How can a per\u00adson grow a green branch? The ans\u00adwer is in Isai\u00adah 11, whe\u00adre a green branch grows from an old tree stump. It is the Mes\u00adsiah who came into the world as a child in Beth\u00adle\u00adhem as the Prin\u00adce of Peace. Through his word he is buil\u00adding a king\u00addom of peace which will be com\u00adple\u00adted at his return. The King\u00addom of Peace of God is of world\u00adwi\u00adde significance.<\/p>\n
As a result of the war, the city was com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly des\u00adtroy\u00aded during the occu\u00adpa\u00adti\u00adon of Kher\u00adson by Rus\u00adsia. It resem\u00adbles a stony desert cut off from elec\u00adtri\u00adci\u00adty. Are the\u00adre any signs of hope for the inha\u00adbi\u00adtants? In 2020, the\u00adre were exten\u00adsi\u00adve bush and forest fires in Aus\u00adtra\u00adlia with devas\u00adta\u00adting con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces for ani\u00admals and plants. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing is in ruins. But at some point, green shoots sprout up again. In 587 BC<\/span>, the worst time of cri\u00adsis that the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel had ever expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced began. The land had been des\u00adtroy\u00aded and con\u00adque\u00adr\u00aded. The temp\u00adle no lon\u00adger stands. Church ser\u00advices could no lon\u00adger be held. Good fri\u00adends and neigh\u00adbours were abduc\u00adted. The land lies on the ground. Isai\u00adah, a pro\u00adphet of God, appears in this situation. \tWhat does the meta\u00adphor of the stump of Jes\u00adse mean? What does it mean that a new shoot emer\u00adges from this root? How can a per\u00adson grow a green branch? The ans\u00adwer is found in Isai\u00adah 11, whe\u00adre a green branch grows from an old tree stump. It is the Mes\u00adsiah, who came into the world as a child in Beth\u00adle\u00adhem as the Prin\u00adce of Peace. Through his word, he estab\u00adlishes a king\u00addom of peace, which will be com\u00adple\u00adted at his return. The king\u00addom of peace\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7065,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-6985","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nGreen branch
\n\u00abA shoot will come forth from the stump of Jes\u00adse \u2013 a new shoot will bear fruit from his roots. The Spi\u00adrit of the LORD<\/span> will rest on him \u2013 the Spi\u00adrit of wis\u00addom and under\u00adstan\u00adding, the Spi\u00adrit of coun\u00adsel and might, the Spi\u00adrit of know\u00adledge and the fear of the LORD<\/span>. He will take plea\u00adsu\u00adre in the fear of the LORD<\/span>. His jud\u00adge\u00adment will not be based on out\u00adward appearan\u00adces, he will not deci\u00adde on the basis of what he hears. He will ensu\u00adre jus\u00adti\u00adce for the poor and bring jus\u00adti\u00adce to the oppres\u00adsed. He smites the land with the rod of his lips and slays the wicked with the breath of his mouth. Righ\u00adteous\u00adness is his belt and truth his gird\u00adle\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 11:1\u20135 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe meta\u00adphor for Israel\u2019s hope\u00adl\u00adess situa\u00adti\u00adon is a stump. Now that the tree has been fel\u00adled, the stump of Jes\u00adse is rot\u00adting. Jes\u00adse can be trans\u00adla\u00adted as the gift of God or God exists. He is the father of King David, who led Isra\u00adel into a gol\u00adden age. At the time of Isai\u00adah, this gol\u00adden age was almost 500 years ago. Howe\u00adver, it was alre\u00ada\u00addy pro\u00adphe\u00adsied about the house of David at that time: \u00abWhen you die, I will appoint one of your des\u00adcen\u00addants as your suc\u00adces\u00adsor and will estab\u00adlish his king\u00adship. [\u2026] I will set him over my roy\u00adal house and my king\u00addom for all time, and his thro\u00adne will be estab\u00adlished fore\u00adver\u00bb (1 Chro\u00adnic\u00adles 17:11\u201314 NLB<\/span>). A litt\u00adle more than 500 years later, the eter\u00adnal ruler of the end times grows like a green branch from the stump of Jes\u00adse that remains alo\u00adne. Jesus of Naza\u00adreth claims to be the Son of David. Twice 500 years of patience!
\nPlants grow wit\u00adhout us being able to watch them. But this sto\u00adry is pro\u00adof that God keeps his pro\u00admi\u00adses and that Jesus real\u00adly is the one who is buil\u00adding an eter\u00adnal king\u00addom. \u00abLook, I am doing a new thing; it is alre\u00ada\u00addy sprou\u00adting. Can\u2019t you see it\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 43:19 NLB<\/span>)? Some\u00adti\u00admes we look into our lives and also see a hope\u00adl\u00adess\u00adly rot\u00adten stump. God keeps his pro\u00admi\u00adses and will also give new shoots in your life. Jesus is the green branch, with Him we come to a green branch.
\nThe green branch is the bea\u00adrer of the Spi\u00adrit of God, which is cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adsed by the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing qua\u00adli\u00adties: Wis\u00addom, under\u00adstan\u00adding, coun\u00adsel, power, know\u00adledge, fear of God, jus\u00adti\u00adce, righ\u00adteous\u00adness and truth. All the\u00adse are func\u00adtions that are ele\u00admen\u00adta\u00adry for the Prin\u00adce of Peace of an eter\u00adnal kingdom.
\nAnd now the high\u00adlight: the exact same Spi\u00adrit of God dwells in a per\u00adson who lives in a rela\u00adti\u00adonship of trust with Jesus. We the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre have the per\u00adfect resour\u00adce within us to reign with Jesus in his king\u00addom. We belong to his roy\u00adal priest\u00adhood. This govern\u00adment has not\u00adhing to do with proud ruler\u00adship, but with a com\u00admit\u00adment to jus\u00adti\u00adce and righ\u00adteous\u00adness among the poor and oppres\u00adsed and with the fear of God.
\nThe pro\u00admi\u00adse David recei\u00adved was ful\u00adfil\u00adled 1000 years later. It is just as true that Jesus will come again and com\u00adple\u00adte His King\u00addom of Peace.
\nNew creation
\n\u00abThen the wolf and the lamb will live tog\u00ade\u00adther in harm\u00ado\u00adny; the leo\u00adpard and the goat will camp tog\u00ade\u00adther. Calf, lion and fat\u00adten\u00aded catt\u00adle will beco\u00adme fri\u00adends and a litt\u00adle boy will look after them. Cow and bear will gra\u00adze tog\u00ade\u00adther. Their young will rest side by side. The lion will eat straw like the catt\u00adle. The baby will play at the otter\u2019s hole. Yes, a todd\u00adler sticks his hand into a den of poi\u00adso\u00adno\u00adus sna\u00adkes. In all my holy moun\u00adtain no one will do evil or cau\u00adse trou\u00adble, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be fil\u00adled with the know\u00adledge of the LORD<\/span>\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 11:6\u20139 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe green branch is born as a child in a sta\u00adble in Beth\u00adle\u00adhem. Howe\u00adver, he does not remain small and insi\u00adgni\u00adfi\u00adcant, but is the Prin\u00adce of Peace who builds the final mes\u00adsia\u00adnic king\u00addom of peace. As the bea\u00adrer of the crea\u00adti\u00adve spi\u00adrit of God, he over\u00adco\u00admes all evil vio\u00adlence and god\u00adless\u00adness not with world\u00adly power, but with his word (v. 4b), with which he also crea\u00adtes the new crea\u00adti\u00adon \u2013 a king\u00addom of jus\u00adti\u00adce and peace. The ori\u00adgi\u00adnal crea\u00adti\u00adon is res\u00adto\u00adred, per\u00adfec\u00adted and exal\u00adted. The peaceful coexis\u00adtence of humans and wild ani\u00admals, even with the ser\u00adpent, indi\u00adca\u00adtes that the\u00adre is no lon\u00adger any dan\u00adger in the new crea\u00adti\u00adon. At the heart of it all is a rene\u00adwed rela\u00adti\u00adonship with God, which is descri\u00adbed as the know\u00adledge of the Lord. The Hebrew word for know\u00adledge is an inti\u00adma\u00adte rela\u00adtio\u00adnal term. God\u2019s enti\u00adre crea\u00adti\u00adon will be com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adsed by the God of love and peace.
\nIma\u00adgi\u00adne: The neo-Nazi moves in with the migrant, peace reig\u00adns in the Midd\u00adle East, arms com\u00adpa\u00adnies build wind tur\u00adbi\u00adnes, no woman has to be afraid of her hus\u00adband any more, skin colours are sim\u00adply beau\u00adtiful, Selen\u00adski toasts a com\u00admon future with Putin, women are pro\u00admo\u00adted under the Talib\u00adans and in Iran\u2019s regime the\u00adre is eupho\u00adria over the lively trade rela\u00adti\u00adons with the USA<\/span>. The king\u00addom of peace bears the cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristics of Christ. He embo\u00addies its culture.
\nIn the light of the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment, we reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse Christ as the ful\u00adfil\u00adler and finis\u00adher of all pro\u00admi\u00adses (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 1:20). As the Risen One, He will estab\u00adlish the eter\u00adnal king\u00addom of peace at His return. This king\u00addom of peace stands in the ten\u00adsi\u00adon bet\u00adween \u00abalre\u00ada\u00addy\u00bb and \u00abnot yet\u00bb. With the first coming of Jesus, the reign of God has begun, small and incon\u00adspi\u00adcuous like a green branch on a stump. Peo\u00adp\u00adle in whom the Spi\u00adrit of God lives can alre\u00ada\u00addy express it in fragments.
\nGlo\u00adbal significance
\n\u00abThen the root of Jes\u00adse, from which new shoots grow, will be a sign to the nati\u00adons. They will ask for it wit\u00adhout cea\u00adsing, and they will live in glo\u00adry\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 11:10 NLB<\/span>).
\nThe eter\u00adnal king\u00addom of peace has Jewish roots. The stump that was belie\u00adved to be dead pro\u00addu\u00adces other green bran\u00adches in addi\u00adti\u00adon to Christ. The\u00adse are peo\u00adp\u00adle and churches on which the Spi\u00adrit of God is pre\u00adsent. Each of the\u00adse bran\u00adches spreads the mar\u00advell\u00adous fra\u00adgrance of new life, a fore\u00adtas\u00adte of the king\u00addom of peace. This is so appe\u00adal\u00ading that peo\u00adp\u00adle from all nati\u00adons tire\u00adless\u00adly ask why.
\nThe stump of Jes\u00adse is a remin\u00adder of a natio\u00adnal affair that took place 3,000 years ago in the Ori\u00adent. The green branch from this stump, on the other hand, has glo\u00adbal signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce. The gos\u00adpel of the hope of glo\u00adry is rele\u00advant for every per\u00adson on earth. That is why Jesus chal\u00adlenges us to go into all the world and bring peo\u00adp\u00adle the good news about him and his kingdom.
\nIt says here that peo\u00adp\u00adle do not need to be con\u00advin\u00adced or even per\u00adsua\u00added. The root with the green shoots will be a sign so that peo\u00adp\u00adle will tire\u00adless\u00adly ask. Every green branch grows on the soil of Juda\u00adism and car\u00adri\u00ades the DNA<\/span> of Jesus Christ and his king\u00addom. Does the king\u00addom of God shi\u00adne out of my ever\u00ady\u00adday life? Does my inter\u00adac\u00adtion with other peo\u00adp\u00adle and my pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons reek of Jesus? Is my life cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adri\u00adsed by hope for glo\u00adry? Is it love that dri\u00adves me?
\nPeter alre\u00ada\u00addy assu\u00admed that a life of hope attracts atten\u00adti\u00adon: \u00abMake Christ the Lord of your life. And if anyo\u00adne asks you about your hope, always be rea\u00addy to give infor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon about it, but in a fri\u00adend\u00adly way and with respect for others\u00bb (1 Peter 3:15f NLB<\/span>). Our hope is the per\u00adfect king\u00addom of peace. Green bran\u00adches in our own lives and in the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty help us not to lose our focus.
\nHow can we live a life that keeps peo\u00adp\u00adle asking? The litt\u00adle boy had gone to the mar\u00adket in the mor\u00adning with a bas\u00adket full of fresh man\u00adgo fruit. He sat under a tree and offe\u00adred his fruit for sale. He still had no expe\u00adri\u00adence in sel\u00adling. He sat the\u00adre anxious\u00adly. The more despon\u00addent he beca\u00adme, the wea\u00adk\u00ader his voice beca\u00adme. The hours pas\u00adsed. It was mid\u00adday. The sun was bur\u00adning hot. Peo\u00adp\u00adle were thirsty but his beau\u00adtiful man\u00adgoes went unno\u00adti\u00adced. He beca\u00adme dis\u00adgrunt\u00adled. He was dis\u00adap\u00adpoin\u00adted and very frus\u00adtra\u00adted. Final\u00adly, he said to hims\u00adelf: \u00abIf nobo\u00addy wants my beau\u00adtiful man\u00adgoes, I will at least tre\u00adat mys\u00adelf to one. He took a beau\u00adtiful fruit from the bas\u00adket and bit into it. The juice refres\u00adhed him, ran down the cor\u00adners of his mouth a litt\u00adle and the man\u00adgo fruit spread its fla\u00advour. His eyes began to shi\u00adne. You could tell he lik\u00aded the fla\u00advour. He savou\u00adred his man\u00adgo. The peo\u00adp\u00adle pas\u00adsing by smel\u00adled the fra\u00adgrance. They saw the litt\u00adle man eating with relish and work\u00aded up an appe\u00adti\u00adte. The demand was now so gre\u00adat that the bas\u00adket was quick\u00adly emp\u00adty. The litt\u00adle boy now knew how to get the man\u00adgoes to the peo\u00adp\u00adle. All the tal\u00adking had been to no avail. Only when he ate it hims\u00adelf and the peo\u00adp\u00adle saw how good the fruit tas\u00adted did they grab it.
\nWe need to enjoy Jesus, reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse Him more and live in His love. Then the demand for our fruit will increase very quick\u00adly. Inti\u00adma\u00adte cont\u00adact with God chan\u00adges us. A good oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to live this know\u00adledge of the Lord is the offer from the VGB<\/span> (United Bible Groups) cal\u00adled Moments of Silence. From 14 \u2013 30 Decem\u00adber, the\u00adre will be dai\u00adly medi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon exer\u00adci\u00ads\u00ades via Zoom at 21:00 to 21:30. You can regis\u00adter for this on the VBG<\/span> website.
\nDo you want to get your life off to a good start? Then the\u00adre is no way around the off\u00adspring of the stump of Jes\u00adse. He was born incon\u00adspi\u00adcuous\u00adly in a sta\u00adble in the hin\u00adter\u00adland of Judea. He is the Prin\u00adce of Peace who is buil\u00adding the inde\u00adscri\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly glo\u00adrious king\u00addom of peace. Whoe\u00adver beco\u00admes part of it has come to a green branch.
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nBible text: Isai\u00adah 11:1\u201310<\/p>\n
\n\tBefo\u00adre the king\u00addom of peace descri\u00adbed, jud\u00adge\u00adment is descri\u00adbed (v.4b). What is meant by this?
\n\tThe Spi\u00adrit of God brings qua\u00adli\u00adty into life. How do you expe\u00adri\u00adence the\u00adse qua\u00adli\u00adties in yourself?
\n\tJesus Christ estab\u00adlishes an eter\u00adnal king\u00addom of peace through his word. Whe\u00adre do you see it alre\u00ada\u00addy? What will it be like based on this description?
\n\tThe sprout from the root of Jes\u00adse has world\u00adwi\u00adde rele\u00advan\u00adce. Whe\u00adre do you see your con\u00adtri\u00adbu\u00adti\u00adon to the spread of the Gospel?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"