Understanding the Mystery of the Cross: We Died at a Tree God Gave Us Life at a Tree

By Mike Beecham

Why Do You Wear A Cross?

Why is the universal symbol of Christianity the method of Jesus execution? Is this morbid fascination with crucifixion Biblical? Is the death of Jesus to be the dominant theme of Christianity? What is the reason for the irrational contempt and hatred for the Cross in todays culture?

In Understanding the Mystery of the Cross, author Mike Beecham explains why only crucifixion could redeem humanity no other death would do.

Some of the topics addressed in this book:

How man was separated from God and reconciled to God at a tree.
The similarities between Adams fall and Jesus crucifixion.
How God used the blueprint of mans fall in the Garden of Eden as a pattern to follow to provide mans redemption at the Cross of Christ.
How this ancient event impacts our life today.

Join the author on a journey to discover not only what happened to Jesus on
that cross, but what happened to you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512796919

Mike Beecham

Mike Beecham and his wife, Phyllis, were both raised on the Eastern Plains of Colorado where Mike was a former police officer. They have pastored churches in Oklahoma and Colorado for thirty years and taught in various Bible Schools. They have raised three children: Sarah, Michelle and Joshua and reside in La Junta, Colorado where Mike is the Senior Pastor of Crossroads Church.

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Copyright © 2017 Mike Beecham.

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WestBow Press rev. date: 07/26/2017

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Contents

Preface

The Haunting Question

Paul’s Revelation of the Cross

The Tree

Part One

Understanding the Similarities Between Adam’s Tree and Jesus’ Tree

The Curse

Sweat

Thorns

Death

Nakedness

Shame

A Veil of Separation

Part Two

Understanding the Multifaceted Purpose of the Cross

The World’s Largest Manufacturer’s Recall

An Illegal Act

The Cancellation of a Debt

An Overpayment

A Planting

A Strategic Military Victory

The Ultimate Injustice

Part Three

Understanding What Happened to You at the Cross

Half-Gospel Christians

For Us

With Him

Afterword

Endnotes

Dedication

To my wife and faithful companion of thirty-seven years, Phyllis. I stand in awe of the gift of God’s grace he has given me in you. Without your love, encouragement, and support, this book wouldn’t be.

To my children, Sarah, Michelle, Joshua, and my son-in-law, Daniel. I have no greater joy than knowing my children walk in the truth. It is a privilege to be your father.

To my grandsons, Cayden and Malachi: If I knew grandkids were so great, I would have had them first!

To my mother and stepfather, Don and Lois Sterba: Thank you for standing by me through all times and your support in this book.

To the glory of God.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Gay Phillips (who is now with Jesus), Larry Borud, Bill Behrman, and Anthony Fouts. Their encouragement and confirmation to write this book gave me the final shove.

Thanks to Ed and Barbara Richardson, Eldon and Dorean Gierhan, and Jack and Sylvia McComber, who offered me places of sanctuary to work on the manuscript.

Thank you to all the members of Crossroads Church, who were so supportive of this work and allowed their pastor to get away from time to time to work on it.

Thanks to Bob and MaryAnn Rusler for their support.

Thank you to Debra Thyfault, and Valerie Ensor for help with proofreading.

Above all, thank you, Father, for such a marvelous plan to reconcile us back to you. Thank you for the cross of Christ.

Preface

The cross of Christ is an inexhaustible subject. It was the hour for which Jesus spent his entire earthly life. It was his destination from before the foundation of the world.

This book is but an examination of a few drops of a subject that is as vast as the ocean. The crucifixion of Christ will forever stand as the singular most important event in history. The wounds of that event will eternally be displayed in the glorified body of our precious Lord Jesus.

This symbol of the passion of our Lord will stand eternally in the center of the universe declaring to all:

• The justice of God

• The wisdom of God

• The love of God

• And, our worth in God’s sight

Chris Tomlin expressed it best in his song, Here I Am to Worship—I’ll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.

Galatians 6:14 (KJV) states: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…

The Haunting Question

My journey to understand the mystery of the cross began in high school. God was graciously sending an awakening revival to the youth of our nation that became known as the Jesus movement. As the Holy Spirit began to move through our school, I can remember students crammed wall-to-wall, sitting on the floor of a high school coach’s house as he shared the Scriptures.

One day, a friend of mine approached me and asked why I wore a cross. I proudly said, Because I’m a Christian.

He replied So, why do you wear a cross?

With less enthusiasm I stated, Because I’m a Christian.

He then asked, If you had an uncle you loved who was shot to death, in his memory would you wear a replica of a pistol around your neck?

I mumbled No.

What he said next haunted me for years. Well then, why is the symbol of your faith in Christ the method of his execution?

Good question! Why is the cross the dominant symbol of Christianity? Why among all the different religions of the world do we as Christians flaunt the cross? Why do we put crosses on our churches, covers of our Bibles, T-shirts, and jewelry? Is the death of Jesus to be the dominant theme of Christianity?

Wouldn’t it be more appealing if we emphasized something other than one of the most horrific methods of execution ever practiced by humanity? Can’t we find a better symbol to express the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ? Is it healthy to dwell on the death of Jesus? Doesn’t it make more sense to emphasize his life?

That question both haunted me over the years and shook my faith. Unquestioningly, I had just accepted the songs we sang about the cross in church and Sunday school. I began to wonder if perhaps we were overemphasizing the method of execution by which Jesus died. Maybe our emphasis should just be on the fact that he died for our sins. Maybe his method of death was largely irrelevant. That question nagged at my conscience and remained unanswered for many years.

What is the cause for the irrational contempt for this two thousand-year-old universal symbol of the Christian faith?

We are living in a time when the message of the cross is under attack as it has never been since the first century. Even in our own nation forces are at work to eradicate this symbol of Jesus’ suffering from the public venue. The ACLU, with an unrelenting tenacity, is suing to have the cross removed from memorials, classrooms, and any public place lest we offend someone. Some denominations desire to remove and downplay references to Jesus’ bloody, violent death. What is the cause for the irrational contempt for this two thousand-year-old universal symbol of the Christian faith?

The Bible plainly teaches that the message of the cross is both offensive and foolish to those who have never been touched by its power.

Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

(Galatians 5:11 NIV)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

(1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV)

Over the years, I have discovered my friend was wrong. It’s not just Jesus’ death, but specifically the method of his death, crucifixion, that is emphasized in scripture. Eighty-six times in the New Testament, the word cross, crucify, crucified, or tree is used in reference to the exact method by which Jesus died. Anything mentioned that many times in the New Testament is important to God and should be to us as well.

Join with me in my journey of coming to understand the power and significance of the cross of Christ, and may your life daily be transformed by its power!

Paul’s Revelation of the Cross

The Apostle Paul’s theology of the cross came to full maturation in a short forty-five-mile journey he took between the cities of Athens and Corinth. Scripture references this trip in Acts 18:1— After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

An opportunity had been given to him that most preachers would die for. Athens, known worldwide for its philosophers, had invited him to speak at Mars Hill. This was a chance like no other—to influence the influencers.

Although Greece was under Roman authority, it was Grecian philosophy and language that ruled the empire. To be given an opportunity to address the philosophers at Mars Hill would be the equivalent of a politician being invited to address the United Nations today! No doubt Paul had high expectations of this event.

He had seen the Gospel of Christ change lives in profound ways. Now he would destroy the arguments of these idolaters, show them the folly of their ways, and give them an invitation they couldn’t resist.

The Bible records the events that transpired