20/20 Vision (Two Trees)

And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning, Southpointe!! We are starting the new year, 2020. I am sure that many pastors are starting this year with a title like this: 20/20 vision.

I want us to have perfect sight into the Word of God and the plan of God this year. This will be a turning point for us here at Southpointe!

I plan on opening the Word of God in a deeper but a more complete understanding so that we will have a sharper vision.

So this morning we are going to deal with some near-sighted or maybe far-sighted stuff.

In studying the typical teaching of the Old Testament scriptures, we learn from them sometimes by way of contrast and sometimes by way of comparison.

So have you ever took a double look, I mean you see something and you shake your head and say is that what that is.

I want us to look at something that is a striking illustration of this double fact and it is found here in our text.

--- we read about The tree of knowledge of good and evil.

I want you go with me on this trip: look at:

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Again, another verse:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

If you will notice that the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord is spoken of as a tree. Why?

There must be some deeper meaning than that which appear on the surface?

Or was God intended for us to be led by the Holy Spirit so that we would check back on this important information?

As we study this out I believe that you will see some remarkable pints both of comparison and contrast between the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree on which our Lord was crucified.

The first tree that I want to talk about is the tree of knowledge of good and evil, in .

This tree was planted by God, It was not planted by Adam but by Adam’s Maker--- God.

But the second tree, the tree, the one that our Lord Jesus was nailed, it was planted by man.

It was humans hands which devised, provided and erected that cruel tree on the hill of Calvary.

What a contrast from the first tree, it was the hands of the creature and not the Creator which planted the second tree.

Now stay with me: The first tree was pleasant to the eyes.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

We don’t know what make this tree so pleasant to the eyes but that there’s an indication that this tree was an object of beauty and delight.

But what a contrast to the second tree: everything was hideous and it was not attractive.

The suffering Saviour, the vulgar crowd, the taunting priests, the two thieves, the flowing blood, the three hours of darkness nothing was there to please the outward eye.

The first tree was pleasant to the eyes but concerning the One on the second tree it is written:

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.