A Shoot from the Stump of Jesse

2nd Sunday of Advent - Isaiah 11:1-10

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

and from his roots a bud shall blossom.

The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:

a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

a spirit of counsel and of strength,

a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,

and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

Not by appearance shall he judge,

nor by hearsay shall he decide,

but he shall judge the poor with justice,

and decide aright for the land's afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Justice shall be the band around his waist,

and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

the calf and the young lion shall browse together,

with a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,

together their young shall rest;

the lion shall eat hay like the ox.

The baby shall play by the cobra's den,

and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,

as water covers the sea.

On that day, the root of Jesse,

set up as a signal for the nations,

the Gentiles shall seek out,

for his dwelling shall be glorious.

Isaiah’s famous Stump of Jesse oracle is his longest and most detailed prophecy of the coming messianic royal child. By the time Isaiah wrote these words, the grand tree of the house of David was beginning to look like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. Soon it would resemble a smoldering stump more than a dynasty that would last forever. In 587 BC, the Babylonian Empire sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and took the upper levels of society into exile. It seemed that God’s great promise that one of David’s descendants would always sit on David’s throne was just wishful reminiscing of a bygone day. But Isaiah prophesied that a shoot would sprout from the stump of David’s father Jesse. 

This prophecy includes two great promises: a new king and a new creation. This new king from the line of Jesse’s son David will be anointed by the Spirit of the Lord, just as David himself once was (see 1 Samuel 16:13). He will be invested with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are at the heart of the Rite of Confirmation during the Laying on of Hands which makes the newly confirmed a little christ. The same thing happened at your Confirmation. This coming Messianic King will not judge by appearances, just as the Lord did not judge the young David by his appearance (see 1 Samuel 16:7), and his will be a reign of justice and peace.

The second promise of a new creation takes the form of Eden-like imagery of peaceful coexistence between natural enemies. These pairs of animals represent a reversal of the effects of sin on the natural order and among the nations who war with one another. Who rules over this blissful New Eden? None other than the “little child,” the “shoot of Jesse” himself. In this new creation, the People of God will include not only the Jewish people but also the Gentiles. 

With Jesus’ advent in Bethlehem, the shoot finally sprouted from the stump of Jesse. As an immortal King who can no longer die, Jesus is the ideal fulfillment of God’s promise that David’s descendants would always sit on the throne. Those of us who follow him also experience the Spirit’s anointing and gifts. But Jesus’ work is not yet done. God’s people longed for the shoot to sprout in the days of Isaiah, and we look forward to his return to inaugurate the Messianic Era of peace and justice. The Lord kept his promises of a king and a shoot, and he will also keep his promise of a glorious return and re-creation.