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The
Pine Tree and the Easter Message Devotional by Tim Albritton Prepared for the Easter Mulder Memorial United Matthew 28: 1-10 Key Verse: Then go quickly and tell
his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead
of you to –
Matthew 28:7 Good
Morning. I have come to tell you that we all have a message to “Go and Tell”
others the Good News of the Resurrection! An
Easter sunrise service is usually not attended by great multitudes of lost and
unsaved of the world; therefore, I have prepared a message of instruction and encouragement
for what I believe to be a small group of faithful followers. As
many of you know most of my messages are not very conventional. As you recall, they
usually have a tree connection. Today’s message has a tree connection which hope you will find interesting. During
the Easter season, the tree that receives the most attention is the Flowering
Dogwood, and for good reason. The Dogwood has a beautiful flower that is
usually in full bloom during the Easter season. According to a Christian legend,
the Dogwood was once a large, majestic tree similar to an oak. Because the Dogwood
was tall and mighty it was cut down and used to make the cross on which Jesus
was crucified. Because
of the Dogwood's sadness at being used for such a cruel purpose, Jesus took
pity on the tree and promised it would never be put to such use again. He said,
“You will become slender and sway with the breeze. Instead of acorns you will
bear white flowers in the shape of a cross, with dark red bloodstains at the
side of each petal to show the world how you have suffered.” You
can choose for yourself whether to believe this legend. I can testify to the
Dogwood’s weak and slender branches. As young boys, my brother Mark and I climbed
into the upper branches of my mother’s prized Dogwood. We had great fun swaying
back and forth. Our fun ended when the Dogwood, unable to handle the weight of
two young boys, snapped in the middle. Mark and I came crashing down to the
ground. Our mother was not pleased to have her Dogwood destroyed. Today
I would like to offer you another tree that we can remember on Easter. The
Easter message is like the pine tree. Pines
are wind pollinated. This means the pine tree produces pollen cones on the
lower branches and relies on the wind to carry the pollen grains to the seed
cones in adjacent trees. These unfertilized seed cones cannot produce new life
without the wind blown pollen landing in just the right spot. After pollination,
the new life begins to develop and at the right time, the cone will open, drop
its seeds, and a new pine tree will begin to grow. During
March and April most of you realize this pollen is carried to many other places
as well, such as your car, driveway, windows, sidewalks, your eyes and
sensitive noses. This pollen often triggers an allergic reaction by many of us
and we just as soon not have it around. I hope, however, that after today's
message you will see pollen and remember the Easter message. I
once heard a very simplistic definition for a parable; it is an earthly story
with a heavenly meaning. Allow me to explain the heavenly meaning I have drawn
from this modern day parable. The
pine tree
represents the Lord God. We find this biblical idea in Hosea 14:8: "O
Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a green pine tree; your fruitfulness comes from me."
John 15:5 is another verse
that reminds us of this truth: "…He
who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit…” The
pollen cones
represent those persons who are saved. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord
and Savior, we have life, for He is Life. The
pollen represents
the life-saving message that each of us has in us when we make Jesus our Lord.
This life-giving message can be shared with others. For what good does it to
hold the message inside us? The
unfertilized cones represent the lost people of the world. The lost can be very near or
they can be far away. Our responsibility is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide
us as we share the message near and far. The
wind
represents the power of the Holy Spirit. We see this in Acts 2:2: "Suddenly a sound like the
blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where
they were sitting." The Holy Spirit did not simply fill the preacher; all who were in the house were filled. When we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, each member, everyone, I believe the people in the Redland community will become like the Jews who witnessed this transforming power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They will be "amazed and perplexed.” Lessons from the Pines: When
I first learned about wind pollination at Knowing
how God helps the pines handle this difficult task of wind pollination may help
us deliver the Easter message. 1.
Pines produce a great amount of pollen, so when the wind blows, millions of
pollen grains take flight. Likewise the church needs all of its members
to spread the message. We cannot rely on our pastor, Craig, to be the only messenger to deliver the
message to the lost. If each pollen cone produced only a single pollen grain,
how effective would that be? 2.
The pollen grains have wings on each side to aid in flight. I learned that from
microscopic examination. We too can add
wings to the message when we hope in the Lord. Isaiah 40 NIV 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases
the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew
their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they
will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. In
the New King James Version, "renew" actually means "to exchange."
Those who wait or depend on the Lord will exchange their weakness for God's
strength. 3.
The Key part to this whole equation is the wind, without which the pine
would not be very fruitful. But what are the chances that the single little
pollen grain will take flight and land on the seed cone in just the exact
location? Or what are the chances that you will meet with the right person with
whom we may share the Easter message? Let me tell you a story about Calvin
Dukes. (Share Testimony) This equation seems
foolish to a man until he comes to realize the truth found in God’s word. Jeremiah 51 16
"When he thunders, the waters in the
heavens roar; he
makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He
sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses." When
we realize that God controls the wind, the whole equation becomes far less
difficult to believe. And our confidence as a witness begins to increase when
we realize the Holy Spirit is guiding us all through the day. 4.
The pollen goes to the seed cone. Did you notice in the scripture that the angel told
them to go? He did not instruct them wait there
and hope that some folks would come by that need to hear the message. He did
not tell them to build a nice church and wait for some folks to move into the
community and come to church. NO. The messenger takes the message.
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 13,
verse 18, Jesus compared the The And yes, it is like a green pine tree
with its pollen cones waiting for the strength of the wind to carry the new
life-giving pollen grain to a waiting seed cone. Friends, you and I have a life-giving
message within us and someone out there is waiting to receive it. The message for you and me on this
Easter morning is to "GO and TELL". Let us go and tell others! + + + |