ETERNAL
BRANCH
Seventh
of twelve devotions in Advent Parallel
Bible Study series
Zechariah
6:12-13, Hebrews 7:23-28
Zechariah
6:12-13: “Tell this is what the Lord
Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch and he will branch out
from his place and build a temple for the Lord.
It is he who will build a temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed
with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’”
Harmony between what two? Zechariah is talking about an earthly priest,
Joshua, from verse eleven. “Branch” is a
Messianic title. Zechariah 3:8 says,
“Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are
men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring My Servant, the Branch.” Joshua’s associates were other priests. They heard their prophet Zechariah informing
them who would eventually take their place.
Jesus is the Branch. There will be harmony between earthly priests
and Jesus. “Branch” defines an offshoot
of the priestly Hebrew family of Levites.
Jesus descended from King David, as God’s chosen in 1 Samuel 16:12. The Branch of Jesse [David’s father] is found
in Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot will come up
from the stump of Jesse; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit.” Matthew 1:1-16 shows the genealogy of
Jesus.
The third previous devotion taught
that Jesus will be priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:15-22 says, “And what we have said
is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has
become a priest not on the basis of regulation as to his ancestry but on the
basis of power of an indestructible life.
For it is declared: ‘You are a priest forever, on the order of
Melchizedek.’
“The former regulation is set aside
because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a
better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. And it was made without an oath! Others became priests without an oath, but He
became priest with an oath when God said to Him: ‘The Lord has sworn and will
not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’ Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee
of a better covenant.”
Take Home Nugget
Hebrews 7:26-28 shows that all former
priests had to sacrifice animals for their own sins, and for the sins of their
people. They all died. But Jesus will
live forever interceding for believers. Jesus’
sacrifice on the cross was the last sacrifice.
The eternal Branch Jesus is the only one holy, perfect and blameless!
Jesus,
the Branch of David through Jesse, is believers’ eternal priest.
J.D. Griffith
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