The Branch: The Son of God

The last prophecy concerning the one called “The Branch” is found in Isaiah 4:2. “In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious.” The day spoken of is the future day of Christ’s reigning as the King of kings upon the earth. At that time Jesus will be seen in all his glory.

We learned in previous blogs that the Branch is revealed as a king, as a servant and as a man. He is now revealed as “the Branch of the LORD.” And as the phrase “a Branch shall grow out” from Jesse, David’s father, indicates that Jesus would be the son of David, so “the Branch of the LORD” indicates that Jesus is also the Son of God. Matthew’s gospel reveals Jesus as the king, Mark as the servant, and Luke as the man. John’s gospel shows that Jesus Christ is “the Branch of the LORD” the Son of God.

Like Mark’s gospel the gospel of John has no genealogy for Jesus. He simply writes “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:1-3).” The Greek pronoun translated “He” and “Him” are impersonal pronouns in the Greek and therefore should be translated as “it” when referring to the “Word.” Every English Bible before the King James Version of 1611 translated the pronouns this way. The following is an example. “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God: and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by it, and without it nothing was made that was made.” [my emphasis]

 The word translated “Word” is logos and it means a plan, purpose, saying, expression of thought, a message, or an intention. And so when we read “the Word was God” the original intent of the Greek is to convey the idea that the “Word” was fully representative of God. The “Word” is not Jesus, it is the thoughts and intents of God’s heart and character. If we understand God’s Word we know what God is like. In other words the logos fully expresses God’s purpose, mind, heart and will. Therefore you could very accurately paraphrase John 1:1-3, like this, “In the beginning God had a creative and redemptive plan. And this plan or purpose revealed His heart and was fully representative of all that God is. All things were made through this plan and without this divine plan nothing was made.”

With all of this in mind John 1:14 reveals a wonderful truth. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The word, the logos, God’s plan, His purpose, became flesh and dwelt among us. With the coming into existence of Jesus Christ at his conception and birth, the full plan and heart of God was expressed in a human being. Jesus Christ was full of divine “grace and truth (John 1:17).”

What became flesh in John 1:14, was not a preexistent or eternally begotten Son of God. What became flesh was God’s final revelation of what He is like revealed in the Man, Jesus Christ. This is why John went on to write “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (John 1:18).” The Son revealed the Father. And so John wrote his gospel showing the many signs and wonders Jesus performed so “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31).”

The four Old Testament prophecies concerning the Branch as king, servant, man and Son of God find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ as presented in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each gospel writer was inspired by God to set forth a unique and yet complimentary portrait of the Christ.

As we read the Word of God and come to faith in Christ we find our own fulfillment as well. The New Testament says to us, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:8-10).” Merry Christmas!