Two Trees in Jesus' Life
Two Trees in Jesus’ Life
If the death of Jesus—which provided us with new access to the once barred Tree of Life--source of eternal life--occurred on a tree, then isn’t reasonable to expect that the birth of Jesus—to consistently maintain the unifying tree theme--also occurred at a tree of some variation? From tree to tree? Sounds reasonable. But is there any textual evidence? There is indeed. But let’s remind ourselves of what we know already.
Trees play a major role in unifying Scripture. They are not the only theme (other unifying themes are mountains, elevated places, water barriers, land, voice, dry ground, temptation, serpent, rule, priest, worship, seed, life are other themes) but one of the key unifying elements in both Old and New Testaments. So, as you read the Bible from start to finish, keep a sharp eye out for trees and all the variations of trees: roots, leaves, branches, fruit that provides life, limbs, bark, vines, stump, bushes, thickets, flowers, seeds, harvest, items made from trees (rope, baskets, Noah’s Ark, Ark of the Covenant, the Temple, firewood, charcoal fire, poles, stakes), and species of trees (palm, cedar, gopher, acacia, sycamore fig, olive, oak).
As I mentioned in my previous blog, trees and its variations are lifesavers. Without access to the fruits of the Tree of Life in the Garden located in the eastern part of Eden, our first parents would have died. The Tree of Life was a lifesaver. When they were expelled from Eden Mountain for their failure of faith in their Father’s word, they were barred access to the fruit of the Tree of Life and so, consequently, they all began to die (Genesis 5[1]). But in the rest of the Bible story, it is trees that save lives (Exodus 15:22-27).
Since trees are a unifying theme and act as signs of hope on the redemptive path throughout Scripture, it is no surprise to find that Jesus brought life and forgiveness and reopened the door to Paradise by dying on a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Gal.3:13; 1 Peter 2:24-25).
If the death of Jesus—which provided us with new access to the Tree of Life--eternal life--occurred on a tree, then isn’t reasonable to expect that the birth of Jesus—to consistently maintain the unifying tree theme--also occurred at a tree of some variation? Jesus life began at a tree and ended at a tree. Sounds perfectly reasonable when we consider how trees are a unifying theme in Scripture. Why not show the same unity in Jesus’ life? But is there any textual evidence? There is indeed.
At his birth, Jesus was laid in a φάτνῃ (Lk 2:7,12,16). Traditionally, this Greek word has been translated as “manger,” an animal’s feeding trough. But what does φάτνῃ really refer to? A clue to the precise meaning of a word is to observe how the same author uses the term elsewhere in his writing. Well, the only other time that φάτνῃ is used in Luke’s Gospel is found in 13:15. Let’s have a wee look:
“Then the Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its STALL (φάτνῃ) and lead it to water?’”
The term “stall” is how most translations render φάτνῃ, the same exact word traditionally translated as “manger” in Luke 2:7. The word in question is obviously related to livestock. Jesus refers to an ox and a donkey being untied from its φάτνῃ (Luke 13:15) so it can be led away to quench its thirst at a water source. We need to ask: are oxen and donkeys more likely to be tied to their feeding trough or to be tied to their stall and then untied and led to a source of water? And, why would domesticated animals need to be tied to a feeding trough in the first place? And, related to our point, what is more likely to be made out of a tree (wood)? An animal’s feeding trough or an animal’s stall, the place where they sleep?
But I must admit that questioning the idea of Jesus’ birth in a manger and arguing for a wooden stall instead—despite the textual evidence—is rather inconsequential and liable to create a Christian mob scene. And, during the Christmas season, “Away in a Manger” sounds so much more appealing than “Away in a Stall.” But this question and the analysis used to examine and answer it, does, I hope, show how the Bible is written canonically. The major themes raised in Genesis 1-3 (sh as trees) are repeated thousands of times in the twists and turns in the Bible stories. Why? The repeated themes across the pages of the Bible stories provide us with timely road signs of hope and assurance on the path of faith. The message of those signs? We are on the right track. Don’t quit traveling. No U-Turns necessary. Keep walking with God on the path of faith. Just watch for the variety of trees in the stories and you’ll reach your destination.
Thank you for reading.
[1] But one man found an opened door to the Tree of Life in Genesis 5. He overcame the curse of death.