#DailyDevotion Jesus is the Branch and the Church is His Temple
January 28th
Read Zech 6:1—7:14
Zec 6:11-14 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. (12) And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. (13) It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”‘ (14) And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah… 7:9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, (10) do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”
Joshua, the Lord saves, is the name given by the angel to Mary and Joseph to name the child in Mary’s virgin womb. Jesus is the Greek form of that name. Now this Joshua is not the Branch but stands as a type of the Branch who is to come. Joshua is the high priest of Israel. The Branch who is to come and is promised here will also be a high priest, and not just “a” high priest, but The High Priest. Jeremiah tells us of him, Jer 33:15 “In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.” The true Branch is of the house of David and is the root of Jesse. Jesus, the son of Mary is this promised Branch.
Jesus branches out from Jerusalem, to Samaria, Damascus and to the ends of the earth establishing justice and righteousness among the nations. Jesus is building the temple of God by making people living stones of them. He does this through baptizing them into his name, his life, death and resurrection. By atoning for their sins and forgiving them, Jesus brings peace between God and man, reconciling the two in his flesh.
It is written, Heb 5:7-10 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. (8) Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. (9) And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, (10) being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 7:15This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, (16) who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.
Since this is so, as his faithful followers we are called to fulfill this word in our lives, “Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, (10) do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the righteous Branch who grafts us into your body and life through the waters of holy baptism. May it truly be said of us, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Amen.