Grafted Into the Tree of Life

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” – Isaiah 11:1 Today we look at the famous Advent passage from Isaiah 11, verse 1, which is a prophecy about the stump of Jesse. Jesse’s lineage could be thought of as royalty because he was the father of David, the famous Old Testament shepherd turned king. From this stump, which was once a great house, a fruitful tree, a significant living entity that’s been chopped down — from it a shoot will be born. There will be a new king, and He will make things right. The previous kingdoms were centered around ego, selfishness, and violence. But this kingdom that is coming will be one of heart and will even be led by a child. And this, of course, is the king Jesus, who we celebrate and joyfully remember on Christmas