Consider Jesus: Branch
/Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1)
Isa. 4:2“In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel.”
Jer. 23:5“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.”
Jer. 33:15“In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth.”
Zech. 6:12“Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts,” Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD.
13Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.’”
A “branch” literally something that comes from the same root or trunk, and in symbolic usage it means a descendant, or intimately connected follower (like the parable of the vine, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” (Jn. 15:5)) The branches can be both good or evil. The king of Babylon was a “rejected branch” NASB, NKJV or “abominable branch.” KJV, ASV (Isa. 14:19)
With Jesus we especially want to consider what kind of “branch” He is. He is “righteous,” “of David,” and “of the Lord.” Here is the very specially one that Jehovah God is going to raise up. So we see Jesus as the one who comes from David, is without sin and comes to do the Lord’s will. We also note the prophecy of Zechariah that says this Branch will both build the temple and reign in it. He will be both priest and king. Surely this unique honor belongs only to Jesus.
Remember the “Branch Davidians” in Waco led by David Koresh? He claimed to be the Messiah who would build the Temple. He claimed that he would fulfill these prophecies and borrowed scriptural terms to describe himself. We know how far short of the prophecies he fell.