All of my life, from my earliest childhood to this very day, I have sought peace and refuge amongst trees. I love to walk thru the Muir Woods in northern California, and I long for the dense fall colored trees of the east coast. One of the highlights of my life was to visit the Sacred Grove and ponder the happenings that took place in that holy forest.
For years now, I have taken solace from a beautiful old tree that stands majestically outside the door of my home office. It is enormous!
In the summertime it gives me shade from the harshness of the sun, and blows cool breezes through my door, soothing me from the summer’s heat. In the wintertime it offers cover from the harsh rainstorms that come suddenly, and sometimes violently, to our coastal area. The therapeutic smell released from its leaves, as the raindrops drip from its appendages, is hard to describe. All I know is that one deep breath of that aroma, and my weary body is instantly comforted.
But often, while sitting at the foot of this magnificent tree, my thoughts turn to another tree, one far away from my office door.
This tree stands on a hill, Calvary’s Hill. Jesus hangs upon this tree. His arms outstretched, his head is bowed down in agony for his neck cannot support his head any longer, the pain is so intense.
Nails are hammered in the tops of his feet, the palms of his hands, and in his wrists, to make sure his body is held securely in place.
Blood trickles down over his face from the crown of thorns shoved upon his head. A cloth is draped about his loins, but the rest of his body is bare for all to see and mock. As prophesied, a sword will pierce his side and “it is finished”
Behold the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer and Savior of the world!
This scene, artistically rendered throughout the ages, is a poignant one. But “let not your heart be troubled,” and “be of good cheer,” for this scene is not just one of suffering and death, but is one of love, inconceivable love, and life, glorious life. Eternal life! (John 14:1, 16:33)
Isaac Watts, who wrote the text for the hymn, “He Died! The Great Redeemer Died,” captures this scene with the profound phrase, “here’s love and grief beyond degree.” (Hymns Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter- Day Saints, page 192)
As we think of the Master of the Universe upon the tree of Calvary, let us cast our thoughts to yet another tree, the Tree of Life spoken of in 1 Nephi, chapter 8, and examine the correlation between Jesus on the cross of Calvary and the fruit of the tree of life.
The Tree of Life – Symbol of the Infinite Atonement
In Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, he states “…I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy… and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted… that it was desirable above all other fruit.” (1 Ne.8: 10-12)
So desirable was this fruit, that Lehi began to long for his loved ones to come and partake of it, for he says “as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also…” (1Ne.8: 12)
So what is the fruit of this tree that Father Lehi declares to be most sweet and desirable above all that he ever before tasted and fills the soul with exceedingly great joy? The prophet Nephi gives us the answer.
In 1 Nephi, chapter 11, verse 22, Nephi reveals, through the power of the Holy Ghost, that the fruit of the tree of life represents the love of God. In John, chapter 3 verse 16, we read that “…God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son”, revealing to all that the love of God is the sacrifice of his Son. The apostle Peter adds his own testimony to this fact when he states in 1Peter 21,24, “Christ also suffered for us, who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.”
Thus we come to understand, thru these scriptures, that the Tree of Life becomes a similitude of Calvary’s cross, for upon both we find the love of God.
From the tree of life, we are offered fruit that is glorious beyond description and which surpasses all understanding. From the tree of Calvary, we are offered the fruit of the Savior’s infinite atonement, which is glorious indeed, which surpasses all understanding, and which offers to each of us the gift of immortality and eternal life. “For behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)
Light That Will Never Cease
A couple of years ago my daughter got married. I put twinkle lights all over the big tree outside my office door for the wedding reception, which was held in our backyard. What beautiful light emanated from this tree. It lit up the entire side patio! Without the light from this tree, people would not have been able to navigate the path leading down to the backyard. We were very grateful for this tree and the light that it provided to guide our guests.
But no matter how much light came from the hundreds of lights, encircling the arms of the grand old tree, no light on earth could ever compare to the light which emanates from the tree of Calvary or the tree of life,…. nor is its light everlasting.
You see, the lights on our tree were artificial and ended the moment we turned them off, unlike the light of Christ, which will never cease. The prophet Isaiah tells us that though other lights shall cease lighting our way “…the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light.” (Isaiah 60:19)
In 1 Nephi, chapter 8 verse 11, Lehi is struck by the radiance of the fruit he saw hanging on the tree of life. He says “…that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.”
As I try to envision the glorious sight that Lehi describes in these verses, my memory slips back to the year 1994.
It was Christmas time and I had just recently been diagnosed with a life threatening illness. Having been forced, very quickly, to relocate to another state because of much needed medical expertise, we found ourselves living temporarily in a very small beach house at the waters edge. It was old, cold, drafty, ill furnished, and a very long way from our big beautiful home and beloved friends.
That year Christmas was very different for us. I didn’t have the strength to do much, but the children and I did manage to bring home a Christmas tree. It didn’t have nearly the grandeur of our trees in past years, but to our surprise, this tree turned out to be our very favorite.
It stood in the corner of the small front room right next to the fireplace, the only source of heat we had. No fancy ornaments hung from its limbs, no tinsel or cranberries or popcorn strings. All it had on it were white lights and a clear plastic star, purchased at the local drug store, which we lovingly placed on the top of the tree. There it stood, simple and beautiful.
I remember each night, after the children went to bed, I would sit in that cozy little front room, mesmerized by this tree’s light.
The star, although plastic, shined as brightly as if it were made of fine crystal, and the glow of the lights on its branches filled my heart with peace and hope. Hope for a brighter day; hope for greater faith, and it did come.
The beautiful light from our Christmas tree that year, which filled our hearts and home with such joy, pales in comparison to what Lehi describes as the light which shone forth from the fruit of the tree of life, and the joy that will fill our hearts and homes as we partake of this fruit.
Partaking of the Love of God
So how can we partake of this life changing fruit today? Where do we find it? How can we get it?
This glorious fruit is offered to each one of us every Sunday through the Lord’s Sacrament. As we partake of the emblems of the sacrament, we are partaking of the atonement of Jesus Christ, the fruit of the tree of Calvary, the fruit of the tree of life, the love of God. The Savior himself beckons to us saying “Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely.” (Alma 5:34)
When we partake of this sacred offering in true repentance, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit for the wrongs we have committed, we are freed from the burden of sin. It is only then, that the Savior’s sacrifice and death becomes our deliverance and life, with the power to cleanse us, heal us, and fill our souls with great joy.
Thus how understandable it is that we as parents, husbands, wives, brothers and sisters, can relate to father Lehi’s longing desire for all of his family members to come unto Christ, fall down at his feet and partake of the miracle of the atonement, the love of God, that sweetest of fruit that God has to offer.
But some of us can also relate to, although very sadly, Lehi’s unspoken heaviness of heart when he states “…but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.” (1Ne. 8:18)
The Matchless Love
Loving us, each and every one of us, is what the Cross of Calvary and the Tree of Life is all about. God’s love! Perfect love! Renewing, cleansing, healing love! Love that is so powerful, that it has no match in the Universe. It is indeed, “The Matchless Love.” (Hymns Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, page 176)
Without the love of God, made manifest in the sacrifice and atonement of Jesus Christ, nothing “…would be made alive.”
Just as Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of a tree that brought death, partaking of the fruit of the tree of life, will bring everlasting life. For “…as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, shall all be made alive”! (1Cor. 15:22) For Jesus says “And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:6)
Henceforth as we look upon the cross, let’s not only see suffering and death, but let us see the cross as the tree of life, offering the ultimate love, God’s love, and the ultimate life, eternal life!
To partake of the fruit of the tree of life, God’s love, is to partake of the Savior’s infinite atonement. For the pure love of God is the atoning sacrifice of his beloved Son, Lord over all of creation, Master of the universe, Savior and Redeemer of the world,…. even Jesus Christ.
It is only by and through the Lord Jesus Christ that we may return to our Father in Heaven and live in his presence forever. There is no other way!
