Death and Eternal Life what a contrast!

Today, the 1st Sunday service for 2014, the church leader re-emphasize the theme on GO Make disciples! Tent maker versus the conventional missionary etc. There was an altar call and several people went out to receive Jesus.
Meanwhile there were demonstration in Klang against the Catholic Church by the Muslim while another group of Muslim supported the Church.  A thought came to me as I read the reports on the internet,
there are two group of people. One group with the knowledge of good and another with the knowledge of evil. It reminded me of the passage in Genesis chapter 2 where it recorded that in the middle of the Garden were 2 trees; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the other tree is the tree of life. God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in the day you eat of it you will surely die. Let see the actual passage from the Bible.

Genesis 2:9
The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:17
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

So after Adam and Eve took the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil,their eyes were open and they know good and evil. But in the end they experience death. No matter how good or how evil a person is, in the end he/she still end up death.

God has provided the  tree of life in the beginning,whoever eat from this tree will not die but have everlasting life. Where is this tree now? How to find the fruit and eat from it?

In the Bible Jesus claimed that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life no one come to the Father except through Him. He is also the Bread of Life. He is the Resurrection and the Life. He also claimed He is the Son of God in John 3:16.
So the tree of Life is Jesus.Knowing Jesus exist is like knowing the tree of Life exist.This will not save you, just like Adam and Eve know of the tree of life in the middle of the Garden of Eden. It in the eating of the fruits that really matters. So we have to eat of the fruits from this tree of Life.

How do we eat from the tree of Life?
Jesus commanded us to eat. He took the bread and said, take, eat this is my Body broken for you and He took the cup and said "Drink, this is the new covenant in my blood,which is shed for the remission of sin.

Here the actual verse from the Bible
Mat 26: 26-27

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new[c] covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

So to take this Holy communion we have to be in the church (also known as the body of Christ)

Don't miss this opportunities of eternal life given by God for us.

Appendix

Claims Jesus made in the Bible:

1) John 14:6

     Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through      Me.

2)John 6:35
   And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who    believes in Me shall never thirst.

3)John 6:51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

4)John 11:25-26
     Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall        live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
5) John 3:16
    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not     perish but have everlasting life.