-Tale of the Tree-

I’m not a big horticulture guy, but I gotta say I love dogwood trees. This time of year there are dogwoods blooming all over town & are beautiful. There are several right outside my door & they are such a great picture of God’s redemption story.

I’m not sure if you’ve heard it, but there is a wonderful story behind the dogwood. It’s called the Legend of the Dogwood & goes something like this:
Legend has it that 2000 years ago, a tall, strong species of tree grew in the Middle East. Its thick, straight trunk was sought after by the Romans - the rulers of Jerusalem - for building crosses for executions. One day an officer of the Roman Court came to the forest and ordered the woodsmen to construct an extra large cross from the best of their trees. "Make it strong and heavy," he said. "The King of the Jews is to be put to death." It was soon delivered.

Shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus, the chief woodsman was alarmed to see that all those great trees had begun to whither and die. In several more years, an amazing transformation had taken place. The great oak-like dogwood trees were gone and in their place were thousands of flowering bushes with short, twisted trunks. You see, the once proud forest giant was mortally anguished. The crucified Jesus in healing pity said, "Never again will you grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, your trunk will be thin and twisted, with white blossoms having four petals in the shape of a cross. The outer edge of each petal will show nail prints stained with red, and the center will be like a crown of thorns as a reminder to all."

So ends the Legend. But as we know, at Eastertide, Dogwood blossoms burst forth in glorious beauty. In the Fall, the dogwood produces clusters of blood-red berries, each shaped like a drop of blood!


We’re not sure if that Legend is true. As with most legends, some argue either way. It’s still a poignant reminder of what Jesus did for us on that hill called Calvary some 2000 years ago. We all sin & have a broken relationship with God. A penance, or sacrifice, had to be made to redeem us back to God.
Jesus stepped forward to redeem us, or buy us back, with His own sinless life. He literally became the Sacrificial Lamb that had been symbolized all throughout the Old Testament of the Bible.

No one is perfect, so no one could live sinless enough to be good enough to go to heaven on their own merits. No one could satisfy a sin-debt except someone perfect: a God/Man. That was Jesus. He stepped from heaven’s halls into our world, and made a bridge to heaven using an ‘old rugged cross.’

Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Galatians 3:13 NLT

It’s amazing to me, legend or not, that dogwoods bloom at Easter. Easter is as late is it can be this year. Yet, the dogwoods are just coming into full bloom. It’s a simple reminder, in nature, of Jesus’ sacrificial death on a ‘tree.’

Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.