Have you ever heard a sermon that explains Jesus' proverb to the women of Jerusalem, "For if they do these things in the green wood, what shall be done in the dry"? The time is unusually right for such a message. This is a startling saying for a number of reasons. For one thing the time in which Jesus uttered this; He was in incomprehensibly dire circumstances and yet was still ministering to the women of Jerusalem with unselfish discernment. Jesus is making reference to himself as greenwood. He is under the unrighteous vengeance of Roman power which of course was providentially ordained by God to be the means by which Christ was offered as a substitutionary offering for sin. Green wood and fire is an unnatural combination. But dry wood and fire is not an unnatural combination. Judah and Jerusalem are dry wood and they too will come under Roman vengeance providentially guided by God, albeit culpable for their crimes. It will do you well to ponder well the figure of dry wood in connection with the gruesome crushing of Jerusalem and other Jewish territories in 70 AD. What should we remember about "dry trees"? We should remember that "The sinner is adapted to to sufferings like a dry tree is to fire." Jesus suffered with a good conscience and assurance that His sufferings would end. Not so the sinner. "He is guilty and will suffer the remorse of conscience. He will be punished literally. He takes to Hell with him his impetuous passions. They will be kindled and will rage endlessly. How dry is America? How dry are sinners we encounter regularly? The passage has stupendous bright spots and yet we must ask, "What should we think about dry wood"? Jesus said it.
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Pastor Dave Nicholes came to know the Lord while he was in the US Navy. He went on to seek Christian training from Tennessee Temple University where he met his wife, Joy. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Temple University, a master’s degree from Tennessee Temple...
