The Tree of Life: A Call to Return and Build

Brothers and sisters, have you ever felt a deep longing, a sense that something vital is missing? It’s a whisper in the soul, a yearning for a connection that transcends this mortal existence. The ancient story of the Tree of Life, as unveiled in the BibleProject video, speaks directly to that longing—a longing etched into the very fabric of our being. It's a message as urgent today as it was when Samuel the Lamanite climbed the walls of Jerusalem, warning of the coming judgment.

Imagine: a garden, a temple, the very presence of God, and a tree offering eternal life. A gift freely given, yet immediately rejected for the allure of self-determination, the illusion of control through the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” How often do we, in our own lives and in the broader world, choose the false tree, building systems and ideologies that promise fulfillment but deliver only destruction? Ammon, standing at the Waters of Sebus, witnessed firsthand the consequences of such choices – the despair, the division, the ultimate exile.

The narrative continues, generation after generation, repeating the same tragic pattern. Each time, humanity erects its own idols, its own “trees of life” fashioned by human hands. These are the idols of power, of wealth, of fleeting pleasures – all offering a counterfeit promise of life and security. They rise on high hills, mimicking the sacred, but leading only to self-destruction. As the video so eloquently explains, these false trees lead to “exile and death, as if the grip of death is too strong to resist.”

But the story doesn't end in despair. The Stone cut without hands, the unexpected revelation, arrives in the form of Jesus Christ. He declares Himself the true Tree of Life, the Vine that brings God’s life into the world. He offers a radical choice: to partake of Him, to trust in Him, and be transformed. Yet, even this ultimate offering is met with rejection, with violence, with a crucifixion – the ultimate perversion of life’s sustaining power.

Even in that moment of seeming defeat, Jesus planted a seed. A seed of hope, a seed of resurrection, a seed that would grow into a new humanity. “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me shall never die, but live forever,” (John 11:25). He calls us to participate in this new growth – to become branches on the Vine, bearing fruit, spreading His love and life throughout the world.

This isn’t merely a theological concept; it’s a call to action. It’s a call to be Builders, not Destroyers. It’s a call to recognize the false trees in our own lives and in the world around us, and to actively dismantle them. It’s a call to invest in the true Tree of Life—the Kingdom of God—through our time, our talents, and our resources. Your engagement here, supporting gospel advertising in Ghana, funding the Missionary Fund, and contributing to the map of churches at GatherIsrael.now—these are the actions that cultivate the soil for the Kingdom to flourish.

Think of Outback Jack, tirelessly working to connect with those seeking truth, mirroring Ammon’s efforts at the Waters of Sebus. Each contribution, each act of service, each prayer offered, is a stone laid in the foundation of a new Jerusalem, a gathering place for the children of God. Let us embrace this challenge with courage and conviction, knowing that we are part of something far greater than ourselves. Let us be digital striplings, armed with the five smooth stones of faith, hope, charity, patience, and perseverance, ready to defend the truth and build a world where the Tree of Life flourishes for all.

Let us claim our church, mark our denominational marker, and join the movement to gather Israel.