Author’s Note: This is part of a 40 Day Lenten & Easter YWAP Devotional that explores self-sacrifice as it relates to the death and resurrection of Christ
THE WOOD of A CARPENTER
The wood from a tree crosses many lives. Wood can become a manger where animals feed and a baby is born. Wood can become a boat used by fisherman or used by a preacher to teach folks sitting on a beach. Wood can become a cross where Truth is tortured and gets nailed in a crucifixion. Wood can become an open door to new Life.
Jesus was the son of a carpenter and he was called a carpenter. "Is not this the carpenter’s son?" Mathew 13:55 AMP. "Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary," Mark 6:3 NLT. In Greek, the word carpenter is "tekton" and means, a worker in wood, carpenter, joiner, builder, any craftsman, any workman. You could easily call Jesus a "handyman" who had several skills including carpentry. Some of the folks who heard him teach questioned his knowledge because he was only a handyman. I like to use the word "builder," Jesus gave his life to build a plan of mercy and grace for our lives. Jesus the Builder, I like the sound of that!
The journey of Christ's life is a lot like the a tree is used for wood. Lot's of cutting, stripping it bare, pulverizing into pulp and totally disfigured for further use. I would imagine it took a lot longer to build a manger than it took to build a cross. I'm also pretty sure it took a lot more skill to build a boat than it took to build a cross. Who knows. maybe the Romans used the Acme Cross Company (fictitious name,) but maybe there were folks who were cross makers for a living. I'm sure Jesus as a carpenter wasn't making any crosses. The cross he told folks to pick up and carry was not made of wood. He was talking about crucifying the sinful desires of our flesh that would separate us from the Love of God. Living in a manner that demonstrates the mercy, grace and love of Christ will get you imprisoned or killed in some countries. “And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:38 (AMP)
I wonder if it's possible for the same wood to be used for a manger, reconstructed as a boat, decommissioned into a cross and then finally used to make a door? Jesus talked a lot about trees and wood. The tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden was wood. The tree of "good and evil" that Adam and Eve ate from and got them kicked out of the Garden. The first sin of mankind was attached to wood. It was mankind's embracing of evil that got Jesus nailed to a tree.
On his final road of suffering, Jesus was forced to carry the wood for his own sacrifice. Already tortured to within inches of death, he fell under the weight of his burden. The soldiers forced an African man from Libya named Simon to carry the wood behind Jesus. Passing by some women who were weeping, Jesus paused and spoke to them, "Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me. You should be weeping for yourselves and your children. 29 For the day is coming when it will not be the women with children who are blessed but the childless. Then you will say, ‘The barren women are the most fortunate! Those who have never given birth and never nursed a child—they are more fortunate than we are, for they will never see their children put to death!’ 30 And the people will cry out for the mountains and hills to fall on top of them to hide them from all that is to come.[a] 31 For if this is what they do to the living Branch,[b] what will they do with the dead ones?” Luke 23:28-31 (TPT)
It appears that Jesus thought it was important enough to interrupt his death procession to give a word or warning to these wailing women. Here's Luke 23:31 in the KJV, " “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” Jesus is alive in the Truth and Love of God - that's like a live, green tree full of life potential. He's innocent and yet they're treating him like deadwood. Folks who are dead in their sins, apart from Christ are like deadwood, suitable for nothing but burning or rotting. Folks who follow Christ are treated as meaningless deadwood by many people. Will you be a green tree and submit to the pruning of your character? Will you carry your Cross like the Living Branch?
DAY EIGHT WORD
“My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives;
for the nails of his cross crucified me with him.
And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine,
for the Anointed One lives his life through me--
we live in union as one!
My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God
who loves me so much that he gave himself for me,
and dispenses his life into mine![a]
Galatians 2:20 (TPT)
Jesus the Living Vine
“I am a true sprouting vine,
and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father.
He cares for the branches connected to me by
lifting and propping up the fruitless branches[a]
and pruning[b] every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest.”
John 15:1-2 (TPT)
HEART THOUGHTS
How's the pruning process in your life? Can you see mercy in the manger and grace on the cross?
HEART REFLECTIONS
Who can you branch out to and tell them how the tree became a manger, a boat, a cross and a door?
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap40daysoflent #ywap4Christ #JLYASD
Jesus was the son of a carpenter and he was called a carpenter. "Is not this the carpenter’s son?" Mathew 13:55 AMP. "Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary," Mark 6:3 NLT. In Greek, the word carpenter is "tekton" and means, a worker in wood, carpenter, joiner, builder, any craftsman, any workman. You could easily call Jesus a "handyman" who had several skills including carpentry. Some of the folks who heard him teach questioned his knowledge because he was only a handyman. I like to use the word "builder," Jesus gave his life to build a plan of mercy and grace for our lives. Jesus the Builder, I like the sound of that!
The journey of Christ's life is a lot like the a tree is used for wood. Lot's of cutting, stripping it bare, pulverizing into pulp and totally disfigured for further use. I would imagine it took a lot longer to build a manger than it took to build a cross. I'm also pretty sure it took a lot more skill to build a boat than it took to build a cross. Who knows. maybe the Romans used the Acme Cross Company (fictitious name,) but maybe there were folks who were cross makers for a living. I'm sure Jesus as a carpenter wasn't making any crosses. The cross he told folks to pick up and carry was not made of wood. He was talking about crucifying the sinful desires of our flesh that would separate us from the Love of God. Living in a manner that demonstrates the mercy, grace and love of Christ will get you imprisoned or killed in some countries. “And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:38 (AMP)
I wonder if it's possible for the same wood to be used for a manger, reconstructed as a boat, decommissioned into a cross and then finally used to make a door? Jesus talked a lot about trees and wood. The tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden was wood. The tree of "good and evil" that Adam and Eve ate from and got them kicked out of the Garden. The first sin of mankind was attached to wood. It was mankind's embracing of evil that got Jesus nailed to a tree.
On his final road of suffering, Jesus was forced to carry the wood for his own sacrifice. Already tortured to within inches of death, he fell under the weight of his burden. The soldiers forced an African man from Libya named Simon to carry the wood behind Jesus. Passing by some women who were weeping, Jesus paused and spoke to them, "Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me. You should be weeping for yourselves and your children. 29 For the day is coming when it will not be the women with children who are blessed but the childless. Then you will say, ‘The barren women are the most fortunate! Those who have never given birth and never nursed a child—they are more fortunate than we are, for they will never see their children put to death!’ 30 And the people will cry out for the mountains and hills to fall on top of them to hide them from all that is to come.[a] 31 For if this is what they do to the living Branch,[b] what will they do with the dead ones?” Luke 23:28-31 (TPT)
It appears that Jesus thought it was important enough to interrupt his death procession to give a word or warning to these wailing women. Here's Luke 23:31 in the KJV, " “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” Jesus is alive in the Truth and Love of God - that's like a live, green tree full of life potential. He's innocent and yet they're treating him like deadwood. Folks who are dead in their sins, apart from Christ are like deadwood, suitable for nothing but burning or rotting. Folks who follow Christ are treated as meaningless deadwood by many people. Will you be a green tree and submit to the pruning of your character? Will you carry your Cross like the Living Branch?
DAY EIGHT WORD
“My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives;
for the nails of his cross crucified me with him.
And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine,
for the Anointed One lives his life through me--
we live in union as one!
My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God
who loves me so much that he gave himself for me,
and dispenses his life into mine![a]
Galatians 2:20 (TPT)
Jesus the Living Vine
“I am a true sprouting vine,
and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father.
He cares for the branches connected to me by
lifting and propping up the fruitless branches[a]
and pruning[b] every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest.”
John 15:1-2 (TPT)
HEART THOUGHTS
How's the pruning process in your life? Can you see mercy in the manger and grace on the cross?
HEART REFLECTIONS
Who can you branch out to and tell them how the tree became a manger, a boat, a cross and a door?
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap40daysoflent #ywap4Christ #JLYASD
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