#DailyDevotion: Jesus is the Branch, YHWH our righteousness
November 10
Jer 23:1–20
Jer 23:5-6 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. (6) In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
The people of Judah, the prophets, the priests and all the rulers had all gone astray. In this chapter the Lord focuses mainly on the prophets. They led people astray. They guided them to idol worship. They did not reprove the people for their adultery. When they should have been rebuking the people and warning them of God’s judgment, they were saying all is well—much like today’s prosperity teachers.
Because of their sin, the Lord was going to drive the Jews to many foreign lands, even as it is today. He was going to send someone, a descendent of David, who would bring back God’s people to the Lord. He would the righteous Branch. Indeed he would be the root and shoot of Jesse, a new David. This Branch is Jesus the messiah, of Nazareth.
In his day, Judah was saved. On the cross, Jesus died for the people. He atoned for all their sins by the shedding of his blood. The high priest Caiaphus prophesied it would be better that one man die than the whole nation perish. Jesus is the one who died. But the Lord also prophesied that is was too small a thing to save the Israelites. This Branch would also save all people everywhere.
On the third day, as he prophesied, the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. His resurrection demonstrated his righteousness. On top of that, the Lord Jesus Christ grants to us and all who put their trust in him, his righteousness, the Lord’s righteousness, God’s righteousness. So that as we stand before the throne of God in judgment, it isn’t in our righteousness that we can stand without guilt and shame but with his righteousness we can stand without fear. It is written: Rom 3:22 “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” 2Co 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Php 3:9 “be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
At Jesus’ second advent, he shall send forth his holy angels and they will gather up all those who put their trust in Christ Jesus, after disposing of all the wicked, to himself. Both physical descendents of Abraham and Gentile who put their trust in Jesus, they shall be one Israel and dwell securely in the New Heavens and New Earth. They shall be for God the New Jerusalem in which the Lord dwells, he is us and we in him.
Heavenly Father, grant to the people Israel and the people of the world faith in your righteous Branch, your Son Jesus Christ, that they may be gathered unto you in his righteousness and dwell securely under your wings for all eternity. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.