Advent Reader: Family Tree Significance

Isaiah 11:1-5

My work allows me to work with history and heritage, and last year I was invited to illustrate a family tree going back almost 900 years, quite the dynasty for one family estate. Along the way, I incorporated imagery showing the significance of certain figures in the tree, drawn from evidence found in the archive and from historians.

Isaiah 11: 1-5 takes us to the most important family tree. From a tiny shoot, emerging from a dead stump which remains after God’s judgement over Israel, comes hope. Just as I illustrated that family, the passage considers a figure on this tree. The heir described is everything we want Him to be: filled with the Spirit, wise, understanding, mighty, knowledgeable, in fear of God. He will be just, a reliable listener, a champion of the poor, a good decision maker and powerful.

It is difficult to imagine a human with even a dash of these qualities. What would it look like if our leaders, managers, politicians were like this…

But what a Saviour we have! Born in complete humility, but the rightful heir to a kingdom. We’re in the depths of winter, but in spring those shoots will appear and it’s right to be excited about that. That tiny baby did grow into all those things. Our saviour doesn’t do empty promises.