Reflection of the CROSS  – No 2  Jesus ‘The Branch’

The Cross – Nothing can shake loose or break the victory that Jesus achieved in his death on the cross.

Only once have I experienced locally a minor earthquake, it was about 7.30am I woke up hearing a rumbling sound rolling towards the house coming down the lane, the house gently shook, we hardly felt it and it continued on past the house.

I visualise in my mind what the scene was like in Jerusalem on the afternoon of the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. At the sixth hour the light began to fade, the birds stopped singing and a chilling wind filled the air. People suddenly heard a rumbling sound in seconds it grew louder and louder and the earth began to shake violently. People held on to what they could, some ran into the street, cracks and chasms began to appear in the ground, buildings began to crumble.

Jesus’ body on the cross must have shaken, the cross didn’t give way and break under the strain of the weight it bore. It was held firm in place in the ground, immovable by the quake.

 ^“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” Matthew 27: 51 RSV Bible

The temple building was damaged it’s recorded that the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place was torn from top to bottom revealing the interior of the most sacred room in the temple where the high priest entered once a year with the sacrifices of blood on the day of atonement. Christians believe that the torn curtain from top to bottom signified God leaving the temple. The new temple being the body of the risen Jesus.

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour and Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27: 45-50 RSV Bible

The cross during those most crucial hours when Jesus took upon himself, in his being the penalty of the sins of the whole world and universe. His words tell us that he was separated, forsaken by God his Father. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Jesus died soon after saying those words.

Through Jesus’ death sin died with him. God defeated Satan and his principalities and powers, taking from Satan his power over humanity that caused eternal death separation from God our creator.

 ^“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2: 14, 15.

Point of need – Our every point of need to work out our salvation is found in Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross.

On the evening of the day of Jesus’ resurrection Jesus appeared before his disciples and in the house where they were staying in Jerusalem. There Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on his disciples, (the wind, the breath of God’s Holy Spirit) they were later told to wait for the Holy Spirit’s coming in power. The Holy Spirit came into the house where they where and filled them, it took place at Pentecost. John 20: 22.  Luke 24: 49. Acts 2: 1-4.

Through faith in Jesus and acknowledging that we need to be right with God we say sorry to God and ask him to forgive us, we repent and God forgives our sin, and by the action and grace of the Holy Spirit  we are united with Jesus in his death, dying for our sin and in his resurrection by being raised up with him into heavenly places. As a result of sincere faith we receive Father, Son and Holy Spirit into our heart.

We can’t say that this sequence happens in this way every time. God isn’t restricted to one way, but turning in faith to Jesus, seeking repentance and forgiveness of sins are the ingredients to being filled with the Holy Spirit.

We can ask in faith to receive God’s Holy Spirit as a gift, we say in a prayer:

Prayer   Lord thank you for all that you have done for me on the cross reconciling me to God my Father and I ask to receive your precious gift of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The cross part of Jesus

Every part of the work of redemption is in Christ, even the wood that bore the force of the earthquake.

Jesus referred to as ‘the Branch’ of a tree and a root out of dry ground.

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of its roots.”  Isaiah 11: 1. No coincidence that Jesus is called the ‘Branch’ one of the titles associated with the Messiah. Isaiah identifies the suffering of the Messiah, For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground.” Isaiah 53: 2.

Isaiah’s clear reference to the Messiah in describing him being a descendent of King David through Jesse’s line.  The Spirit of the Lord resting upon Jesus, as a boy aged 12 he knew that God was his Father and he had the characteristics of his Father God in his amazing miracles and healing ministry that revealed God in their midst. Isaiah 11: 1-9. Luke 2. 41-52.

Nathaniel in conversation with Jesus immediately associated Jesus’ reference to the Messiah when Jesus said to him, ”Before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathaniel replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” John 1: 48, 49.

Jesus saying that he saw him under the fig tree perhaps Zachariah’s vision came to Nathaniel’s mind.

Zachariah wrote what the angel had said, “Behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, upon the stone which I set before Joshua, upon a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day. In that day, says the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbour under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zachariah 3: 10.

Jesus the Branch “I will remove the guilt of this land.”  

Jesus’ death on the cross removing the guilt of past sins and the curse God put on a man punished under law, hanging from a tree, to be removed before the end of the day otherwise the land would be defiled.

Jesus became sin, the curse that God put upon the man who hung from the branch of the tree.

“And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is accursed by God; you shall not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance. Deuteronomy 21: 22, 23.

Point of need –  On the cross Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the righteousness of God, setting us free from God’s condemnation, from being accursed by God.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us-for it is written, “Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree.” Galatians 3: 13, 23.

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body down before the end of the day.  John 19: 31. Matthew 27: 57-62

Jesus, ‘having become a curse for us’ smitten by God and afflicted, he became all that separated us from God the Father: God in his wrath put upon the ground of thorns and thistles after Adam’s disobedience of God’s word to him that he was not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The curse put on woman: having pain in child-bearing and the rule of man over her. Jesus has redeemed mankind from the curses and every sin and wrong thoughts, attitudes and actions. Genesis 3. Isaiah 53: 4

Prayer  Thank you, Lord for redeeming me from the curse put upon man/woman/child and for all curses coming down my generational line over the third and fourth generations of my ancestry. My goodness, righteousness is in Jesus Christ through repentance and faith in Jesus, I’ve been born anew of the Spirit of God my Father. In the name of Jesus. Amen

Point of need –  to be aware of putting curses upon ourselves.

James 3: 10 “From the same mouth come blessings and cursing.”

He writes that with our tongue we can bless the Lord and curse people in the same sentence.  To bless someone is to want God’s favour to rest on them. To curse is to come against someone with remarks to cause hardship and ill will.

The late Derek Prince on his DVD ‘Generational Curses’ says, “Wrong attitude can lead to self-imposed curses, we should not say, ‘I’m tired of living’ or ‘I’m a failure’. If someone says that to us, revoke the negative with a positive, he gave the example of Jesus in conversation with Peter his disciple before and after his resurrection. In the courtyard of the high priest Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus revoked it three times when he asked him, “Do you love me?” three times.” John 18: 15-27. 21:15-17. Matthew 26: 74

We can make mistakes and our Lord God has given us protection for those mistakes in our redemption through Jesus dying on the cross for all curses and their causes.

Point of need – protection from hindrances.

Sitting under the branches of the tree, gives protection from direct sunlight and a place to invite a friend, a neighbour to sit in fellowship.

The Branch Jesus, the cross shelters and protects us from the fiery darts that would otherwise hinder and preoccupy our time.

• Time spent in prayer for the needs of others, instead of ourselves.
• Time spent listening to God, instead of wrestling with enemy.
• Time spent with others engaging in bringing people to know Jesus as their personal Saviour.

The devil will try to hinder and frustrate the ministry of the church. Being aware of his tactics we can through prayer and Godly wisdom working together discern his activity.

God discerned that Jesus’ strength in his body was failing when Simon of Cyrene was commandeered to carry his cross on the journey through the streets of Jerusalem. Matthew 27: 32

There are times when in our ministry we need to discern when to be supported by others, or to maybe hand the baton to someone else. Recently I’ve handed the baton of leading the Ladies Fellowship to another lady, who graciously has taken up the ministry, this has enriched and blessed her and  the Fellowship.

If we find our strength failing and the task feels  too great, may we humble ourselves before you and pray for your help and grace at the point of our need.

Prayer Thank you Lord, for when we recognise  we are weakened by the limits of our humanity. You are our example and It’s good to know that when the cross we carry is hard to bear, we share with fellow Christians the tasks that you have called us to.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.