Thursday, December 20, 2018

day no. 14,668: the Gospel according to... TREES


The Bible contains motifs and symbols that help to tell the story and to remember the story.

Today, I want to look at: TREES

You can use trees to tell the story of God.

In the beginning, God made many trees (Gen 1:11). Two exceptional trees existed: one a tree of life (Gen 2:9) and the other a tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17). In a world full of, "Yes!" God gave one, "No." Do NOT eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for on the day that you do, you will surely die. The serpent deceived Eve and both her and her husband partook of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 3:6) and died to God that day and their bodies began the process of entropy. And when God came looking for Adam and Eve, they hid themselves in the trees (Gen. 3:8)

Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruit (Matt 7:16-20). Apples trees are apple trees because they produce apples. Seeing the apples on the branches is proof  that the roots are those of an apple producer. In other words, we see evil on our fingertips because our hearts are rooted in evil. John the Baptist threatened the Pharisees by saying that the axe was laid to the root and ready to cut down unfruitful trees. Apples trees should have apples accompanying their leaves, not other accouterments. A banner declaring "Apples for sale!" does not an apple tree maketh. The best and simplest test is to check for apples. No apples, not an apple tree (Matt 7:20)

But Jesus produced fruit because He did not have a wicked root. He did works that brought glory to God and good to His brothers. And after completing a fruitful life of faithful harvest, He was nailed to a cursed tree in order to become a curse for us (Gal 3:13). He took upon Himself the curse of Eden by hanging on a cursed tree. The death we earned was charged to His account. And while He was lifted up on that tree, His fruit fell down for us: our sin on His tree, His righteousness in our baskets.

In the end, God plans to make a new earth. And lo and behold the tree of life will be back (Rev 22:2). This highlights the Biblical motif of beginning, end, beginning. Things end up where they started and are better for having been through the middle part. Somehow, in some way, the earth is going to be better off for having been through everything. God knows how to make apple juice out of apples and the tree of life will be with us forever on the new earth with a river of life running through it. It will produce fruit on which we will feast and delight in freedom and forgiveness forever.

There is more, of course, but that is a Cook's Tour of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to: TREES

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