Built by the Branch!

‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.'

Zechariah 6:12b-13

This prophecy about Jesus tells us that He will build the temple of the Lord, be clothed in majesty and sit and rule on His throne.

Of all the occupations that existed when Jesus was born, it does seem appropriate that Jesus would learn to be a carpenter. Jesus must have learned to build many things out of wood. Trees have been important in the Bible from the very beginning. It was the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” that sidetracked Adam and Eve from God’s original design. It is the “Tree of Life” that we, one day will be able to eat from its fruit and live forever! Mankind was saved when Noah built an ark out of gopher wood. And Jesus was crucified on a tree not on a rock!

So Jesus Christ was a carpenter while on this earth, but He has been a builder in a much greater sense for more than two thousand years. The Bible says that followers of Jesus are in their own bodies the Temple of God! The Holy Spirit lives in those who follow Jesus.

Jesus is building His Church and it is the Temple of God. Jesus also sits on His throne in your heart and rules!

When it comes to Jesus’ work in my life there is an “Under Construction” sign on my heart! Every day His work moves forward or I refuse to let Him work. Some days I even tear down something He is working on in my life! So today, I set my heart and mind toward allowing Jesus to do His work in me!

Every carpenter is an expert when it comes to nails. Jesus bought me by letting the soldiers put nails in His hands and feet as they hung Him on the cross. For Jesus to do His work in my life, I must let Him put nails in my heart as He fastens me to the Tree of Life!