The Tree

This Advent message invites us to rediscover the profound spiritual symbolism hidden within our Christmas traditions, particularly the evergreen tree that adorns our homes each season. We're challenged to see beyond the cultural trappings and recognize how God has been speaking through these symbols all along. The sermon takes us on a journey from the Garden of Eden, where humanity first encountered the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil, to the cross of Christ, where a cursed tree became the instrument of our salvation. We're reminded that our ancestors chose experiential wisdom over eternal life, trading intimacy with God for independence, and that choice resulted in banishment from the garden and separation from the tree of life. Yet the Christmas story announces that God didn't abandon us to our consequences. Through Christ's death on the cross—itself a tree—the curse was broken and the path back to eternal life was reopened. The evergreen tree, which remains alive even in the deadness of winter, becomes a powerful symbol of the resurrection life Jesus offers us. This Advent season, we're called to stop reaching for the forbidden fruit of self-determination and instead feast on the tree of life that Christ has made accessible again. The message culminates in the vision from Revelation where the tree of life stands in the New Jerusalem, its leaves bringing healing to the nations, reminding us that our hope isn't just ethereal heaven but resurrected life in a restored creation where we'll serve our King forever.