What Is On Your Christmas Tree?

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. Matthew 12:33

Trees figure large in scripture. The word “tree” turns up 257 times in the Bible. Jesus used trees in His parables. He once cursed a tree to make a point about the importance of bearing fruit. And we have made trees a central symbol for Christmas.

We place gifts under trees at Christmas. We decorate our trees with various ornaments, some to remind us of the real meaning of Christmas, others to remind us of Christmases past. We can use trees to help us focus on a Lord who was both born and celebrated at Christmas, and who ultimately was hung on a tree to purchase our salvation.

I encourage you this Christmas season to consider, to look intently at Christmas trees. When you think about gifts beneath the trees, remember that most precious of Gifts, our sweet Jesus. And when you look at the top of the tree, whether decorated with an angel or a star, let it point your heart upward to remember a Lord who died on a tree so that we can be with Him one day in heaven.

I love Christmas. I always have. But what I love more is the Lord of Christmas, the Savior who was born and died to give us a most priceless and precious gift of becoming the children of God.

Prayer: Lord our Redeemer, thank You for stepping down on earth, and rising up to heaven to make a way for humanity to follow after. Amen.