(Here is where this blog is going to transition into a thought space for me to share thoughts and ideas with the wide world of the interwebs. Continue reading only if you dare.)
For a bit more than a year now I have been very intrigued by trees and their various parts and aspects that I have studied in the scriptures. This week in my study I came across a connection that branched out in many directions and added a little bit more depth into this study.
In John 15 Christ says “I am the vine” (vs. 1) and maybe with some liberty I can say that the vine is about the same thing as a tree. In 1st Nephi from Lehi's vision it is very clear Christ is also represented as the tree. Continuing in John 15, Christ compares the apostles to branches who need to abide in him (vs 2-6) to bring forth fruit. Then if we think about branches in other places scripture I think it is fair to say that branches often represent posterity. For example a "branch of the house of Israel" is part of the posterity of Jacob. So if the branches (the apostles) are representative of posterity of the tree (Christ) it makes sense that we become “children of Christ” after we make a covenant with Christ (Mosiah 5:7)- or synonymously abide in Him like Christ teaches in John 15.
After being baptized I have taken Christ's name upon me to be His child and have promised to try to live like Him. I need to "bring forth fruit meet for repentance" (Alma 13:13) and as a branch (or child of Christ) I must be attached to Christ (vs 4.) By preparing conscientiously for the Sacrament this week I can better abide in Christ and be in tune with the spirit to know how to serve others.
For a bit more than a year now I have been very intrigued by trees and their various parts and aspects that I have studied in the scriptures. This week in my study I came across a connection that branched out in many directions and added a little bit more depth into this study.
In John 15 Christ says “I am the vine” (vs. 1) and maybe with some liberty I can say that the vine is about the same thing as a tree. In 1st Nephi from Lehi's vision it is very clear Christ is also represented as the tree. Continuing in John 15, Christ compares the apostles to branches who need to abide in him (vs 2-6) to bring forth fruit. Then if we think about branches in other places scripture I think it is fair to say that branches often represent posterity. For example a "branch of the house of Israel" is part of the posterity of Jacob. So if the branches (the apostles) are representative of posterity of the tree (Christ) it makes sense that we become “children of Christ” after we make a covenant with Christ (Mosiah 5:7)- or synonymously abide in Him like Christ teaches in John 15.
After being baptized I have taken Christ's name upon me to be His child and have promised to try to live like Him. I need to "bring forth fruit meet for repentance" (Alma 13:13) and as a branch (or child of Christ) I must be attached to Christ (vs 4.) By preparing conscientiously for the Sacrament this week I can better abide in Christ and be in tune with the spirit to know how to serve others.