Christmas Branch

Fulfilled prophecy is the greatest evidence for the authority, authenticity and reliability of the Bible. Over thirty statements in the New Testament document events in the life of Jesus that were the fulfillment of prophecies. Example: “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:22-23).

Study Bibles provide footnotes directing the reader to the prophecy the event fulfilled. The virgin birth, cited above, was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14. The prophecy in which we are told that Jesus would live in Nazareth goes unreferenced in most Bibles. “[Jesus] Came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23). Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament. Is the Bible in error? No, it just requires us to dig deeper.

The name Nazareth comes from the Hebrew word nester which means “branch.” Nazareth essentially means “branch town.” Being a Nazarene identifies Jesus as being a “branch.” Seven prophecies, spoken by three prophets identify the Messiah as being a branch.

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of Yehovah will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yehovah” (Isaiah 11:1-2). Jesse was David’s father. God made a covenant with David that the Messiah would be his descendant and therefore is referred to as a branch in his family tree. We also know that the Holy Spirit rested on Jesus at His baptism (Matthew 3:16).

Isaiah also described the “suffering servant” as a shoot or twig of a tree, “For He [Messiah] grew up before Him [Yehovah] like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him” (Isaiah 53:2)

When Messiah returns to the earth Isaiah 4: states “In that day the Branch [Messiah] of Yehovah will be beautiful and glorious” (Isaiah 4:2).

The covenant with David was further confirmed in Jeremiah 23:5, “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares Yehovah, ‘When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch.’” He also tells the ministry of the “branch,” “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” (Jeremiah 33:15).

The prophet Zechariah states “Thus says Yehovah 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 Yehovah” (Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12).

Fulfilled prophecy proves that the Word of God is true – believe it, act on it.