Tree of Life

(birds singing) (leaves rustling) – [Jon] The story of
the Bible begins in a garden Where God and humans live together. – [Tim] And the
biblical authors want us To see this garden as a type of temple. The top is the most sacred place, The holy of holies, where
God's presence is most intense. – [Jon] And that's where
we find the tree of life. So what's this tree all about? – [Tim] Well, it
represents God's own life And creative power that is
made available to others. In fact, God's first command Is that humans eat from all of the trees, Including this one. – [Jon] So you're
ingesting God's own life. That sounds intense. – [Tim] Yeah, this meal
transforms the one who eats it, Or, in the words of the story,
it leads to eternal life. – [Jon] Okay, but on
the way to the tree of life, The humans have to pass by another tree Called the tree of knowing good and bad. – [Tim] And God says
that eating from this tree Will kill you. – [Jon] How does it do that? – [Tim] Well, it
represents taking the authority To do what is good in your own eyes. And when humans do that… – [Jon] It leads
to broken relationships, Violence, and death. – [Tim] And so here's the thing, Both trees look beautiful, But one of them is a false tree of life. – [Jon] And the humans take

From this false tree of life. – [Tim] And they're exiled
from the garden for good. – [Jon] Which raises the question, Can anyone ever get back
to the tree of life? – [Tim] Well, later on in the story, We meet a man named Moses, And he encounters God in a
desert tree on top of a mountain. – [Jon] Oh, you
mean the burning bush, Where Moses is told that
he's standing on holy ground. – [Tim] Yeah, it's
a plant on a mountain, Radiating with God's life and power, Just like the tree of life. – [Jon] And God tells Moses, "Bring your people up to this mountain So we can form a partnership." – [Tim] And this
partnership will force them To make a choice. Will they follow gods of their own making, Or receive life from the true God? – [Jon] And in this story, They give their allegiance to an idol. – [Tim] And it's
just the first of many. The story goes on to show
generation after generation Choosing gods of their own making. And these idols were usually
placed on tall hills, Like beautiful trees, But they're false trees of life That lead the people
into self-destruction, Exile, and death. – [Jon] It's like death's grip on us Is too strong to resist. Is there any hope? – [Tim] Well, let's turn
now to the story of Jesus. He came to announce
that God's eternal life

Was available once again through him. – [Jon] So Jesus thinks
of himself as the tree of life? – [Tim] Yes, this is
what he meant when he claimed To be the vine that brings
God's life into the world. – [Jon] And Jesus invited
people to eat from him. – [Tim] Yeah, he was
inviting people to trust him And be transformed by his life. But Jesus also exposed
how corrupt humans are, How much they love false trees of life. And so Jesus presented
people with a new choice Between life or death. – [Jon] And this time,
they don't just choose death, They also chose to attack the
one who sustains all of life. – [Tim] Yes, Jesus is
led up to the top of a hill Where he dies upon a tree. The cross is the sad and violent result Of humanity's desire to do
what is good in our own eyes. – [Jon] The tree of
life has been overcome By the power of death. – [Tim] Well, it seemed that way, But Jesus said that he
was a seed of God's life That would die in the ground, But then grow into a plant
that would bear much fruit. – [Jon] So to defeat
death, Jesus went through it. – [Tim] And now,
this new tree of life Stands before us all, we can eat from it, But it will mean passing
through death, like Jesus, Allowing our old way
of being human to die. – [Jon] So that a new
humanity can grow in its place. – [Tim] Yes, Jesus
said he is the vine And we are his branches. So not only do you eat from this tree, You're invited to become a part of it, Helping produce its fruit

So that his life and love can
spread through us to others. – [Jon] And so the
story of the Bible ends In a new garden. – [Tim] Which is
also a kind of temple With the tree of life at its center, Providing healing and life forever To all who choose to eat from it. (birds singing)

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