Daily Devotions

Following on from our last devotional regarding Jesus as the Vine we now turn to Christ the Branch. In the Old Testament, the promised Messiah was referred to as “the branch”. Jeremiah 23:5 says, "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"

So, the Messiah  was to be a descendant, a branch of the human family, and of king David. A branch was something easily overlooked, as one branch among others, just as Jesus was in his humanity.

As a branch grows and bears fruit, so too would Christ.The name “Nazareth” which was Jesus’ hometown, is related to the word “branch”.Because of the prophecies about the “branch” in the Old Testament, the designations “of Nazareth” or “Nazarene” are also considered messianic titles when they are applied to Jesus.

The word “Branch" is capitalised six times in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word used in five of them, semah, is fairly insignificant. It simply means "sprout, growth or branch." The remaining occurrence has the word netser, meaning "branch," "shoot," "sprout," or "twig." We can see, then, that the literal meaning leads to a more metaphorical one.

The Hebrews and other Semitic peoples used the term in a genealogical sense, meaning that a certain person belongs to or descends from a particular family line. To give the same sense, we might use the term "heir," "descendant," "seed," or "scion." Like Hebrew, English links trees and genealogy in such phrases as "family tree" and "the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree."

When Jesus is referred to as the branch, this is no insignificant bough as it indicates Kingship, speaks of Servanthood and in particular the branch by which we are joined with all humanity.

Loving God,

in the communion of Christ, 

we are joined with the trials and sufferings of all. 

Be with those who endure the wind and rain/flooding.

Protect those in the path of danger. 

Open the pathway of evacuations.

Help loved ones find one another in the chaos. 

Provide assistance to those who need help.

Ease the fears of all

and make your presence known in the stillness of your peace;

Through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.