Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch. – Jeremiah 23:5
An amazing truth about Jesus is that He is all man and all God. In today’s verse, God the Father is speaking about a righteous branch coming from David’s lineage. This was written about 600 years before Christ was born. To God, a thousand years is as a day (2 Peter 3:8). He foretold, with great anticipation, the birth of His Son. When Jeremiah spoke of a branch, he was speaking of Jesus as a man from the lineage of David.
Each of the four gospels has a different slant to provide the complete picture of who Jesus is. Matthew addressed a primarily Jewish audience and presented Christ as the promised King and Messiah. Mark wrote for a Gentile audience and emphasized Christ as a suffering servant. Luke also wrote with a Gentile audience in mind, presenting Christ as a real person in history, with verifiable facts. John showed Christ as God, though human.
When Christ spoke of Himself as the Vine and his followers the branches, He was speaking as God. He said His people are to look at themselves as branches, unable to do anything of value apart from His life within them. Another analogy for the Christian life in modern times is that of plugging into an electrical socket. Not being plugged into Jesus results in powerlessness. Coming to God in prayer through Christ connects you to His power. As you pray today for citizens and government officials of the United States, pray that eyes will be opened and hearts drawn to the life-giving power of Christ.
Today’s Verse: Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: John 1:1-17
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
