"Trees" - Lesson 4
Overview
The Root and Shoot of Jesse: A Family Tree That Bears the Messiah
Scripture is, in many ways, a forest of family trees. The genealogies that can feel tedious to a casual reader are actually load-bearing beams of God's redemptive plan. From the genealogy in Genesis 11, the line narrows to Abraham and Sarah, then to Isaac, then Jacob, then to one of Jacob's twelve sons in particular—Judah. From Genesis 12 through Malachi, the focus rests on this family, and within it, on the tribe from which the Messiah would come.
Jacob's deathbed blessing in Genesis 49:8–12 is spoken not only to Judah the son but to the Messianic Judah yet to come. "In days to come" echoes the prophets' phrase for the days of Messiah. Brothers will bow down—anticipating Philippians 2:9–11, where every knee bows at the name of Jesus. Judah is called a lion's whelp, and in Revelation 5:5–6 Christ is announced as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David"—and immediately seen as a Lamb who was slain. The scepter does not depart from Judah; garments washed in wine and a robe in the blood of grapes foreshadow a King whose own blood would stain his garments at the cross. Striking, too, is that Judah himself was no clean slate. He proposed selling Joseph into slavery Genesis 37:19–28 and stumbled grievously elsewhere. God's election of this line is grace, not merit.
The promise narrows further to David. In 2 Samuel 7, David wants to build God a house of cedar; God responds by promising to build David a house—a kingdom and a throne established forever, with a Son whose reign will not end. Centuries later, Isaiah 11:1–3 declares: "A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." The Messiah is both root and shoot—a profound hint at his two natures. As Root, he is the divine Creator, the source of the family itself; as Shoot, he is truly human, springing up from David's line. The angel's words to Mary in Luke 1:26–33 confirm the fulfillment: "The Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David… and of his kingdom there will be no end." And in Revelation 22:16, Jesus identifies himself in his own words: "I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."
For us, this family tree is more than ancient lineage—it is assurance. God keeps covenant across generations, working through flawed people like Judah and David to bring forth the Savior he promised. The same Christ who is Lion and Lamb, Root and Shoot, Creator and kinsman, has entered our family of humanity to deliver us. With the Advent hymn we can pray: O come, O Rod of Jesse's stem, from every foe deliver them. He has come, he reigns, and he will come again.
Transcript
Hello and welcome to our fourth session in this class entitled, 2s
Trees in which we take a biblical examination of some of the 8s
trees that we see in Holy Scripture. 12s
Let's begin our time together with prayer. 15s
O come O rod of Jesse's stem from every foe, deliver them. 19s
That trust your mighty power to save, bring them in victory through the grave. 25s
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel. 33s
Shall come to you, O Israel. 36s
Amen. 40s
If that sounds familiar to you, it comes from that great, great advent hymn, 43s
O come, O come, Emmanuel. 48s
And I shared that verse from that great hymn with you today because that verse 51s
ties in with our subject for examination today. 57s
Just a little bit of review of what we studied last time. 62s
We studied about God's use of a long wooden pole. 65s
And on top of the pole was placed a bronze serpent. 69s
God used reptiles as agents of the expression of his wrath over the 74s
disobedience and rebellion of the people. 80s
God told the people that if they would look to that bronze serpent at the end of the pole, 84s
that they would be healed, that they would not die. 90s
God's word was attached then to that serpent on the pole. 94s
God's word was attached, His promise, and the people lived. 101s
Of course, we look to the Lord Jesus Christ who had been placed upon the wood of the cross 107s
and all who looked to Him in faith are saved. 115s
And so as we studied last week, that bronze serpent on the pole really prefigured 120s
the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. 126s
Just as we studied the burning bush that looked ahead to the incarnation or the 130s
inflection of the second member of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus. 136s
So also that was a prefiguring of the cross to come. 141s
The bush looked forward to the incarnation and the serpent on the pole looked forward 147s
to the one that gives us life, the Lord Jesus Christ, as He went to the cross 153s
and won victory for us. 161s
Well, today, we want to continue in our study and our next tree is a family tree, 164s
a family tree. 172s
And the title of this session, the root and shoot of Jesse. 174s
Especially nowadays, it seems that people are more and more interested in family trees. 182s
Sometimes people will go to elaborate means to investigate it, to take a look at who 189s
all is in their family tree. 195s
What are the histories? 196s
And it can yield some quite fascinating results. 198s
The look at the family tree. 203s
Well, as we turn to Holy Scripture, the Bible is a forest of family trees. 206s
Quite often you'll run into those genealogies in Holy Scripture. 215s
And if you're on a Bible reading program in which you're reading through the Bible in a year or two or three 220s
and you come to the genealogies, some of them can be rather long, can't they? 225s
And it can be a, well, kind of a slogging through it, perhaps, at times. 230s
Those genealogies are very, very important. 236s
For example, turn with me, please, to Genesis the 11th chapter, Genesis chapter 11. 240s
And beginning in verse 10, you have a genealogy. 248s
That genealogy narrows to a, to a single family on an ever-growing tree, the family of Abraham and Sarah. 255s
The most important person in the Old Testament was Abraham. 270s
Most important one. God made a covenant with Abraham and Sarah. 275s
God said, I will give you a land. I will make you the father of a great nation and through this people. 279s
God says that I'm going to birth from you and Sarah. 287s
Out of this people is going to become the Messiah of the world. 292s
Incredible blessing that God had given to Abraham and Sarah. 297s
And Abraham passed that blessing on to Isaac and Isaac passed that blessing on to Jacob. 301s
We read in Holy Scripture that Jacob had 12 sons, who then became the 12 tribes of Israel. 311s
Really, as you look at Holy Scripture, beginning in Genesis 12 to Malachi, those dozen family groups are really the primary concern from Genesis chapter 12 to Malachi. 324s
And one particular tribe, one particular tribe gets particular attention. 340s
And that is the tribe of Judah, Judah, because from that branch of the family tree will come the Messiah. 349s
Go with me please, to Genesis chapter 49, beginning with verse 1. 364s
Then Jacob called his sons and said, gather around that I may tell you what will happen to you in days to come. 378s
Let's jump now to verse 8. 388s
Judah, your brothers shall praise you. 392s
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. 396s
Your father's sons shall bow down before you. 399s
Judah is a lion's welp. From the prey my son, you have gone up. 405s
He crouches down. He stretches out like a lion, like a lioness who dares rouse him up. 410s
The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the rulers staff from between his feet until tribute comes to him. 420s
And the obedience of the peoples is his, binding his foe to the vine and his donkeys cold to the choice vine. 430s
He washes his garments in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes. 441s
His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. 447s
Let's break this down. 455s
Verse 1 again. 458s
Gather around Jacob says to his sons that I may tell you what will happen to you in days to come. 460s
Literally translated, that's in the last days. 466s
Those identical words or words very similar to it are used, for example, in the prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah to describe the days of the Messiah. 470s
So really you could translate this or communicate this, gather around that I may tell you what will happen to you in the days of the Messiah. 482s
When he blessed Judah, he foretold that it would be from this branch of Judah that the anointed one, the Messiah would come, that the Messiah would come from this tribe. 493s
Now Judah hardly had a clean slate. 510s
Boy, you look at Judah's life and you say, why choose Judah? 515s
It certainly wasn't anything about Judah. 521s
The background? Joseph's story. 526s
Joseph was son number 11. 530s
His father gave him this beautiful, multi-colored coat. His brothers became very jealous. 533s
They throw him into the pit to die. 540s
Joseph winds up to be a slave. 542s
He then winds up to be the prince of the land in Egypt because he interprets Pharaoh's dream and comes up with a strategy to deal with a famine. 545s
It's an amazing, amazing story. But back to the pit part of that story. 555s
Turn please with me to Genesis chapter 37, Genesis 37, beginning with verse 19. 564s
They said to one another, these are the brothers here. 576s
They said to one another, here comes this dreamer, speaking of Joseph. 580s
Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. 586s
Then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 590s
But when Rubin heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, let us not take his life. 597s
Rubin said to them, shed no blood, throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him, that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. 605s
So, when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore, and they took him in, threw him into a pit. 618s
The pit was empty. There was no water in it. 628s
Then they sat down to eat and looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gomb-bomb and risen. 633s
On their way to carry it down to Egypt, then Judah said to his brothers, what prophet is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 644s
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh. 658s
And the brothers agreed. 668s
When some Midi-Night traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him up out of the pit, sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver, and they took Joseph to Egypt. 672s
So, who is the one that says, well, let us sell him. Let us sell him. It is Judah. 684s
Or there is the story with regard to Judah how he fathered his daughter and laws child. 695s
So, you look at Judah and you say, certainly not a clean slate there. No, Judah was a sinner, like everyone. 704s
But God had other plans for Judah. 716s
The Judah being addressed in Genesis 49th chapter is not only identified as that person Judah, but also as the Messianic Judah. 723s
Let me say that again. It is not only the person Judah, but it is also the Messianic Judah that will come from his tribe. 737s
Let us go back to Genesis 49. 747s
Verse 8. 753s
Jacob, once again, is speaking. He is gathered the brothers around. 755s
Judah, your brothers shall praise you, your hands shall be on the neck of your enemies, your father's sons shall bow down before you. 759s
Remember, this is also speaking about the Messianic Judah, the bowing down to the Messianic Judah, the Lord Jesus. 772s
I think of Philippians, the second chapter, New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, and then Philippians. 784s
Philippians chapter 2, verse 10. Let us start in verse 9. 800s
Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that the name of Jesus, every knee should bend in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 807s
Jacob talks about the knee's bowing. 831s
Philippians echoing the knee's bowing to the Lord Jesus Christ. 835s
Back now, please, to Genesis 49. 844s
Verse 9. 850s
Judah is a lion's welp from the prey, my son, you have gone up. 852s
He crouches down. He stretches out like a lion, like a lioness, who dares rouse him up? 857s
This picture is Judah, Messianic Judah, as a lion. 867s
Let's go to Revelation chapter 5, very last book in Holy Scripture. 874s
Revelation chapter 5, beginning with verse 5. 882s
Revelation 5 verse 5. 890s
Then one of the elders said to him, 893s
do not weep, see the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. 896s
The Lord Jesus Christ being referred to as the lion, but the lion is also referred to as the lamb. 908s
Very next verse. 921s
Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders a lamb capitalized, a lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 924s
Jacob addressing the brothers, speaking to Judah, not only the individual Judah, the individual son, Judah, but also speaking to the Messianic Judah, the Lord Jesus. 946s
Back now please again, to Genesis 49, verse 10. 965s
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until tribute comes to him, and the obedience of the people's is his. 972s
The Lord Jesus Christ will rule by his word of grace and life. 988s
Going on, verse 11 and 12, binding his fold to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine. 997s
He washes his garments in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. 1009s
So, Eden-like is the expression here of the kingdom of God full of vineyards. His garments are washed in wine because his garments stripped are washed in his own blood. 1022s
His eyes grew dark in death. His teeth whiter than milk were stained with the blood from his bleeding face. 1043s
All these words of Jacob to his sons, particularly here in this section, to Judah, also referring to the Messianic Judah. 1056s
The tribe of Jacob's son was divinely ordained to be the tribe of God's son. 1072s
He was only a matter of time before this Messianic twig sprouted from the branch. 1085s
Looking at the history then in the Old Testament, we see that this period of the patriarchs, to which we're referring to, in Genesis 49, the period of the patriarchs gave rise to the period of the judges. 1099s
Judges were not what we think of a judge. Someone sitting with a black robe in a courtroom. 1113s
Judges here, referred to in Scripture, were military leaders. And the period of the judges gave rise to the period of the kings, the first king was Saul, and the second king was David. 1119s
What we see in Holy Scripture is that the promise of the family tree narrowed to the time of David. 1135s
You see, the people of Judah, no one knew what particular family the Messiah would come. And why even at the time of the Exodus there were 74,000 people that made up the tribe of Judah. 1146s
But the promise comes to David's line. 1163s
Let's go please in the Old Testament to 2 Samuel. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Samuel. 1171s
If you've hit the kings, you've gone too far. 2 Samuel, chapter 7. 1183s
Picking up in verse 1. 1192s
Now when the king was settled in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet, Nathan, see now I am living in a house of cedar but the ark of God stays in a tent. 1197s
Nathan said to the king, go do all that you have in mind for the Lord is with you. 1211s
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan. 1217s
Go until my servant David thus says the Lord, are you the one to build me a house to live in? 1222s
I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. 1230s
Wherever I've moved among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel saying, why have you not built me a house of cedar? 1240s
Now therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, thus says the Lord of hosts. 1256s
I took you from the pasture from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all enemies from before you. 1266s
And I will make you a great name like the name of the great ones of the earth and I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they may live in their own place and be disturbed no more and evil doers shall afflict them no more as formally from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. 1279s
And I will give you rest from all your enemies, moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 1305s
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you who shall come forth from your body and I will establish his kingdom. 1318s
He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 1335s
I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me. 1343s
Whenever he commits iniquity I will punish him with rods such as mortals use with blows inflicted by human beings. 1349s
But I will not take my steadfast love for him as I took it from Saul whom I put away from before you. 1358s
Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me your throne shall be established forever in accordance with all these words and with all this vision Nathan spoke to David. 1366s
To paraphrase this section. 1385s
David, you want to make me a house of wooden stone. 1390s
I will build you one, the house of a kingdom. 1395s
Let's turn to Isaiah, chapter 11. 1404s
Good way to find Isaiah is open up to the center of Holy Scripture. 1407s
You'll land in the Psalms. 1411s
Psalms, Proverbs, go to your right. Psalms, Proverbs, please, yes, he's a song of Solomon. 1413s
Then Isaiah, Isaiah, chapter 11. 1418s
Verse 1. 1424s
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, who was Jesse. 1425s
Jesse was David's father. 1432s
And a branch shall grow out of his roots. 1436s
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him. 1442s
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. 1444s
His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. 1451s
He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear. 1457s
The Messiah is both the root and the shoot. 1466s
That talks about the two natures of Christ, divine and human. 1473s
As the root here, that's the Creator. 1478s
Divine, the shoot, human. 1482s
He's the root, the creator, the source of the family. 1487s
He's also the shoot. 1491s
Follow the story. 1495s
Let's go to the Gospel of Luke, Matthew, Mark, and then Luke, Luke chapter 1. 1496s
Beginning with verse 26. 1504s
Luke chapter 1, beginning with verse 26. 1507s
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 1510s
to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. 1516s
The virgin's name was Mary, and he came to her and said, 1524s
The Lord is with you, but she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 1529s
The angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 1536s
And now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 1542s
He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of the Lord. 1549s
And now you will have his ancestor, David. 1557s
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no. 1562s
Go now, please, lastly, to Revelation chapter 22. 1576s
Revelation chapter 22 verse 16. 1583s
It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. 1592s
I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. 1601s
And there is Jesus with his own lips identifying himself as the root of David, the descendant of David. 1613s
The family tree, and we follow it, Messiah. 1631s
Let's pray. 1642s
O root of Jesse, standing as an Ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are moot, to whom the nations will do homage. 1645s
Come quickly to deliver us. Amen. 1659s
We will continue next week. 1666s