging those that reject what is from God. This season we ponder and reflect if the Messiah, Jesus Christ has brought change upon your life. Is Christ the righteous judge ruling and reigning now – does he have the throne in all areas of your life?
