The prophecy of Isaiah is thoroughly Messianic. He sets down with amazing detail the virgin birth of Immanuel, Messiah’s humble ministry, His vicarious death and resurrection, and His return and righteous rule. Particularly in chapters 7-11, the prophet advances the revelation of God’s promise of the coming Savior in three remarkable texts – a trilogy of Messianic prophecies that highlight the Messiah miraculous birth, His royal character, and His work. Together they sum up the essence of the gospel, the good news, the great mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh in the person of Immanuel.

The whole of chapter 11 is Messianic, beginning with His appearance (1-5), continuing with a description of the idyllic peace of the messianic age (6-9), and ending with a depiction of His saving work in terms of a Second Exodus (11-16). In this final study of the trilogy, I want to give attention to the first section that declares the mystery of the incarnation, the endowments of the Messiah, and His engagements.

The Incarnation of Messiah⤒🔗

The text focuses on the humble origin and life of the Messiah who appeared in the fullness of time when all seemed hopeless. Verse 1 uses the titles “rod” and “branch” to refer to Immanuel. Both of these words refer to a sucker or suckling that springs up in unexpected places rather than to large boughs on strong trees. The suckling is extraneous growth that is usually regarded as worthless, something to be removed and discarded, or something that sprouts up from the stump of a tree that has been cut down. This gives a remarkable image of the Messiah’s humiliation and humble origins. That Isaiah associates the rod and branch with Jesse rather than David heightens the sense of hopelessness since it was with David that the covenant promise was associated. In chapter 7, Isaiah revealed that Immanuel would come to a kingless land. Indeed, when Christ came, it appeared that the house of David had fallen and become defunct. There was no appearance of royal life in David’s line and no heir to the throne apparent. But to the stump of David’s house a sprout appeared, giving evidence of life and the certainty of God’s unfailing promise of David’s royal Seed. What an unpretentious and humble beginning for the King of kings!

By giving evidence of latent life, the terms rod and branch express hope in God’s unfailing promise but also the amazing depths of Messiah’s humiliation. Interestingly, the term “Branch” that Isaiah uses here is not the same word that occurs elsewhere as a Messianic title (Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). The imagery is much the same, but Isaiah 11:1 uses a different word and is most likely the reference to which Matthew refers when he says Christ was called a “Nazarene” because He lived in Nazareth in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (2:23). Since the city of Nazareth is not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament, Matthew’s statement must be something other than a geographical reference. The Hebrew word is netser and is an obvious sound play (or pun) on the Greek word Nazareth. Nazareth was a despised place; even Nathaniel was skeptical that anything good could ever come from there (John 1:46). So Matthew is saying that Christ’s living in Nazareth (a despised village) was a manifestation of Messiah’s being a “suckling” (a netser, that often-unwanted growth). He could have translated the Hebrew word but chose to transliterate it because of its similar sound to Nazareth. The point, however, is clear: from heaven’s glory God sent His Son to be born in a barn to a poor family of David’s line who lived in a most humble place. The path of that humiliation led from Bethlehem’s barn to insignificant Nazareth to shameful Calvary. There is little wonder why Paul calls the Incarnation the great mystery of godliness (1 Tim. 2:16). God was manifest in the lowly flesh to obey humbly as a servant all the way to the death of the cross.

The Endowments of Messiah←⤒🔗

The term “messiah” means the anointed one. Verse 2 delineates the Spirit’s anointing of the God/Man, enabling and equipping Him for the tremendous task He was commissioned to accomplish. The “spirit of the Lord” that would rest on Him is a direct reference to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who is the Lord. Being empowered by the Holy Spirit was proof of Messiahship (Isa. 61:1-3). Significantly, it was the descending and remaining of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at His baptism that was the confirming evidence for John that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God (John 1:33-34). This spiritual anointing is admittedly a mysterious truth. At the very least it highlights the cooperation of the Godhead in the work of salvation. The Father elected the Mediator; the Son executed the mediation; the Spirit empowered the Mediator.

Isaiah mentions six consequences of the Spirit’s anointing. These six characteristics occur in three pairs and touch on the three spheres of Christ’s mediatorial authority as Priest, King, and Prophet. First, He has the power to be Priest: “the spirit of wisdom and understanding.” Discernment was a key function of the priestly office, whether in distinguishing between what was clean and unclean or determining God’s will through Urim and Thummim. Unlike any other, Jesus had the ability to appraise situations and with keen insight render the right decisions. He could infallibly distinguish between the true and the false, even to man’s very heart.

Second, He has the power to be King: “the spirit of counsel and might.” “Counsel” refers to the ability to form wise plans, and “might” refers to the ability to execute those plans. Together they signify the exercise of His sovereignty and unfailing success in accomplishing His mission.

Third, He has the power to be a Prophet: “the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” So often, Scripture links the knowledge of God with the fear of God. A prophet is God’s representative to man, and the prophet must, therefore, have an intimate knowledge of the One he represents. As the eternal Son, Christ had an intimate and unique knowledge of God (Matt. 11:27). In the light of that intimate knowledge, Jesus lived in the fear of God, ever conscious of the One whom He obeyed (Psa. 40:6-7) and from whom He received daily instruction, giving Him the seasonable word for the needy (Isa. 50:4). All together, these spiritual endowments affected His intellectual, practical, and religious ministries. Christ was well equipped to be the only Mediator between God and men.

The Engagements of Messiah←⤒🔗

In verses 3-5, Isaiah sums up Christ’s work with three thoughts. First, He saves His people (v. 4a). The poor and meek are those who are helpless and weak, those who have been humbled and afflicted. In the ultimate and spiritual sense, these are those humbled by conviction before God and oppressed by the bondage of sin from which they cannot free themselves. But there is deliverance in Christ (Isa. 61:1-3); these are the very kind of people He came to seek and to save. Second, He will destroy sinners (vv. 4b-5). Righteousness demands justice, and those who are not saved will be smitten with the rod of His mouth and slain by the breath of His lips. The same breath that creates life will blow sinners away like wind-driven chaff. Verse 5 employs the imagery of an ancient “belt wrestler” who was ready to face the contest and struggle. His belt held the weapons of righteousness and faithfulness that could not be snatched away by the opponent; victory was certain. The standard by which they were defeated was inflexible and consistently executed. Third, He will judge infallibly (v. 3). He makes no mistakes on the Day of Judgment regarding either those who are saved or those who are to be destroyed; His knowledge of the human heart is profound. The imagery of verse 3 is suggestive. The literal translation is “his smelling is by the fear of the Lord.” It is a picture of perception and discernment, similar to our own expression “something doesn’t smell right.” The standard by which He discerns is the fear of the Lord, which in the Old Testament often designates the essence of true religion and piety. He judges on the basis of a true relationship with God, something that is knowable only by seeing the heart. Hence the judgment is not just by outward sight (appearance) or sound (profession). As the infallible Judge, He looks through every façade to the real condition of the heart. He knows what is in man (John 2:25).

So as Isaiah makes the last installment in the Immanuel trilogy, he makes it unmistakably clear that eternal destiny is linked to this God/Man. The Messiah is equipped to save; He is equipped to condemn. Thus it is imperative to follow the counsel of Psalm 2:12 to,

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way … Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.