Lesson 308: "Hang On"
“A Shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit (Isa. 11:1). “This is the Name by which He will be called; the Lord our Righteousness” (Jer. 33:16b).
Life on this earth as we know it has evolved, can be divided into two essentially different life forms; one of these forms is “eukaryotic” which includes humans and the other is “prokaryotes” which is bacteria. “The tree of life” is a metaphor scientists use to describe all life on earth in an evolutionary context and, up until lately was divided into five major groups. Scientists have now discovered that this life can be divided into four major groups which means the earthly tree of life had to lose a branch. The scriptural tree of life describes all human life on earth and includes the line of Judah from which Jesus Christ came. From the tribe of Judah came the nation of Jews which became God’s chosen people. These people were the lost sheep of Israel that Jesus was sent to save (Matt. 15:24). However, these lost sheep of Israel, God’s chosen people, stumbled over their own Messiah (Rom. 9:32b-33) and rejected Him (John 1:11) and were cut off (Acts 3:23) which meant the tree lost a branch. Now aren’t scientists just the smartest people to connect nature’s life with man’s life?
Notice the comparison of Eukaryotic and Prokaryotes; bacteria have no DNA connection to human life and the Gentiles had no DNA connection with Jesus Christ. God did not reject His people whom He foreknew and they did not stumble so as to fall beyond recovery (Rom. 11:2, 11). Some of the branches were broken off so that the Gentiles, through a wild olive shoot, could be grafted in among the others and share the nourishing sap from the olive root (Rom. 11:17). The Israelites’ branches were broken off because of unbelief but they were warned by Paul not to be arrogant, but afraid. God did not spare the natural branches and would not spare the grafted ones and the Gentiles too would be cut off if they did not believe. Remember too that what God cuts off He can also graft back in for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable (Rom. 11:20-29). Jesus Christ’s DNA enters all Christians through faith. “If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:26-29).
If you “raise a tree” right you need to do some pruning. Proper pruning is essential in developing a tree with a strong structure and desirable form. Our Father in Heaven is a Christian’s Gardener and He cuts off every branch in Jesus that bears no fruit. Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. No branch can bear fruit by itself but must remain in the vine and a Christian cannot bear fruit (of the Spirit) unless they remain in Jesus Christ (John 15:1-5). Trees that receive the appropriate pruning measures when they are young will require little corrective pruning when they mature. “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Pro. 22:6). One of the reasons for pruning a tree is that it increases the light penetration allowing all branches and leaves to receive the proper nourishment from the sun. Jesus said that while He remained in the world He was the Light (John 9:5) and the Light of life (John 8:12). He left the responsibility with Christians to be the light of the world so that the world through them might receive spiritual nourishment. “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven (Matt. 5:14-16). Be careful when pruning that the secondary branches not outgrow the “leader branch” or the growth of the tree will be stunted. “A student is not above his teacher” (Matt. 10:24) and “do not go beyond what is written, then you will not take pride in one man over against another” (1 Cor. 4:6).
The tree has three major phases of growth. Juvenile is of course the seed just as a Christian starts from the good seed planted on good soil (Matt. 13:1-9); the adolescent tree is between the ages of 4-15 years and although Paul does not specify an age, he does state that new Christians are infants in Christ and require milk (1 Cor. 3:1-2); the young adult tree is said to be 20 years old just as the tradition of the “age of accountability” is said to be age 20 as based on Numbers 14:29 and Deuteronomy 1:39 where God allowed the “children of the Israelites” under the age of 20 to go into the Promised Land. Even though in the winter most trees appear to be “dead” their roots are living throughout the cold months. I will make this comparison by quoting Dr. Billy Graham; “some day someone may tell you that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe them! I will be more alive after physical death than I have ever been before”! Therefore, even when your physical, visible body dies, your roots will live provided you stay connected to “THE BRANCH”. We who endure will eat of THE Tree of Life and reign with God for ever and ever (Rev. 22:1-5).
“I AM COMING SOON. HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU HAVE” (Rev. 3:11)