“The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.” Genesis 1:12-13 (ESV)
Question 9: What day did dry ground, vegetation, plants yielding seed, and trees bearing fruit appear?
The Light of Jesus Christ shines into the darkness, we believe and receive the message of the cross by faith and God separates us from the darkness. We were once dead and without hope, then we rose to live new lives through the powerful working of God and we share in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Look at the stages of “growth” all believers can experience as we here the message of the cross from the pulpit of churches and walk by the Spirit we grow and mature in Christ begin bearing fruit for His glory.
“...having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12 (ESV)
Notice the growth that raised up on the third day:
Sprout vegetation: A new believer who has been crucified with Christ, raised with Christ, and is sprouting vegetation as his/her faith is in its infancy, new, but very real. Vegetation spreads but its roots have not matured and its height is not established.
Plants yielding seed: A believer who has been crucified with Christ, raised with Christ, and is moving into maturity like a plant yielding its seeds. Their faith is growing and they have begun scattering the seed of the Word of God.
Fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed: A believer who has been crucified with Christ, raised with Christ, and is moving into maturity and building strength with deeper roots like a tree bearing fruit. Because they are rooted at the cross, they are healthy bearing fruit and scattering the seed of the Word of God.
“Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:8 (ESV)
“...because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf” Colossians 1:5-7 (ESV)
Question 10: If you're a pastor, elder or teacher are you proclaiming the message of the cross as of first importance from the pulpit, bible study, or Sunday school teachings? If you're a church member are you hearing the message of the cross in your church? Finally, can you see how we are to grow and mature to bear more and more fruit when Jesus’ death and resurrection are proclaimed? Please share your thoughts.
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Peter writes, "A tree bearing fruit. The Word of God tells us that the older we get the more fruit we should be bearing. Unfortunately, that's not what the American church is teaching or practically experiencing. The older faithful more mature believer is retiring and living for themselves rather than for God and others. Very sad indeed."
Brothers and sisters, let’s look at the cross, using the perspective of Genesis 1, and rejoice. We were empty (void), in darkness and buried in the great abyss of sin (waters of darkness).
But then God shone His light into our hearts, by showing us how Jesus Christ came to this world and entered into our condition. On the cross, Jesus entered the deep darkness, taking on your sin and all sickness and sorrows, there He emptied Himself (Philippians 2:7) pouring out His very life unto death for you, and shortly after was buried in the tomb. Yet on the third day, He rose from the dead, and we rose from our sin by His resurrection power, and now we are children of the light who walk in newness of life. We were empty, in darkness and buried in sin, but now have been raised up as new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and are filled with God’s Spirit, walking in the light.
Let’s rejoice in our own transformation at the cross, and commit to giving out this message of the death of Jesus for our sins and of His resurrection from the dead; the message of transformation and new life!