The Miracle of CommunionFire Where We Find the Tree of Life

Tree of the Cross (14th c) Pacino di Bonaguida In this extraordinary work, Pacino di Bonaguida depicts the Cross of Jesus as the Tree of Life. In a cave at the root of the tree lies the devil (his image was scratched out sometime in the 15th century), and at ground level, the Genesis narrative of creation and fall unfolds, indicating that Christ’s death upon this Cross, this tree, sprouted from the seed of Adam and Eve’s sin. Twelve branches sprout from the trunk, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles of Jesus. Hanging from these branches are the fruits of the Crucifixion, and each fruit depicts a scene from the life of Christ. Read left to right, beginning with the bottom branch, these images take the viewer from the Incarnation to the eschaton. By depicting the Crucifixion as the central image among many images, the artist establishes Jesus’ complete gift of self on the Cross as the crowning event in salvation history, yet he also declares that the Cross contains within it the entire breadth of the divine plan for redemption.

When Jesus dined with the disciples in the Upper Room, He said, 

“Do this… to remember Me.” 

The Greek word for remember is only used 4 times in all of scripture, in Luke 22 and twice in 1 Corinthians 11 when Jesus is teaching, speaking and demonstrating Communion. The 4th reference is a reference to the blood of Jesus as the only way the demand of death for sin by the law can be satisfied in Hebrews 10. Because of Jesus obedience our sins are totally and eternally remitted and He says I will remember your sins no more! He therefore will never implicate us because of our sin, He will not recall our sin and He will not punish our sin! He paid the total price and cannot punish something that has already been completely punished! His power is to redeem us who are dead in our trespasses and sins!

“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Hebrews 10:17-18

The word is "anamnesis" from ‘anamimnesko’ and where we derive the word, ‘amnesia’. "Remember" means to have the veil of memory loss pulled back to reveal a memory we didn’t know we had, because it was placed there by the Holy Spirit. The root word 'masaomai' means 'to handle and chew, gnaw upon'. We literally 'feed upon' this special revealed memory gift which is made a part of our new creation memory bank!.

Adam’s sin nature is what we are born with and that sinful nature cannot remember what being in the presence of the Lord was like in the Garden of Eden. The fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil has given all who were ever Adam's seed. This sin nature produced “eternal life amnesia”! 

Sin clouds and removes any capability for man to desire, comprehend or understand eternal life.

When we eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Jesus from a simple piece of bread and sip of wine, we dine of food and drink produced from the Tree of Life once guarded and protected by Angels in the Garden of Eden. 

The Cross was made of two dead pieces of wood put together as the instrument of death. When Jesus "finished" His work, the lumber took root as His blood soaked the ground below it and the dead wood became the branches of the Tree of Life which would forever be available to all who come to pluck of its fruit for salvation, deliverance, healing and eternal life.

Come to His Table. It is prepared like a gourmet meal perfectly suited to God's love and plan for your life. Taste and see! Literally this meal will open your eyes to get a glimpse of eternal life. Yes, taste and see that the Lord is good!

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