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Isaiah writes: “A shoot shall come from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots” (11,1). The connection of the title of this ‘O’ Antiphon with Christ (and, in particular, with his birth) becomes clear when we recall what Matthew tells us in the genealogy with which he opens his gospel, viz., that Jesse was the father of King David, who was the father of Solomon, who was the father of….and Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. We sing in the well-known carol: “To you in David’s town this day, is born of David’s line, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.”
The first part of our antiphon is a more or less exact quotation from Isaiah 11,10 “On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal for the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.” Jesus, the Messiah, is asked to come and set God’s people free from slavery. The prophet Micah tells us: “You, Bethlehem, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth the one who is to rule in Israel…” (5,2-4). In Revelation 5,5 we read: “..the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he can open the scroll and the its seven seals.”
In other words, the Lamb of God, Jesus, has fulfilled Old Testament promises.
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