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February 3, 2024 | Daily Devotionals | February 3

Jesus and the Three Trees

 

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.  Revelation 2:7

 

“Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees.” Remember the Seinfeld episode where the rabbi says that to Elaine and she goes, “Yeah, I don’t know what that means.” Pretty funny. Of course, it’s about perspective. Being able to see the big picture without getting lost in the details. Keeping the main thing the main thing.  

 

The New Testament features three sets of trees that Jesus faced in the week prior to His death. The first is the fig tree that bore no fruit. Jesus cursed it and the tree withered and died (Mark 11:12–25). As God’s men we are called to bear fruit. We do that by staying connected to the Tree of Life—Jesus. 

 

Second, after the Last Supper Jesus took sanctuary in the Garden of Gethsemane. If you visit the Garden today, they will tell you that the root systems of the olive trees can be traced back to Jesus’ time. It’s wild to place your hand on the trunk of a tree that was alive when Jesus prayed there the night before His death. Quiet places were Jesus’ sanctuary. He often retreated into the wild to pray and be with His Father. We follow this example—we spend time with the Father in solitude in order to hear His voice above the world’s white noise.

 

And lastly, of course, Jesus died on a cross hewn from a tree. Tradition speculates that the cross was hewn from cedar, pine, and cypress; all three were prominent trees surrounding Jerusalem. When we bind ourselves to the Cross, Jesus’ blood covers our sins. We find redemption, hope, and eternal life. 

 

Bind yourself to the Tree of Life. Root yourself to His Word and meet with Him in a quiet place. Bear fruit for His kingdom. When we focus on the cross, we are most definitely able to rise above and glimpse the forest for the trees. 

 

Father, help me not to lose myself in the trees of trauma, self-absorption, and compromise. Bind me to Yourself. 

 

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