Trees and Truth

READ: GENESIS 2:9; 3:1-7, 22-24; DEUTERONOMY 21:22-23; 1 PETER 2:21-25

The American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. once wrote, “In fact, there’s nothing that keeps its youth, so far as I know, but a tree and truth.” Truth is eternal, and the long life of trees gives them the appearance of eternality. Perhaps it is not surprising then, that our ultimate source of truth in this world, the Bible, contains the running theme of trees throughout its pages.

In the beginning, God places two trees in the Garden of Eden with the first humans. One tree represents their faith and obedience to God, and it leads to life. The other represents their disobedience and their choice to seize power and knowledge apart from God, and it leads to death. Sadly, they choose the second tree, plunging all of humanity into exile from God’s life-giving presence and under the inescapable curse of death.

As the biblical narrative progresses, people choose to reject God over and over again. Even God’s people, the Israelites, choose their own version of the second tree—doing what is right in their own eyes rather than trusting and obeying God. And every time, it ends in death and destruction. But despite humanity’s faithlessness, God provides a path of repentance and restoration back to Himself (Jeremiah 3:12-15).

Jesus, the eternal Son of God, became human and took upon Himself our curse of death by dying on a cross, fashioned from a tree. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” In His death and resurrection, Jesus destroyed “the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14) and gave us participation in His divine life. So all who trust in Jesus will have restored access to the tree of life in the world to come (Revelation 22:1-4). As we wait for His return, trees are a living testament to Christ’s sacrifice and His victorious resurrection, pointing us forward to the eternal life we have in Him. • Kayla Esguerra

• We all face the temptation to think and act in ways that make sense to us but would be in opposition to trusting and obeying God’s Word. Can you think of a few examples? When you face choices like these, who are trusted Christians you can be honest with about your questions and struggles—people who will help you dig into Scripture, pray with you and for you, and encourage you to confess your sins to Jesus and rest in His great love and forgiveness?

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. “By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 (CSB)