By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

The Branch Appears

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“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”
Isaiah 11:1 New International Version

Every Christmas Eve growing up all of our extended family would gather at one of our homes and my Mom would play the piano, my uncle the violin, and we would all sing Christmas carols.  I think my mother’s favorite was “O Tannenbaum” (Oh, Christmas Tree).  As she led us in singing in German she would sometimes cry, remembering her Dad who loved to sing that song in the language of his birth.

No matter your Christmas tradition, there is something magical about a Christmas tree  with its green branches and beautiful lights and snow coming down softly upon it.  In the midst of winter there is the hope and promise of life in the evergreen tree.

Isaiah says that in our Bible verse above.  Out of the deadness of a stump comes a tender shoot, out of the seemingly dead roots comes a Branch that bears fruit.  Out of the deadness of fallen man comes One who will redeem the world, a descendant of Jesse, One sent by God to save us.

In the midst of darkness and cold of winter the evergreen is alive.  In the midst of sin and death and pain, the Branch will grow and proclaim the goodness and faithfulness of God.  And when sinful men kill this One, in His death He will bring salvation and in His resurrection He gives eternal life.

Of course this Branch, this Shoot, is none other than Jesus Christ, the Lord of the universe who came down to this sinful world to save us.  He comes to bring life and to bring it abundantly.  He comes to set the prisoner free and to heal the sin sick soul.  He is the Gift of Life at Christmas.

“Your boughs, so green in Summertime
Stay bravely green in Wintertime
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum
How lovely are your branches”

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado