Nailed to the Tree

Thinking of the Tree of Life as described in Revelation, with “the river of pure living waters, shimmering as brilliantly as crystal. It flowed out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, flowing down the middle and dividing the street of the holy city”.  This river is the blood of Christ that we partake of in Holy Communion, the New Covenant.  

“Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  Matthew 26:27-28

Matthew, Mark and Luke all describe the institution of the New Covenant.  John does not.  Matthew states that his blood is poured out for many.  Not for all.  And he specifies this covenant is for the forgiveness of sins.  Luke is the one who tells us he called it the New Covenant.  God made Covenants with Noah, Abraham, Jacob and David, all looking forward to this moment.  

I have no recollection of taking Communion until I was in high school, and then it was maybe once a year.  Now at St Luke’s we take Communion every week.  When Father Kent first arrived, he offered Communion at every opportunity, even when we went out Christmas caroling one year.  All this is somewhat foreign to me.  What do you think about when you take Communion?  

I often try to think about what it would have been like to be in the Upper Room that night.  Or in the Garden as Jesus prayed for the Cup to pass from his lips.  “Not my will, but yours.”  Such was his agitation that he sweat blood.  Sometimes I think about him crying out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  I like the notion that in that moment, he was feeling the weight of the sin of every person who ever lived, and that in that moment, he was, for the only time in his life, separated from his Father.  And then I think that he did that for me.  

When I think that the Tree of Life was there in the Garden, I realize that this was always God’s Plan.  When we sin against one another and against God, there must be atonement.  God’s Law provides that atonement must mean sacrifice, must take blood.  

And while Jesus is our atoning sacrifice, the Lamb of God, we still must also offer forgiveness and ask for forgiveness of each other.  Matthew 6:14-15 makes this clear. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

I’ve written on this here before.  We’ve all said “sorry” without meaning it.  Atonement, paying for our mistakes, shows how sorry we truly are.  This certainly sounds like a works-based salvation, taken out of context.  I believe Jesus emphasized the importance of living out our faith so we would live with urgency, love like we’d lay down our life for our friends (even when we don’t feel it), and forgive our enemies, as Jesus forgave those who were nailing him to the Tree of Life.