MEDITATIONS
FROM REVELATION
April 23 , 2008
Reading: Revelation 22:1-5
“Who Himself bore our sins
in His own body on the tree” 1 Peter
The
cross upon which Jesus died is referred to in scripture as “the tree.” We all
know it was not a tree as we think of it with its roots, branches, twigs and
leaves, but it was made from a tree; probably two different trees. The
significance of this is that it was because Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the
Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil in direct disobedience to God’s
command—Genesis 2:17.
The
cross is often likened to the Tree of Life, whereas is should be likened to the
Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He who was nailed to the cross was the
epitome of Good:
“No one is good but one, that is, God”
Matt
He who is Good became
the epitome of evil because He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” Not
only did He bear our sins but “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” 2
Corinthians
While
it is true that Jesus is the Tree of Life, it is the Tree of the knowledge of
good and evil that He represents on the cross. The Tree of Life is better
represented in His resurrection. When He raised
Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. The
cross is where He died; the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil is where man
died.
The tree that
was felled and prepared as a cross,
Was no
different from others in the forest;
It’s life was taken, it suffered great loss,
Upon it was
nailed the Father’s Best.
The Tree of
Life in the Garden of Eden
Was lost to man
because of his sin;
But it still
grows in God’s new garden,
Awaiting God’s
people as they enter in.
O, my Redeemer,
who hung on the tree,
Whose love is
displayed as You carried my shame;
It was not a
mistake for You died for me,
As You hung on that tree You uttered my name.
I rest in Your shade, my Tree of great branches,
I eat of Your
Fruit to nourish my soul;
I lap up Your dew as the Spirit teaches,
I am strong as Your roots dig deep in the soil.
The winds may
blow but Your strength protects me,
The devil may
tempt, but as You can see—
No matter the
storms, I will always be
One with my
Savior, my Strength and my Tree.
I love You, my Savior, for lifting the ban,
For removing
the swords of the angels;
I love You for making of me a new man,
Your work on
the tree all else it excels.
Heavenly
Father, I thank You with all of my heart for the cross
of Jesus. I thank You that He was willing to die on my
behalf and bear my sins and Your wrath against them. Truly, the All-Good One
became sin for me, so much so that You turned Your face
from Him. That which He could not tolerate to look upon, He became. Oh. such love, such marvellous love. Never was such love shown
to and on the behalf of men.