Exeter Temple
Message notes: Sunday 29th
November 2015
Bible
Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16
“God
never made a promise that was too good to be true” D.L. Moody
“The
days are coming when I will fulfil the gracious promise I made to the house of
Israel and to the house of Judah.”
(Jeremiah 33:14)
Jeremiah
delivered this his message when such a possibility seemed the most remote. Israel had had a civil war, the nation was
divided, they have been conquered, their land but destroyed and their
leadership exiled.
God
has already fulfilled his promise to send a Saviour. Jesus said he would die
and rise again, send his Holy Spirit upon all kinds of people and he did. He
said that we would know the truth and the truth would set us free and millions
testify to that experience. When we are uncertain about whether the promises of
God that we haven’t yet seen fulfilled will ever be is the truth that there are
so many promises that God has already fulfilled and kept.
1. A
fallen tree
“At
that time I will make a righteous branch sprout from David’s line. v15
Trees
make for good symbols, they stand for a long time, and many live for a long
time. The name of David was synonymous with power, majesty, stability and
prosperity. However sometimes something happens to a tree and for whatever
reason it is cut down and all that remains is the stump. In the heady days of David’s reign, no one
could imagine anything standing in the way of continued success.
“By
definition the church like any organisation, is just one generation away from
extinction” (Anon)
We
might feel we can disagree with this quote in the light of Matthew 16:18 “I
will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” But it needs to be remembered that that the
Spirit said to the Ephesian
The worldwide church
will win through but not necessarily individual congregations. However glorious
their history, each generation must find its own relationship with God.
David
was a man after God’s own heart but his son Solomon although he remained religious
did not remain loyal to the worship of the one true God. In each generation instead of the royal tree
growing in its relationship with God, the branches were broken off, until all
that was left was a stump.
Towards
the end of his reign the otherwise good King Hezekiah got fooled into revealing
state secrets to Israel’s enemies. When Isaiah found out what had happened he
warned Hezekiah that his complacency about security would result in dire
consequences for future generations.
Hezekiah’s
response was not to plead with God to save them but to say “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,”
for he thought “will there not be peace and security in my lifetime.” 2 Kings 20:19
His thinking was “as long as it is not in my
life-time I do not need to worry.” Surely this is not a godly attitude? It was not an attitude
that Jesus had who on the eve of his own death, did not just pray for himself
and for the disciples but for us.
“My prayer is not for them alone I pray also
for those who will believe in me through their message.” John 17:20
2. Signs
of New Life
“I
will make a righteous branch which will sprout from David’s line.” Jeremiah 33:15
“A shoot shall come out from the stump
of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1
In
mentioning Jesse and not David, Isaiah implies that the dignity of the house of
David is so diminished that it has fallen to the level at which it stood when it
was just the rustic Jesse who bore the honour of the family name
There
are things in our lives that seemed to be almost beyond hope but somehow when
we thought all was lost, there is a sign of life. In contrast to the dead wood
it seems insignificant, almost incidental. However it has life and therefore it
has the potential to grow. It is almost
unnoticeable at first and only those who are looking really see the
possibilities that there are.
The
tender shoot reminds us of the way that God often chooses to work. He allows things to start small from
seemingly weak an inauspicious beginnings. From these small beginnings great
things are grown. The question for us is whether we focus on the dead tree
stump or the living green shoot.
The
Branch is not about the good times coming again but is a proper name, for a
Saviour, a Messiah. The coming of this Branch is not a natural out. It is
because God makes it happen.
I will make a righteous branch.” Jeremiah
33:15b
For
years this did not look like being fulfilled. By the time of the New Testament the
king of Judah was not a descendent of David and was a puppet of Rome. In Nazareth at a time when the line of David
was in total obscurity a peasant family who are his descendants have a son and
they call him Jesus. Something that at first seems so insignificant, hardly
anyone notices is in fact the fulfilment of God’s promise to continue David’s
line and save the world.
3. A Glorious Branch
The
baby Jesus, was as vulnerable as a new tender shoot but despite incredible
danger the baby Jesus survives and grows to become the Branch.
“In that day the Branch of the Lord
shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride
and glory of the survivors of Israel.”
Isaiah 4:2
The
Righteous Branch is someone who will rule with justice and integrity, Jeremiah 33:15 & Jeremiah 23:5
This
is seen in Jesus.
He
has authority
Over
nature by the changing of water into wine, and calming the sea.
Over
evil by casting out demons.
Over
sickness and disease by giving sight to the blind, by healing the sick
Over
death when he raised people from the dead.
Over
sin and death forever by his own resurrection.
He has wisdom.
In the temple (Luke 2:47)
In discussions with scribes who tried to trap him (Matthew
22)
He acts justly
the woman caught in adultery – (John 8:3-1)
the money changers in the temple
(Mark 11:1217)
He
has personal integrity (Hebrews 4:15)
Jesus
referred to himself as a tree. “I am the true vine and my Father is the
gardener.” (John 15:1)
He
referred to his kingdom as a mustard seen that grew into an enormous tree. (Mark4:30-32)
He
is the Lord our Righteousness. He
finds a way of imparting his righteousness to us.
“Here is the most radical aspect of God.
This Branch growing out of the stump of Jesse’s shredded family tree would be
put on another dead tree, a cross and from that dead tree blossomed salvation
full and free. God can take a sinner like me, dead in my trespasses and sins,
dead in spirit, dead to the divine and put a new nature in me, making new what
was shrivelled, making alive what was dead, and making time enter all eternity
with rejoicing and weeping for joy.” Anon
God bless
Alan and Carol
