The Cross as a Tree

Some translations of the Bible have used the word tree to describe the cross that Jesus was crucified on.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to those sins and live righteously. By his wounds you have been healed. –1 Peter 2:24

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus to life after you killed him by hanging him on a tree. –Acts 5:30

We are this tree, this cross that Jesus was put to death on. His love for us is symbolized by the nails that held him to the tree, to us. He literally pinned himself to our sin, our confusion, our eating of the tree of knowledge. Jesus attached himself to every sorrow, every torment, every pain and affliction and grief that we have ever felt. Jesus knows first-hand our hurts and broken-ness. Because he hung on my tree, Jesus embodies the true meaning of compassion and empathy.

Two Trees…

The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground–trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. –Genesis 2:9

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 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.” –Genesis 2:16-17

God intended for man to eat from the tree of life. Instead, man chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, bringing our ultimate demise—knowledge of “ego” and separation from God; confusion as to his true Nature, aka sin.

Jesus as the Tree of Life

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.” –Ezekiel 17:22-23

In His love, God propagated a branch from His tree, the lineage of David (cedar) and sent His son, Jesus, to grow among us. Jesus is the human expression of the tree of life.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. –Proverbs 13:12

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. –Song of Solomon 2:3

The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree

His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne’er can tell
His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne’er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree.

For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
I missed of all but now I see
‘Tis found in Christ the apple tree.

I’m weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
I’m weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
Under the shadow I will be
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.

This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.

Where have you found spiritual images of trees?