The Tree of Rebellion
Genesis 3:1–15
Our First Christmas Tree was once a thing of beauty. The LORD God had filled the garden of Eden with trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food, but our first Christmas tree seems to be one of if not the most beautiful trees in the garden. Indeed, this tree was the center piece of the garden. The appearance of this tree was pleasing to the eye, but it was the purpose of the tree that made it truly beautiful. The LORD God brought His freshly formed man to the tree and explained to Adam its purpose. “16 … the Lord God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”[1] To our ears the words of the LORD God are frightening and foreboding. We hear the words “must not eat” and “surely die” and this tree appears to be anything but beautiful. We cannot help but wonder why a loving God would plant such a hideous abomination in the middle of the garden. Was this tree planted so that He might toy with and tease Adam and Eve?
We struggle to see the beauty of the tree the LORD God planted in the middle of the garden of Eden because from our sinful perspective we misunderstand its purpose. The purpose of the tree was not to toy or tease. The purpose of the tree was to provide an opportunity for gratefulness and gratitude. You see, The LORD God had created a garden paradise for Adam and Eve. It was neither too hot nor too cold in the garden. There was neither sickness nor disease in the garden. There was neither predator nor prey in the garden. There was neither hunger nor want in the garden. Rather, the garden was full of an abundance of blessings of every kind.
The LORD God knew that Adam and Eve would be grateful for this gift; He knew they would want to give Him something as a way to express their gratitude, but the LORD God knew He wasn’t the easiest person to shop for. You know how hard it is to find a Christmas gift for a person who seems to have everything… well the LORD God literally had everything. There was nothing He needed and nothing Adam and Eve had that He wanted. So, the LORD God planted an expression of gratitude in the middle of the garden. Every time Adam and Eve passed the tree and obeyed the LORD God’s command not to eat of its fruit, they would, by that act of obedience, demonstrate to the LORD God that they were grateful for all that He had given to them.
Not that unlike the Christmas trees we have in our homes, this tree in the middle of the garden of Eden was a place where Adam and Eve could place their gifts of gratitude. However, what God intended to be a beautiful expression of gratitude the devil saw as an opportunity for rebellion. As we are about to read, the devil convinced Adam and Eve that the true purpose of the tree was not to be a beautiful expression of gratitude but rather as a means of withholding blessings. Tragically Adam and Eve listened to the devil, and they looked upon the tree not to admire its beauty but to fulfill their desires.
You might wonder why Adam and Eve didn’t see through the devil’s deception, but before you judge them too harshly, perhaps you ought to recognize how often you have been duped by the same deception. The LORD God continues to give abundant blessings to His people such as intimacy, alcohol, and wealth, and the LORD God tells us how we can use those blessings in a way that will show Him we are grateful for them. Yet often we use those blessings, not as the LORD God intended, but to satisfy our desires.
The tree that was intended to be a beautiful expression of gratitude became an ugly occasion for rebellion and from this once beautiful tree ugly curses sprouted; curses that affect humanity to this today.
The Tree of Redemption
Hebrews 12:1-3
At the end of choir practice last week, Fred said something about Jesus that I can’t shake. It was something that is directly relevant to our next Christmas Tree. Fred noted that Jesus, who was once laid in a wooden manger and hung on a wooden cross, was a carpenter. I of course knew that Jesus was a woodworker by trade, but I had never thought to wonder why.
Why do you think out of all the trades that woodworking was the one Jesus chose as His profession? Jesus could have chosen any number of professions. He could have chosen to be raised by royalty so that He would be equipped to rule. He could have chosen to be raised by a shepherd, Jesus invited His followers to see Him as their Good Shepherd. Jesus could have chosen to be raised by a fisherman, most of Jesus’ disciples were former fisherman who became fishers of men. Jesus could have chosen any number of professions, yet Jesus chose to be raised by a man who worked with wood.
I can’t imagine this is a coincidence, that’s not exactly how our God of prophecy and providence works. It does not seem to make sense that the same God who orchestrated the fullness of time “to be born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law” would then overlook a detail such as the trade He would be taught. No. I do not believe it is a coincidence that Jesus was a woodworker. So, then what was it about wood working that appealed to Jesus? Was it the smell of freshly cut cedar that enticed to Him? Was it exposing intricate grain patterns that excited Him? Was it the ability to craft something useful that satisfied Him? Perhaps. But I suspect it was much more than that. I suspect Jesus embraced woodworking as a profession because He longed to embrace you.
Jesus knew what had happened in the garden of Eden. He was there. It saddened Jesus to see such a beautiful tree misused for such an ugly act of rebellion; it saddened Jesus to hear the Heavenly Father pronounce curses upon Adam and Eve and all humanity as a consequence of that rebellion. But Jesus also knew tree of rebellion was not the end of our story. You see, Jesus understood what the Heavenly Father meant when He said, “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”[2] Jesus knew He was the “he” that would crush the serpent’s head; Jesus knew He was the one who would redeem Adam and Eve and all humanity from rebellion’s curse… and Jesus knew what that redemption would cost, He spoke of it often. He told His disciples, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified.”[3] Jesus knew the cost of our redemption; He knew He would be nailed to a tree; He knew splinters from that tree would exacerbate His flogged flesh, and the grain of that tree would drink up His blood.
Jesus knew our redemption required that He be hung on a tree. So, you would think wood working would be the last profession Jesus would choose; you would think Jesus wouldn’t want anything to do with trees. But instead, as we are about to read, “for the joy set before Him” Jesus “endured the cross.”. The tree upon which Jesus was hung caused Him a great deal of pain, but at the same time it filled Him with joy because Jesus knew on that tree Adam and Eve and you, and I would be redeemed.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that Jesus chose carpentry as His profession. I think Jesus chose to work with wood because the smell of it, the feel of it, the shape of it reminded Him of our redemption.
The Tree of Life
Revelation 22:1–21
Our last Christmas tree is the most difficult to describe. It is as if we are standing outside in the darkness looking at this tree through a frosted window. We see a vague shape and a blend of colors, but it is currently impossible for us to know exactly what this tree looks like.
The reason for this difficulty is the description of our last Christmas tree is found in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is a revelation it is a vision it is a dream and as such it is full of symbols and signs of things that are to come. The details found in this book are not meant to be pressed any more than the details of a dream are to be pressed. Rather the book is meant to fill you with a sense of eager anticipation of things too magnificent and marvelous to be presently comprehended. There are frightening images in the book of Revelation, but those frightening images do not last. Rather the last and lasting image in the book of Revelation is the Tree of Life; a tree that was once planted in the garden of Eden but was overlooked, a tree that has been replanted where paradise has been restored.
The tree of Life, perhaps more than the others, resembles the Christmas tree. Like our ever-green Christmas tree, the tree of Life never fades; its leaves never fall. Like the ornaments that adorn our Christmas trees, the Tree of Life is adorned with the fruit of everlasting life. Like the ribbons that wrap our Christmas trees, the Tree of Life is wrapped with healing. Like the twinkling lights that illuminate our Christmas trees, the Tree of Life is illuminated by the Light of the world. There are many similarities between the Christmas trees and the Tree of Life; similarities that would greatly enhance our celebration of Christmas if we but took the time to pause and ponder upon them.
Sadly, I don’t think we take the time to ponder the similarities between these two trees. We take the time to decorate our Christmas trees so that all who glance at them might enjoy their beauty and perhaps be filled with what we call Christmas Spirit, but sadly we are often content with a vision of beauty and a seasonal sentiment. But, my dear friends, Jesus did not hang on the tree of redemption so that you could be content with visions of beauty and seasonal sentiments. Jesus was hung on the tree of redemption so that you could stand around the tree of life. As we are about to read, “14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
All of this is beautiful, but it is a frosted window. All of this is but a symbol or sign of things that are to come; things too marvelous and magnificent for you to presently comprehend. But Jesus repeatedly assures us the time is coming soon when you will see the marvelous and magnificent with your own eyes. Because Jesus was hung on the Tree of Redemption one day you and all the redeemed will gather round the Tree of Life.
[1] Genesis 2:16-17
[2] Genesis 3:15
[3] Matthew 20:18-19