A Biblical Theology of Trees / The Gospel according to a Christmas Tree

(You might like to look away now of you are coming to the Christingle service at Bodle Street next week)

(Service video: Bible readings from 21:43; Sermon from 26:58 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rMZsYAuT2w )

 Readings:

Isaiah 11:1-9

John 15:1-17 - Jesus said:…

 

A Biblical Theology of Trees / The Gospel according to the Christmas Tree

Trees are mentioned in the Bible more than any living thing other than God and people.

The story of the Bible could be told as the story of trees:

The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis

And trees of life in Revelation 22.

And a “tree” stands at the centre of the Bible and of human history

 

[Picture of a fir tree]

 

Old fashioned preachers sometimes uses to start their sermons by saying: “My text for today is taken from…”. My text for today is taken from: Hosea 14:8 – “I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me.”

Some versions say a fir tree.

(Some versions something slightly different)

What might it mean to liken God to a green pine tree?

Maybe it is a symbol of strength or stability. 

Some trees can also be very long lived. 

But the verse seems to link with the idea of growth. Perhaps the thought is linked to the ever green nature of the tree. God is supremely alive. He alone has life in himself. And he can give life and fruitfulness. 

[Picture: Decorated Christmas Tree]

Like a decorated Christmas tree, we can sometimes look pretty impressive. But a tree that has been cut off from its source of life is dead, dying and heading for the dump. 

And the Bible tells us that by nature we are spiritually dead, dead in our sins. Without Jesus we will perish. 

[Picture: Dead Christmas Tree]

But God loves to bring life out of death. 

He promised a shoot from the stump of David: a new king who would reign for ever. 

[Pictures: stump; shoot from a stump]

Jesus spoke of himself as a seed that would die and rise again and produce much fruit. 

The Bible calls the cross a tree. On the cross, Jesus took the curse we deserved. He died that we might live. His cross is a tree of life to us. 

By trusting in Jesus, we can have new life. Remaining in Jesus and having his words remain in us, we can be fruitful. 

* * * 

Dave Crofts – The Story of Trees - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyPTemfeCH8

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/what-is-the-significance-of-trees-in-the-bible-why-did-jesus-die-on-a-tree.html

3, 2, 1 – (longer 5:43 minutes version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf94J3xGlOs

The Christmas tree points us to God, to heaven

 The historical origins of / traditions about Christmas trees / Christmas tree decorations see e.g. https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/trees.shtml 

12 symbols of Christmas for kids - Free printable stuff: https://ministry-to-children.com/free-printable-christmas-book/

A star or angel on the tree

Boniface cutting down an oak tree sacred to Thor

Martin Luther putting candles on a tree to suggest Jesus the light of the world

Douglas McKelvey, Every Moment Holy volume 1 (Rabbit Room Press, 2019) offers liturgy for putting up Christmas decorations etc. (p127) and for setting up a Christmas tree (p129f) - cutting down, sharing our house, cross, out stretched arms / branches, ever green, sparkle and glitter implies Christ the King enthroned in glory, star   

Colin Buchanan – The King of Christmas – “Let the Christmas tree remind you of the one who trusts the Lord…” cf. Psalm 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3UknJaPSL0

Andrew Wilson, God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World (Zondervan, 2021) chapter 23: Trees: The Cross of God p147-151

James B. Jordan, Through New Eyes: Developing a Biblical View of the World - chapter 7: Trees and Thorns - Trees as precious / God manifest at trees / Trees as ladders to heaven / God's Grace - p81ff

There is some discussion of trees and Christmas trees in this article from James Jordan: https://theopolisinstitute.com/the-menace-of-chinese-food/?fbclid=IwAR1ikTdLaBMMYs4XjC8E7jpeY5EVWDLYsYvXLZmQfp_wk2Uao1S20qwHhVw

If I owned it, I would have looked in the IVP Dictionary of Biblical Imagery too.