I love all of the sights, sounds, and smells of spring! I love the frogs croaking and peeping, the birds chirping, the trees budding, the flowers blooming, the bees buzzing, and the monarchs flying. I especially look forward to the dogwoods blooming! There is a wonderful legend associated with the dogwood tree, so, in case you aren’t familiar with it, I’ll share it with you now.
It is said that the dogwood tree was once a very mighty tree in Israel, with strong wood that was prized by carpenters. The story goes that this tree was used to construct the cross on which Jesus was crucified and that it felt great sorrow for its role in the death of Christ. According to the legend, while he was on the cross, Jesus felt the tree’s remorse and decided to change its appearance so it could no longer be a part of any crucifixions. It would no longer be a tall, straight tree but would instead be short and shrub-like with crooked branches.
The story of the dogwood continues with Jesus’ resurrection. The legend says that all the dogwoods burst into bloom at Christ’s resurrection (never having had such distinctive blooms before), and they continue to bloom every year around the time of Easter in celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
So while the dogwood tree never had to take part in another crucifixion, the story tells that the tree still bears the marks of Christ’s death upon the cross. The four petals of the flower resemble the cross, and each petal has a reddish-colored indentation representing a nail hole. At the center of each flower is a green cluster that symbolizes the crown of thorns placed on Christ’s head.
Of course, the legend of the dogwood is not factual, but I love that I am reminded of Christ’s sacrifice for us and the story of his death, burial, and resurrection whenever I see a dogwood in bloom. Springtime is for growth and renewal and transformation, like Christ transformed the dogwood according to the legend. And because Christ died for us and rose from the dead, we can also be transformed – from our old selves into new creations! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Click here to read verses 14-21 of 2 Corinthians 5.
I also love the verses in Romans 6 that talk about how “our old self” was crucified with Christ and that “if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” I encourage you to read all of Romans 6! I also encourage you to read at least one of the gospels’ accounts of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection on this glorious Easter Sunday. Matthew 27-28 Mark 15-16 Luke 23-24 John 18-20
We are full of hope because the tomb was empty!
For another story about a plant associated with the Passion of Christ, check out one of my older blogs – Good News!
