Shema “Tree of Life” Living Series #9: The Cursed Tree of Life

 “Now if a person has committed a sin carrying a sentence of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body is not to be left overnight on the tree, but you shall certainly bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is cursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23)

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14) 

A paradox. No, it doesn’t mean someone who has two doctorate degrees (Say it slowly…para-dox!) but the term denotes, according to Merriam-Webster, “one (such as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases.” (Merriam-Webster, web version) As a pastor, I frequently showed during the Advent season the video entitled, “The Paradox of Christmas.” The scenes and narration depict the contradictory and, perhaps, the absurdity of Jesus’ birth in leaving heaven and coming to be born on earth, from the womb of a young maiden, and laid in a cattle trough. Some of the phrases from the video script includes: “Our all-powerful God came to earth as a helpless child.” “He who is divine became human.” “He traded in His heavenly seat for an earthly manger.” “He exchanged robes of splendor for swaddling clothes.” “A king whose death would bring us life.” Truly, an ultimate paradox of seemingly contradictory statements.

The final tree in the “Tree of Life” series fully illustrates the meaning of paradox. The cursed tree, an instrument of painful death, signifies what we commonly refer to as the cross.

In Deuteronomy 21, Moses underscores the imperative need to take down the one who had died hanging from the tree and then be buried the same day of the death. Often the motive in this mode of death would be to publicly display what happens to those deserving such penalty. In hopes to deter others from similar choices. Yet, as the Law dictated, the act of immediate burial was necessitated so the inherited land given by the LORD God would not be defiled.  

Paul’s emphasis in Galatians 3 is a  little different than Moses’. The apostle brings forward the law to express Jesus’ death was on a tree, i.e. the cross. He, the Son of God, died a cursed death. Of course, not He, Himself, was the one cursed but Paul declares Christ Jesus “having become a curse for us.” (v. 13) It was our sin that Jesus bore in His flesh that merited His crucifixion and to hang and die on the cursed tree. Paul powerfully summarizes the relational, salvific truth in 2 Corinthians. ‘He (God, the Father) made Him (Christ Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) 

Cursed…in the Hebrew means to be despised, one who is vile. In the Greek the term, like the Old Testament meaning, highlights one who is accursed and under judgment, a judgment of God’s doing.

Jesus, His love-obedience to His Father, moved Him through a time of cross separation (Matthew 27:46) and would bear the sinful identity before the unbelieving world as the One who was wrong, though He was completely good, truthful, and sinless.

The paradox of the cursed tree. A tree solely designed as a tool and spectacle of cruel (no greater brutality than a Roman crucifixion) became God’s source and highway of eternal life. The greatest spiritual 180o ever!

Our Father, the ugliest, lifeless, and most hated tree became Your tree of satisfaction, love, and salvation. No greater fruit has ever been produced than the Jesus cursed tree bore. Thank You! We love You and deeply appreciate what You did to hang and die on the cursed tree of life.

And now…empower us to take up the cursed tree that You said to Your disciples, in order to truly follow You, must do. With your Spirit’s help we return and renew our allegiance to the Christ and His Cursed Tree. We unite with Paul’s Holy Spirit- guided written words, ‘(Put your name here) has been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.’ In Jesus’ name, amen.