Today’s verse can be interpreted differently but what I’m seeing is this “Shoot” spoken of, is the culmination of many generations leading up to Jesus himself. There is a plum line from Jesse, David’s father straight to the birth of Jesus Christ. In terms of horticulture the shoot and the vine are synonymous. Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches according to God’s word (John 15:5). As we are connected to the Shoot, or the Vine, we bear much fruit. The fruit we are to bear is the result of you telling people about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they take your message and run with it. In turn they affect others with the same message of the gospel. The only fruit that matters most, is that of the kingdom of God which will last forever. All fruit bearings of this world will perish along with the world on the last day. The fruit we bear for the Kingdom of God will carry over unto the next life.

The announcement of Jesus coming into His ministry was announced by John the Baptist. But in today’s text, Isaiah had the announcement way back in the old testament. Make straight in the desert (this world is the desert, dried out in sin), preparations for the way of the Lord. The Lord had a plan before the fall of man in the garden, to redeem mankind from the sin nature and build His family. Saved folk only are allowed in the family of God (Romans 10:9-19). We could say, making straight in the desert is the call right before the plan of reconciliation could be executed. Jesus came to earth, laid out the ground work for the gospel, which included sacrificing his life on the cross, so we could have a life worth living even with all the struggles of this world. There will always be opposition before advancement and elevation. God needs us to spread the good news of the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15-16). It is our reasonable service to the Lord (Romans 12:1). Make straight in your sphere of life the way of the Lord so others can come into the sheep fold of God.

Jesus laid down His life for us and we ought to follow the example in doing the same for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We won’t be dying on a cross, but dying to our inordinate desires keeping our flesh under control; we can love our brothers and sisters in the Lord. As we learn of the Lord and why He sent His only begotten Son to suffer for something He never did wrong Himself, love will present Himself loud and clear. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). It is love that keeps those out of hell by choosing Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives. It is love that kept back the bad weather you were trusting God for. It is love that keeps filling our lungs with air after every exhale. It is love that wakes us up to see another day. Considering the constant work of love, we should be able to deal with our brothers and sisters and work together completing the assignments the Lord has given us. We have the ability to love on purpose, be mindful in your everyday tasks to be the love child of the love God we serve.

A new commandment was given to override the others. To love one another is the new commandment which if everyone would strive for, there would be less killing, stealing, and destroying (John 10:10). Coming from the heart of love is the power to reduce and eliminate the evil works of Satan and his people. To walk in this agape love is to be able to bear up under anything and everything that comes your way. It is to be in line with patience and faithfulness which brings down the blessings of God. Through faith and patience we obtain the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12). To walk in the love command from God is to have joy, peace, and self-control. We become much better acquainted with the Lord at this point, and there’s a knowing inside of you that no matter what happens, in the end it will work out for my good (Romans 8:28). Loving one another helps this love grow (1 John 4:12). We become more sensitive in the understanding of people’s problems which have affected their behavior. Love has the patience to not fly off the handle because someone offended you. Love is patient and kind willing to hear the other person out before interrupting them. Love one another, do your part and make the world a better place.

With all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind is how we are to love the Lord. In other words God wants all of you, every part of your make-up. As we become more knowledgeable of God’s word, we become more acquainted with His love. We must first learn how to love the Lord. Showing love to the Lord is obeying His commandments and completing the assignment He’s given you. We have all been given an assignment from God, most of us just never go after it because it involves some extra effort on our part. Obedience is better than sacrifice due to the added circumstances that will come when you’re not in God’s will concerning your life. We are supposed to be living sacrifices for the Lord which is the least we should be because of what Jesus went through for all of mankind on the cross (Romans 12:1). Invoking our will to love is the starting point. Then we must build a tolerance for unlovable people, becoming the sacrifice for them because love bears up under all things (1Corinthians 13:7). Once in a while you just have to take a hit for love’s sake. There must be opposition for the development of God’s love in you to grow. The text says, you must love the Lord, it’s not a suggestion but a command worthy of being fulfilled.

Jesus spoke the words of God while on earth and so God gave Him the Spirit without measure. Having the power of God’s Spirit without measure is like having miracles at your finger tips for whoever’s in need. We have the Spirit of God’s power for ministry with measure. Jesus never had the sin nature like all of mankind, so His walk was more trust worthy to handle the Spirit of God without letting temptations overtake Him, as they do us. Jesus was still subject to all of the struggles of sin like us yet without sin did He complete His earthly assignment (Hebrews 4:15). Thereby becoming Lord of all, Jesus gave us the example of working the word of God in everyday life (Matthew 4:4). He never had use of His divine powers from heaven, but working God’s word by faith He overcame life on earth (Philippians 2:6-8). As we speak the word of God in our everyday life, and become doers of the word, we will have a measure of the Spirit of God to help us in our God given assignment and with every negative thing life throws at us.

While we were still sinners Christ died for us. This is the demonstration of God’s love for us. We were His enemies and He still sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins. The Lord knew we couldn’t deliver ourselves from this bondage so He stepped in for us and got rid of the thing that makes us do bad stuff. Our hearts were dead to God and hell bound because of the sin nature in every person. We must be doers of God’s word and not hearers only (James 1:22-25). It’s a free will decision every person must make for salvation. Jesus became the living sacrifice for our sins because justice must be satisfied. God is love, but justice keeps the order in life. Without justice and judgement accountability, we’d be no different than the animals living by natural instinct instead of the leading of the Holy Spirit. God put this love in us to be an example to others (Romans 5:5), that the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136:1). The love of God is the greatest force in the world, we must go after it and embrace it as a new garment which radiates from within us the conquering love and presence of God.

God is love, it’s His nature and we are His children born from love. It was love that hung on a cross crucified for our wrong doings (sin) and He never did anything wrong in His life while on earth. Love sent the only possible sacrifice worthy of God’s justice being satisfied, Jesus Christ, Who is now our Lord and Savior. Continuing in the agape love of God will cause the Lord to continue His work in us to help others. Once we’ve picked up our cross of walking in love towards others, we are acting like our Father in heaven. The goal in life is to become love containers for the Lord ready to minister love to a broken heart, or a tormented soul in need of deliverance. Upon the bed of love sits joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. These are fruits to be developed in our newly recreated human spirits (Galatians 5:22-24). Once these fruits begin to ripen in us, the harvest of souls that will be touched and drawn to you will be supernatural. It takes opposition for the fruit to develop and grow properly. Bearing up under anything and everything that comes will eventually be your portion straight to victorious living (1 Corinthians 13:7). God is love and hopefully, we are too.

The one who believes in Jesus will live, even though they die. This statement is loaded with explanations. We live after death based on the life of God being within a Christian. The real you is, your newly recreated human spirit, not your body. Our bodies are designed to function on the earth and the earth only. Once we die, our spirits go on living. You, your spirit goes on to live after death either in eternity with Jesus, or in hell with Satan. It’s each person’s decision to make before transitioning, and that is to choose Jesus as Lord and Savior while dealing with the pressures and temptations, of this world. We can be living physically but make a decision to die to our flesh, the inordinate appetites of our body. This is the living sacrifice we are to become for the Lord’s service (Romans 12:1-2). Dying to self daily is the good fight of faith for the Christian; as negative thoughts never cease, so must we be diligent to keep them under subjection. To believe in Jesus is to believe in life. He will resurrect every part of our lives to victorious living.

Jesus was and is still the bread of life. The bread we are to partake in eating is the word of God. It is the food for our human spirits which is consumed by hearing and hearing the word of God over and over (Romans 10:17). As our bodies need physical food to sustain our physical life, we need spiritual food to stay healthy before the Lord. By feeding our spirits the word of God, our soul and bodies will benefit also. Renewing our minds with God’s word will enforce our steadiness in Christ, and build up our faith in trusting God for answers. The bread of life which is the word of God must be consumed regularly, like day and night to make you prosperous (Joshua 1:8). Jesus is the word of God that was made flesh (given a human body), and He dwelt among us long ago (John 1:14). No different than a tree branch needs to draw its nutrients from the vine and the vine from the roots in the ground, christians must stay rooted in Christ (John 15:1-8). With the bread of life being our spiritual nutrients, it enables us to live by faith and not as mere men without God in the world.