We have reached that time of year when I’m constantly telling my husband to “look at that tree!” and he in turn says “look at that tree!” as we are traveling down the road. The trees, in my opinion, have reached their peak. The colors are so vibrant. They are beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red, and even a few purple. On days when the sun is shining they are even more gorgeous. You just can’t stop telling others about the beautiful trees or taking multiple pictures.

God made every single one of these trees when the earth was three days old (Genesis 1:11-13). God designed them in such a way that they bring us something pretty to look at, but they also provide us with so much more. God designed trees to provide us oxygen to breathe, places to live (for us and animals), ways to cook food and keep us warm, shade on those extra warm days, and a place to sit just to name a few.

Trees were a means to provide food. In Genesis 2:16-17 we find that some of that food was for eating and others was used as a lesson in obedience.

Trees were used as a means to save those in Noah’s day. In Genesis 6 he had to find a specific tree to build the ark with the specific instructions from God on how to build it the save all those who would enter it.

Trees could turn bitter things sweet. A tree was used in Exodus 15:22-25 to make the bitter waters of Marah sweet. Was it it because of the tree or because of God or because of the specific way God designed that tree? I, personally don’t know, but I trust that it did.

Trees can be climbed. In Luke 19:1-10 we have the account of Zacchaeus who wanted to see Jesus as He was walking down the road. Zacchaeus was “of short stature” so he climbed a tree to see.

This is just a small sampling of trees in the scriptures, but I think you get my point. God designed and created trees to be useful.

It makes me wonder if God knows exactly what these trees He created were going to be used for. Did He know when all of those gopher wood trees were just mere saplings that they would end up being the ark that Noah built? Did He know that at a certain point the Israelites in all of their wanderings would come to a place with bitter water and so He made sure the right tree was at the exact right spot? Did He know that sycamore tree growing in Jericho would be the exact tree Zacchaeus would climb?

The tree that baffles me the most is the tree we can read about in Acts 5:30, Acts 10:39 and Acts 13:29. The cross that was used to crucify our Lord was once a tree. That is why in these verses in Acts it is referred to as such. This useful tree that God created way back on day three was going to be the means by which our Lord would be put to death to rise again the third day. Our God knows everything (1 John 3:20). Jesus was with God and was God from the very beginning (John 1:1-14).

So here’s my question did God, and in turn Jesus, know what tree was going to be used to fashion the cross on which Christ was to die upon? Did Jesus who walked on this earth ever walk by this tree? Did He walk slowly by or did He hurriedly walk past the tree that He was going to be nailed to? Did He ever say to His disciples “look at that tree” and then tell them all about His impending death upon it? We know that He talked much about His death, burial and resurrection, but did He know specifically which tree? Did He gaze upon it knowing that was His way to save us from our sins and His ticket back to His Father? Or did He turn His head as to not look at it because He knew of the pain it was going to bring?

I have way more questions than answers, but what I do know is that while I’m telling my husband to look at that beautiful fall tree over there that it doesn’t even compare to the tree that was used in the process of saving our souls. That soul saving tree was and will forever be the most beautiful, most precious, and most worthy of forever looking at.

Look at that tree!

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews12:1,2

By: Kristina Odom