Sermon - Lent Midweek 3 - 2018

Trees are beautiful. I don’t think you could call me a tree-hugger, but I do appreciate trees. Their strong thick trunks, the large looming branches, and the intricate maze of twigs and leaves that stretch towards the sun, are all pleasant to the sight. There is such a plethora of trees in the world: from the strong majestic oak to the droopy weeping willow, all of them beautiful. However, my favorite kinds of trees are the ones that produce food for me. Apples and oranges and peaches and pears and walnuts and pecans! As we read in Genesis: “Out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.”

Trees in scripture are quite significant, not just because they provide beauty and food, but because trees apart from their beauty frame the lives of Christians in a very substantial way. In the beginning, in the genesis, there were two important trees: “The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” In John’s revelation of heaven, He saw an image that looked like a new Eden, except this one had just one tree: “The tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” Between the beginning and the end, there is another tree; the tree of the cross. From the tree on which the body of Jesus hangs, life-giving fruit is delivered for the healing of the nations.

Returning to Genesis for a moment: When Adam was placed into the garden, God gave him the job to tend to the garden, to work it and keep it. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.””

The daily lives of Adam and Eve were framed by these two trees, both of which were in the midst of the garden together. One tree gives life and the other death. It’s not like they could just avoid this tree of knowledge of good and evil, since it too was in the midst of the garden, near the tree which gives life. You’d think this would be an easy choice, however: choose the fruit that doesn’t kill you. But you already know how this story goes: Adam and Eve ate of the fruit that brings death because it was beautiful to the eyes, this death has been inherited by all who came after them. So the Lord God exiled Adam and Eve from the garden, prohibiting them from eating of the tree of life and living forever. 

Adam and Eve, along with all of their descendents, including us, have been exiled from the garden, and most specifically the tree of life. Since that day, the tree of life has been guarded from our unworthy hands by cherubim and a flaming sword. Since that day, by the Lord’s mercy, He has set into action a plan that would rescue us from the fate of everlasting death.

A seed was planted into the womb of Eve. From her offspring, this seed would sprout and grow. “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” From the womb of Eve to the womb of Mary, the fruit of their wombs is Jesus the Christ.

This Jesus, our Jesus, set down the cup of the fruit of the vine and instead drank the cup of the fruit of scorn and dread. “O sorrow dread! Our God is dead, upon the cross extended.” In drinking of the fruit of death, Christ our Savior was lifted high upon the cursed tree from which His innocent blood did flow. From this ugly, dead, blood-splattered, dirty, filthy, shameful tree, the fruit given for the healing of the nations was shed for you. The cross of wood has become the tree of life with every good.

No longer is the tree of life unreachable, guarded by angel warriors and a flaming sword, instead now its life-giving fruit is placed upon the tongues of sinful mortals across the world. On the night when the Christ, the Son of the Blessed, the Son of Man, was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, He gave the fruit of the tree of life upon the lips of those He saves. “Take; this is my body… This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”

As a child, as an adult, one dreams about finding the garden of Eden, eating of the fruit of the tree of life and walking with God in the cool of the morning. Look no further! For here in your midst the tree of life sprouts and grows, its blood-bought fruit it bears for you upon the altar. Into your mouth is placed salvation’s fruit, which has been given unto death that you might have life eternal. When by faith you eat and drink this precious fruit, God walks with you and you with God. Into His holy, terrifyingly comforting presence God brings you with Him in the eating and drinking at His altar. 

This tree of life is not beautiful in any ordinary sense of the word. Upon its buried trunk are nailed the dirtied feet of Jesus, upon its strange limbs hang the tired arms of our God’s limp body. This tree is horrifying and disturbing, the things which nightmares come from. Yet its beauty far surpasses that of even the most majestic of trees and its fruit is sweeter than any apple or peach. For its beauty is the salvation of the world, and its sweetness is the healing of the nations! What strange beauty the world had never seen before and since has never found any more rich. 

For this beautiful tree upon which the Savior of the world did hang will stand forever by the river of life in heaven. From this tree of life, fruit is yielded in abundance for all to eat and live eternally. There is no tree more beautiful and strong. There is no fruit more sweet and satisfying. And so the fruit that you eat in the presence of this altar is not only bread and wine, but it is the fruit from the tree of life, the crucified body and blood of Jesus. It’s the same fruit that Jesus ate with His apostles on a Thursday so long ago, it’s the same fruit that Jesus feeds to us today, and it’s the same fruit that all the saints in heaven shall feast on for eternity in paradise.

Trees are beautiful. This tree of life is the most beautiful. From this tree the Savior of the world was crucified for the healing of the nations. The fruit of this tree is delivered to you in the sacrament of the altar. The Lord’s Supper is life-giving fruit.