Nathaniel Under a Fig Tree. “The next day, after Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, He met Philip and said, ‘Follow me.’ Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida, as Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses said in the Law and the prophets …
The Miracle of Aaron’s Almond Branch. “Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.”(Numbers 17:8). Aaron’s big walking stick, in Biblical terms …
The Object Lesson of the Fig Tree. “Now in the morning, as Jesus returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree …
The Cedars of Lebanon. “The righteous shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” (Psalm 92:12). The magnificent cedar trees in Lebanon were the most honored of all the trees in early Scripture. They are mentioned over 100 times in the Hebrew Bible, and were known in biblical times as the “king of trees.” There were good …
On Christ as the Branch from the Stump. “Joseph took his family and they settled in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled…. He shall be called a Nazarene (meaning ‘branch’).” (Matt. 2:23). The striking words of the angel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation had historical meaning …
The Tops of the Mulberry Trees. “Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, ‘You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you …
Flourish like a Tree. “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like the cedar of Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courtyards of our God. Even in old age they will be vigorous, still full of sap, still bearing fruit, proclaiming that the Lord …
The Voice that Splits the Cedars and Opens the Graves. “… the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the voice of the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon…” (Psalm …
Walking Trees in Bethsaida: A Healing. Please read Mark 8:22-26. (There are no parallel passages in the Gospels). CONTEXT. Sandwiched around this healing of the blind man were significant gospel events. a. Jesus had just fed 4,000 people in the middle of nowhere, multiplying seven little loaves of bread and a handful of fish. (Mark 8:1-10). …
Zacchaeus and the Sycamore Tree. “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house!’ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” (Luke 19:5-6). (Please read the story of Zacchaeus in Luke …
The Oaks of Mamre. Oh, if only trees could talk, what tales they could tell. Take the famous oak grove found in Mamre, an area in Hebron straight east of the Dead Sea. These oaks would tell us that that famous landmark was where Abraham pitched his tent for many years. That grove saw a …
The Parable of the Barren Tree. Please read Luke 13:6-9. THE CONTEXT. a. The early parts of this chapter in Luke refer to Jesus’ call for national repentance. This parable, more allegorical than most of his parables, continues that theme of repentance, only the story is directed toward the Jewish leadership, the pious ones, especially in the Temple. This …