The Branches of the Branch

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots..." Isaiah 11:1

"I am the vine, ye are the branches..." John 15:5a

"The Branch" was another Old Testament symbol for the Messiah. He was to be of David's family lineage, which Christ was (Matthew 1:6, 16; Luke 3:23, 31, 32). All of Jesus' disciples (being first century Jews) would have known that Jesus (since He was the Messiah) would be "the Branch." Needless to say, they probably were a little taken aback when Christ said that they would be, in effect, the branches of the Branch.

In John 15, Jesus was speaking about more than mere life and strength that comes from Him. He was talking about life and strength that comes from Him in order to DO something, i.e., "bear much fruit," carry on the mantle of the Messiah. What Christ started, His followers were to continue.

We have a small view of salvation and sanctification. We think Christ merely saved and sanctified us from something, when the truth is He saved and sanctified us from something into Himself. We did not just escape from Hell. We are now a part of the Branch, and everything He is, we are.

We do not take sonship seriously. We are the children of God, His sons and daughters; and if there is one thing our Elder Brother taught us 2000 years ago, it is that to be God's child is about more than privileges: it is about responsibility. "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." (John 15:8) To be Christ's follower means to take up the work that He left for us, i.e., "the kingdom of God," the preaching of forgiveness of sins and deliverance from evil, the praying for God's kingdom to spread, and everything else that the Lord's prayer was about (Matthew 6:9-13).

As Elisha took up Elijah's mantle literally, so we take up the Messiah's mantle figuratively, i.e., we are the body of Christ. We are to continue on earth what Christ started 2000 years ago and what He will finish at the time appointed.