A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1
The Story
Isaiah was a prophet in Judah whose ministry began after the death of King Uzziah. He received an amazing vision from God.
He saw the Lord seated on a throne, lifted up, surrounded by angelic beings proclaiming the holiness and glory of God. An angel took a live coal from the altar and touched it to Isaiah’s mouth, declaring that his guilt had been taken away. Then the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send?” and Isaiah replied, “Here am I. Send me!” So the Lord sent Isaiah on a mission to preach to the people of Israel. [1]
Isaiah began with a message of condemnation and judgment for Israel and the surrounding nations. Still, then he follows it up with a message of redemption, not just redemption from the captivity he prophesied about, but redemption from sin.
Mixed in are prophecies about the coming Messiah—that he would be born of a virgin, heir to King David, a new tree growing from the stump of Jesse’s family, a messenger would prepare the way, he would be struck and spat upon, he would be rejected by his own people, silent before his accusers, crucified with criminals, a sacrifice for our sin, and sent to heal the brokenhearted. [2]
The Significance
Isaiah’s prophecies were about more than just the coming days; they were also about the coming Messiah and God’s plan for salvation from sin.
Seven hundred years later, Jesus was teaching in the synagogues and was handed a scroll from Isaiah and read it. It was a verse about the Messiah. When he was finished reading, he declared, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” [3]
[1] Isaiah 6:1-8; [2] 7:14, 9:7, 11:1, 40:3-5, 50:6, 53, 61:1-2; [3] Luke 4:15-21