Trees

A Tree For Each Of The Three

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And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, “If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.”  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss.”  And he said unto Jesus, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.”  And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43

Each of these three were hanging on their own cross, and each cross was made from the wood of a tree.  The man on the right of Jesus was guilty. The on the left of Jesus was guilty, but Jesus the Man in the middle not only innocent of the charges brought against Him, He was innocent in all His living. He never sinned.

It is evident that the Man in the middle was an innocent Man. How?  You may ask. He never, while being nailed to the tree cursed those who had accused Him, neither did He speak vile words to those who nailed His hands and feet to that tree.  Instead He said, “Father forgive them they know not what they do” Luke 23:34.  Another example is in our text for the day. One of the condemned men, who had previously mocked Jesus on the cross, had realized that He [Jesus] was not a sinner, but the Savior.  Now, he is calling on Him to save Him; not from the cross but for the kingdom’s sake, he said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom,.” How do you suppose he expected Jesus to do this since He was hanging on a tree? He recognized Jesus as the Messiah.

The response of the Man on the middle cross was given, and it was one of forgiveness. You could call the mans salvation, “A death bed confession and faith” because that is what it is.  Was that guilty man saved? Will he be in glory with the Lord Jesus Christ?  Most definitely He will. How do I know that?  Because of the  words of Jesus, the Man on the middle cross said to him, “Truly I say unto you, Today, you will be with Me in paradise.” That very day Jesus and that man went to paradise together.

One guilty man wanted Jesus to deliver them from the cross, one asked to be remembered in the kingdom that is coming, and one Man gave salvation to the who asked. It should have been me dying on that old cross, not Jesus the innocent One, who knew no sin. It should have been you who was hanged there, but just as Jesus took murderer, and insurrection leader’s place He took my place and yours.

Two men hanging on a tree on opposite sides of Jesus; one died in peace, knowing his eternal destination, the other died with darkness, and empty expectations, and is in eternal darkness, and burning flames. What made the difference?  The One on the tree in the middle.  His name is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. Yes He died on that tree for our sins. He was buried. He rose again and He lives eternally in a new body of flesh and bone (Luke 24:39).

Gideon’s Sons

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And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: and all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Judges 9:53, 56-57

In order to know what is going on with these verses you will need to read all of  chapter nine of the book of Judges.

Abimelech is one of the 70 or so of Gideon’s sons. Gideon is also known as Jerubbaal. Abimelech has a desire to be king even though his father has said the he, nor his sons would rule Israel (Judges 8:23). He kills all the other sons of Jerubbaal, except one who is named Jotham.

In chapter nine is parable spoken by Jotham warning Abimelech and Israel his evil leadership, of his life’s end. The parable is about trees searching for a tree to rule over them; they go to the olive tree, the fig tree, and are rejected. They are rejected by all the trees until they get to a bramble bush who accepts the invitation.

In our text above we see Abimelech being killed by a woman who has thrown a mill stone down on his head, then he cries out to another man to finish him with a sword, because he did not want it said, “Abimelech was killed by a woman.”

It was an evil thing that Abimelech had done in the murder of 70 of his own brothers, and out of a lust for power. The main message here is that God watches over His people, and carries out His word, and the curse of Jotham was fulfilled.

God’s word stands sure. It should be the Christians confidence, our encouragement, and draw our strength from God in the reading, study, and personal application of the word of God in our lives. The books of the Old Testament – the Law, the History, the Wisdom books, the Major Prophets, and the Minor Prophets are the word of God. The books of the New Testament – The Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts, the Epistles of Paul, and all the rest through the Revelation are the words of the Lord. We must learn them, hear them, and do them. Especially as we see the day of the LORD drawing nearer.

The written word of God shows us who Jesus is. He was before Abraham, Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I Am” (John 8:58). So Jesus Himself is declaring that He is God. He is also our Lord and Savior who died on the cross for our sins, becoming sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). When He died, He was buried, and three days later He rose again, and walked out of the cold ugly tomb. Through Him there is Life, and Life Eternal with Him.

That It Might Be Fulfilled

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“All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘Tell ye the daughter of Sion, ‘Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.’
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon.  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed in the way.  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.'”  Matthew 21:4-9  (KJB)

This is without question the greatest need of Christianity today, and that is that we get back to believing the word of God.  We have too many pastors, preachers, churches, and leaders who turn a deaf ear to the Bible.

“It is antiquated” they say.  It is superstition some say, which seem to me to be more non-theist than Christian.

The verses above help us remember why Jesus came.  The scene presented of Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey is often called the “Triumphal entry”.  I would prefer to call it the “Presentation of the Suffering King of Salvation” or something along that thought.  I say that because His triumph was not complete until He rose from the grave; and even yet there is more to happen.

At any rate,we as followers of Jesus must recommit ourselves to the study, reading, and application of God’s word – the Bible – in our lives.  The Triumphal Entry will occur when we hear the trumpet sound, and the feet of Jesus touches the ground on the Mount of Olives.

Let us repent of our sins, and trust the word of God, to teach us along side His Spirit who will guide us into all truth.

The Fall of the Crown

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Sermon Points –

The Fall of the Crown

Genesis 2:8-9, 17; 3:1-24

1. Trees In the Garden (2:8-9, 17).

2. Examination of the Wrong Tree, and Its Temptation (3:1-5).

3. The Fall of the Crown of God’s Creation (vv. 6-7).

4. God’s Visitation in the Garden – Adam’s Last Day in Eden (vv. 8-19).

5. God’s Provision for Adam and Eve (vv. 20-24).

Words for Christian Living – Resurrection

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“For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?  As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: so man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of Thine hands.”  Job 14:7-15 (KJV)

Suffering Job was expectant of a resurrection.  He saw it in trees which might be cut down, and they sprouting back to life.  He saw in the oceans never drying up; nor the major rivers of the Middle Eastern areas.  The above is where the question is asked; yet he already knows the answer – “If a man die, shall he live again?”  and his answer is “All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”

And all those who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ says, “AMEN!”  Amen!  (See 1 Corinthians 15).

-Tim A. Blankenship