The Tree — Michael Koulianos

The Crucifixion as the Revelation of God’s Character

Tonight, we're going to celebrate the glorious death of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I wanted that cross right here behind me because I wanted all of us to see the cross tonight. Tonight is a holy night as we celebrate the greatest revelation of the nature of God, Christ and Him crucified.

No other moment, listen carefully, no other moment in the Lord's life while He was here on earth do we find a greater revelation than the character of God than we do in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.

There is absolutely no God like Jesus Christ. No other God comes to die for His creation. The Bible says we were enemies of God, yet He died for us. You should close your eyes right now and just say, thank you, Jesus.

Holy Spirit, move. I pray now in the hearts of men and women, tonight we celebrate and worship the only wise God who conquered His enemies through humility, lowliness, and ultimately death. The scripture says in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 8, for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

What does that mean? So great is the wisdom of God in the crucifixion that had the rulers of the age known, they never ever would have done it. They thought they were winning, yet Jesus was destroying the grave, death, and hell through the portal of lowliness, through the holy doorway of the grave.

Someone once said the grave thought it swallowed a mere man, not knowing it swallowed the God-man. The grave swallowed a holy nuclear bomb that would destroy it forever. And today, in our country, in our city, here in our state, we're addicted to debating, and arguing, and commenting.

I want to say clearly tonight and boldly that there is no wisdom like Jesus and Him crucified. He is still the only answer for mankind and for you. The early church used to sing, listen to this, when creation saw thee, who by thy own will hung the whole of creation, the earth upon the waters, you hung on Golgotha, and creation was seized with great wonder and cried aloud.

Ryan, can you grab this, buddy? I'm too fired up to drink water. We worship the one tonight who proved himself a stranger to corruption. Psalm 1610 says, for you will not leave my soul, insheol, nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption.

Christ’s Victory over Death, Hell, and the Powers

Tonight we bow before the only one who destroyed the power of hell eternally. Colossians 2, 14 and 15. Listen carefully. Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, in other words, the law of God that we broke consistently without trying by our nature, we were, we had requirement against us, written against us because of our sin, but He wiped out the handwriting of the requirement, which was contrary to us, the Scripture says, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Say the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross. Such a humble symbol. I don't mean to be critical in the least, but sometimes I watch Christian events and the backdrops are super creative and incredibly flashy, and that might not be too flashy, but the devil is petrified of the cross.

So I didn't come here tonight to tickle your back. I came here to rip the claws of Satan off of you. By the preaching of the gospel. Hebrews 2, 14 and 15. Listen carefully. And as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, in other words, we are flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Let me paraphrase. Jesus took on flesh and blood, the second person of the Godhead, the Word. The eternal Son took on flesh and blood because we are flesh and blood. And by taking our death, he conquered the devil with his own perfection.

Listen carefully. So that you would not have to fear death. Jesus went all the way to the end of the road by being buried, by dying and destroyed death so that the church would laugh in the face of it.

See, you're not afraid tonight of driving. You're afraid to die. You're not afraid of small places. You're afraid to die in small places. You're not afraid of a virus. People are afraid to die. Death is the ultimate, listen, the ultimate enemy in this context.

And the scripture says here that Jesus destroyed death. He conquered death by dying and taking our death and your death. One day we will all breathe our last. Each and every one of us will hopefully be surrounded by family.

Hopefully live a long life. We don't know though. Tomorrow is not promised. But the one thing, the one truth we can hold on to in that moment is this. Jesus shed his blood and died for me. He took my grave and he's been raised from the dead.

Therefore he is my life and I can close my eyes. And to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Jesus is our only hope. Tonight we worship the one who is our true sabbath. Christ Jesus rested from his own works when his body lay in the grave.

Jesus as the Believer’s Sabbath Rest

Good Friday is about celebrating the one who gave his life. And this Jesus who lived a perfect life for 33 and a half years would ultimately come to the place where he would stretch out his arms and yield his life and take true sabbath rest and lay in a tomb and trust his father to quicken his body three days later.

Say this, Jesus is my sabbath. That's why he said, come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden. If you're carrying a burden that wasn't yours to carry. If you feel like you're carrying the weight of the world, you don't have to.

If you're tired, you shouldn't be. You can't clean you. And you can't save you. And you can't redeem you. And you cannot wash your own sin away. Our blood is tainted. We need the blood of another. We need perfect blood to wash away our imperfection.

And so Jesus said, if you come to me, I will give you rest. Why does he give rest? Because he is our sabbath rest. Manifested as he lay in the tomb. Listen carefully now. Oh, this is too good. In Genesis 2 verse 15, the scripture says, the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree, say the tree, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. For in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.

Again, say a tree. In Deuteronomy 21 verse 22 and 23, if a man has committed a sin deserving of death and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree.

But you shall surely bury him that day so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. For he, listen carefully, for he who hangs on a tree is cursed. Any man who hangeth on a tree is cursed, the scripture says.

In Galatians 3, 13 and 14 says, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Have him become a curse for us. Cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree. In Exodus chapter 15, again we see the tree as a type and shadow as God begins to speak to us about Calvary's tree.

The Tree Cast into Bitter Waters

In Exodus 15, 22 and 26, Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea. And then they went out into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they came, they could not drink the waters of Marah for they were bitter.

Therefore, the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses saying, what shall we drink? So he cried out to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree. And when he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

Say a tree. Everyone say a tree. Moses delivers Israel as a type and picture of Jesus Christ. He leads them out. Israel goes through the Red Sea. God parts it, speaking of baptism. The Bible teaches that they were baptized in the sea.

And they were baptized into the holy cloud of God's presence, the Holy Spirit. And baptized into Moses, Paul said. Once they crossed the Red Sea, this is so powerful. Once they crossed the Red Sea, they come to the other side only to find bitter waters.

Waters in the scripture speak of the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and the spirit of men and women. That's why David cried, deep calleth unto deep. My spirit to your spirit. Those waters were bitter and God gave Moses the remedy for the bitter waters.

He said, do you see the tree in the distance? And Moses took the tree, the Bible says, and cast it into the water, into the bitter waters. Notice Moses. Everybody look me in the eyes. And please help me with those children who are making the noise, please.

Just very kindly, if we could just maybe just move them off a bit. Notice Moses did not place the tree in the waters. He didn't gently lay the tree down. The Bible says he cast the tree into the waters.

Friends, the cross comes with speed. The cross comes with violence. The cross comes with tenacity. Tenacity. God casts the tree into the depths of our hearts that are bitter. Have you ever taken a heavy piece of wood and cast it into a pool?

For a moment it goes down and then it shoots up to the top and floats. And this is what the Lord does in us. When the tree does its work, it plunges into the depths of our hearts until only the tree remains.

Until only Jesus is seen in our lives. Friend, if you want to look like Jesus, give the tree access to your heart tonight. Let the Lord cast the power of the cross into your heart. Moses, prior to that, comes to a burning bush.

Moses, the Burning Bush, and the Prophetic Sign of the Cross

And the Bible says that God was in the bush in the flame of fire. And that God spoke to Moses and called to him from the burning bush. In Acts chapter 7, fast forward, Stephen is addressing Israel. And the Amplified and New American Standard do not just call it a bush.

Listen up. This is amazing. The Amplified and New American Standard call it a thorn bush. God wearing thorns calling out to Moses as a prophecy that one day the same God would put on a body and the angel would call his name Jesus.

And he would wear a crown of thorns to take our curse as the thorns speak of the curse. Throughout Moses's journey, what did he hold up the entire time in Egypt? Say a staff, a tree, a piece of wood. And every time Moses lifted that staff, he was declaring to the foul gods of Egypt, you will bow your knee.

He was basically saying, Jesus is king and you are not, every time he lifted the staff. In Exodus chapter 12, the Israelites were commanded to roast the lamb over an open fire. Not boil it, not fry it, not cook it quickly.

But to roast it and to roast that lamb, you would have to run it through with a pole. A wooden pole. And to roast something is to slow cook something. And Jesus did not die a quick death. He died a slow death.

And when you roast a lamb, that lamb turns darker and darker and darker and darker. A prophetic picture that Jesus would become our sin suspended between the fires of the roasting or the fires of hell and heaven and become our bridge and the way, the truth and the life.

This is the wisdom. And it's an amazing wisdom. And that's why Paul said, I did not come to you with excellence of speech. I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus and him crucified. Friends, you might know church.

You might know the ministry. You might think you know your parent's God. But churches do not save. Events do not save. Conferences do not save. Only Jesus saves. You can't come to Jesus through your parents.

You can't come to Jesus through your pastor. You have to meet Jesus tonight on your own. There's an old saying, and how true it is. God has no grandchildren. Paul said, I have nothing else to tell you but Jesus and him crucified for that reason.

From Eden’s Tree to Christ’s Cross

So this thing all started in a garden. Oh God is amazing. You know the devil is not wise. He is smart, but he's not wise. God is wisdom. Say amen. This whole thing started in a garden and Adam and Eve eat from a living tree.

And that tree was not called the tree of adultery, or the tree of pornography, or the tree of addiction. It was just called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In other words, the tree of knowing stuff other than Jesus.

The tree of knowing theory. The tree of trying to fix society another way. The tree of philosophy. The tree of self-help. The tree of leadership seminars. As great as they are, they don't save the soul.

Notice it wasn't called just the tree of evil. It was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In other words, any knowledge outside of Jesus ultimately brings death. So they eat from this tree.

And death sets in. Jesus comes along. Four thousand years later. And the first Adam eats from a living tree that looked beautiful and death comes. Four thousand years later, Jesus comes, hangs as the first fruits on a dead tree, and life comes.

This is why the wisdom is too much. And this is why, had they known, they would have never crucified the Lord of glory. You better say thank you, Jesus. Adam falls in a garden. Jesus wins in a garden.

The Risen Christ and the Restoration of Eden

In the gospel of John, oh man, you're about to slap your neighbor. I'm telling you. I'm telling you. Don't slap them and blame us. Listen to this. Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. But Mary stood outside the tomb, John 20 11, weeping.

And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet. That sounds a bit like the Ark of the Covenant. If you want that teaching, you'll have to come on a Sunday.

Where the body of Jesus lay. And the angel said to her, woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, because they have taken away my Lord. And I do not know where they have laid him. Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus.

And Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? And she, listen carefully, she supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, sir, if you've taken him away, tell me where you've laid him.

Oh, I feel the Holy Spirit right now. Tell me where you've laid him and I will take him away. Love doesn't think pragmatically. What was Mary to do? Could she really carry Jesus? No, but love doesn't think like that.

She said, just give him to me. I'll find a way to get him to where he needs to go. That's what love sounds like. Why did she see him as a gardener? Because eternity was lost in a garden. Was the Holy Spirit saying, I have come to restore the Eden of your heart.

The work is over. The price has been paid. It is truly finished. No longer do you need to work by the sweat of your brow. But you now can tend and keep Eden. And by the way, Eden means pleasure. That's why Jesus said, my peace I give you.

That your joy might be full, Jesus said. Wisdom, say a tree. This Jesus lived a perfect life. Born of a virgin. Manifested the Father perfectly. He is the Father's only sermon. The Father has one sermon.

It is, this is my son. He fed the hungry. He walked on water to prove he created it. He multiplied food to tell us he is our provider. He restored the prostitute so that we'd see him as the loving Savior.

Because the Son of Man did not come in to judge or condemn the world. He came. He came to save the world. If you're wondering whether or not Jesus heals. He emptied entire villages of the sick. You wonder tonight, what is God like?

In many ways, the mystery has been revealed. Just look at Jesus. He would ultimately give his back. He was tied to a whipping post. And they did not need to tie Jesus to the whipping post. He would have held on just for you.

He was stripped naked because Adam lost the glory in the garden. And Jesus was stripped naked so he would take your shame. So that you would one day receive his glory again at your salvation. Isn't he wonderful?

I said, isn't he wonderful? They put a crown of thorns on him. He traded heaven's diadem for a crown of thorns. Thorns speak up the curse so that your mind would be renewed. Isaiah writes he was disfigured, marred more than any man.

So that your, your image would be restored in God's image. He would ultimately carry a cross on a skinned back. Striped by the cat of nine tails. He would carry that cross up a mountain. He did not die in private.

Public Salvation through the Cross and Resurrection

And that's why tonight you will have the opportunity to give your life to Jesus in public. Because he died in public. And he was nailed to a tree at the city's busiest intersection. For all the city to see.

As the Passover lambs were dying throughout the holy city. Here, our Passover lamb. Dying on the tree. Now the scripture says this. Cursed be any man who hangs on a tree. But Jesus took your curse upon the cursed tree.

Therefore cursing your curse. And canceling it forever. Eventually he would breathe his last. His father would turn his face away. And the sky would grow dark. Man would not mourn him. So the sun and stars did.

And the earth did. And the earth quaked. And the rocks broke open. And exploded. Because the one who held them together breathed his last. Remember Jesus said if you don't praise me the rocks will cry out.

They did. And when he said it was finished. He had you in mind. Isaiah writes. He saw you afar off. God sent me here tonight. For those of you who are not truly walking with Jesus. And you know whether or not you are.

It's measurable. It's quite simple. Are you free from sin? If you're not you can be tonight. And that Jesus was buried for three days. And he went into the tomb. And the Bible says he went into hell. And totally destroyed it.

So you would not have to spend eternity there. And three days later. Came climbing out of death. Took captivity captive. And the graves broke open. As a sign that he truly is resurrection and life. And the Lion of Judah came roaring out of the underworld.

As the conquering king. And this same Jesus. Forty days later ascended to the right hand of the Father. And tonight is still seated there. Interceding for all who belong to him. And you can belong to him tonight.

I said you can belong to him tonight. And one day. And with every second we draw more near. And more near. And more near. One day the eastern sky will crack open. Like a whip it will tear open. And the Jesus.

Who entered the holy city of Jerusalem on a donkey. Will not break the atmosphere on a donkey. He will break the eastern sky with a white horse. And come and rule and reign as king of kings. And lord of lords.

Hallelujah. I said hallelujah. On that day. You will face him. As one. Of two types of people. Listen to me. Everyone listen to me. You will face him as one of two types of people. An enemy. Or his bride.

The Call to Repentance and Faith in Christ

You get to choose. Tonight. With every head bowed and eye closed. If you. Are not sure. You're not a hundred percent sure. That your eternity is secure. That if you were to die tonight. That you would spend eternity with the Lord Jesus.

If you're not sure. If there is sin in your life that has completely dominated you. Jesus said he who sins is a slave to sin. He also said when the sun sets free is free indeed. You can be free tonight.

You can leave completely brand new. What does he ask of you? To repent of your sin. And put all of your trust in Jesus and him crucified. And he will come and not only wipe your sin away. But come and live in your heart forever.

And your body will become the temple of the Holy Spirit. You say Michael I want to give my life to Jesus fully. You may be backslidden tonight. You're not walking with the Lord. The Lord didn't bring you here to come to some cool event.

He brought you here to save your soul. To restore your life. You say Michael that's me. I want you to lift your hand. All over this place. You say Michael that's me. I want to give my life to Jesus tonight.

Thank you Father. Thank you Jesus. If you're in the back there. I want you to lift your hand. I want everyone to stand up please. Everyone. Everyone stand. Everyone. Everyone stand please. Hallelujah.

Listen carefully. If you're not burning with a love for Jesus. If you're not truly following Jesus. Tonight is your night. Nothing else matters. The hour is too late. To let anything get in the way. If you raised your hand tonight.

Or you wish you did. I want you to very slowly come down here and spread out. Very slowly come down here and spread out. Many of you raised your hand. Come down. Make a public. And I want you to give the Lord praise as they start coming.

I want you to make a public. A public proclamation. That you are giving all to Jesus. Come. Come. Come down. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Come. Come give your life to Jesus. Oh come on. Give the Lord praise.

Come. Come. They're coming from all over. All over. Spread out. Spread out. Come on church. Give the Lord praise. Spread out. Spread out. Spread out. Pick up those strings. I want to hear them. I want to hear them.

Come. Come. Come on. Come on. Don't waste any more time. Come to Jesus tonight. Spread them out. And once we get too full here. I want them to line up on the stairs. Line up on the stairs. Going up. Children.

Children listen to me. Children if you can hear me. I want you to look at your parents right now. If you want to give your life to Jesus. Say mommy and daddy I want to get down there. I want to give my life to Jesus.

You bring your parents with you. Come on they're still coming. Come on give the Lord praise. This is awesome. This is awesome. You better do better than that. Thank you Lord. Look they're coming down weeping.

I want her right up front. I want her. I want you right up front. They're still coming. Look at the little kids giving their lives to Jesus. Look at this. Come on sweetie. Come on. Teenagers. Nothing else matters but Jesus.

Come give your life to the Lord. Look they're coming down weeping. Parents are coming down weeping with their children. This is wonderful. Thank you Father. Thank you Father. Friends. Listen everyone.

If you brought someone tonight. You know them. It's pretty easy to know if they're on fire for Jesus or not. If they're not. I want you to look them in the eye and say come on you need to get down there.

You do it. Come on you do it. You do the work of the evangelist. It's time for the church to emerge. Say come on I'll go down with you. I'll go down with you. Come on. No more games. No more games. Come on.

Come give your life to Jesus. This is awesome. That's it. Thank you Jesus. Oh the devil's losing big. I love this. I love this. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Look look the young people are still coming.

I'm not moving. I'm not I'm not moving. Church do you realize what's going on in heaven right now? All of heaven is rejoicing. We have room here. Let's make room for them guys. We have room on this side.

Come on. Come on. I want to make room for them. Look they're still coming. They're still coming. Come on. Come on. You can wear on you whether or not you know Jesus. Come give your life to the Lord. Hallelujah.

Coming way back on the field. They're coming forward. Hallelujah. I'm waiting for you because Jesus has been waiting a long time for you. A long time. This is why we did this. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord.

Yeah. Yeah. Still coming. Look at the little kids. Little kids wanting to give their lives to Jesus. There's no way these people are from up north. They're dressed like Eskimos. Come on. You got to be from Miami.

Come on. There's still more coming. More coming. More coming. More coming. Yes. Yes. Hey Jose. Jose get on the drums. Come on. Come on. I need something victorious behind me. You guys are all bundled up like you're in Antarctica.

I'm burning up here. Come on. Thank you Lord. Still coming. Now I'm going to begin praying with you. And if I'm praying and you want to come down, you will not interrupt us. There is room at the cross.

There is room at the cross. Everyone who came forward, please look me in the eye. What this is not is a religious exercise. That is not what we're doing right now. Tonight a literal exchange will take place.

A transaction. God will not change your life tonight. He's going to completely replace your life tonight. And that's way better. Jesus is not the improver. He is the creator. And tonight you will be born again.

Born from above. Completely reborn. Every sin you ever committed will be washed away. It'll be removed from you. It'll be so removed. It'll be as far as the east is from the west. It will be cast into a sea called forgetfulness.

And the Lord will never remind you of your sin again. Additionally, the Holy Spirit is going to make you his home. He's going to come and live inside of you. You'll never be alone. Never ever again. Are you ready?

You say, what must I do? You're going to turn from everything tonight. Turn from your sin. Renounce your sin. Renounce Satan. And put your trust in Jesus Christ. Are you ready to do that? Is everyone here ready to leave all and follow Jesus?

Even if it costs your life. You ready for that? Yes or no? Because that's the cost. Okay. Let's pray. I want everyone out there to stretch your hands towards these precious souls. And I want everyone who's come forward to just lift your hands as an act of surrender.

We're all going to pray out loud. And I want, listen, I want the heavens to feel this. And I want hell to shake. Are you ready? Heavenly Father. We come to you tonight. Having sinned against you. Forgive my sin.

Wash me in the blood of Jesus. Cleanse my soul. Jesus. I repent. I turn from my sin. And I turn to you. And you alone. I renounce the devil. I renounce the world and its ways. I renounce my own plan for my life.

And I give my life to you. I believe that you are the son of the living God. That you died on the cross. And shed your blood to wash away my sin. I believe that you were buried and raised from the dead.

And I believe that you ascended to the right hand of the Father. And that you are coming back again. You are the Lord of Lords. You are God Almighty. I confess you tonight. As the Lord of my life. And I hand my life over to you.

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Receive me as I receive you. I am born again. I am a child of the living God. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Give the Lord praise.