Ezekiel 17:22–24

²²Thus says the Lord GOD: "I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ²³On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. ²⁴And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it."

It was a chilling prophecy that the Lord revealed to Ezekiel. Our Old Testament reading in chapter 17 cannot be understood without looking at the entire chapter in context. At the beginning of the chapter, God revealed to Ezekiel that an eagle would break off the topmost twig of the great cedar tree. He would plant it in a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. He would also plant seed of a willow tree in fertile soil beside abundant waters, but when it grew it would spread its branches toward another eagle. What does this prophecy mean?

The eagle, a royal symbol, was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The cedar tree was the nation of Judah and its capital city Jerusalem, a reference to the temple and David's palace there which were constructed using great amounts of cedar. The topmost branch of the cedar tree was the king of Judah, Jehoiachin, of the house of David.

Historically, this prophecy was fulfilled in the year 597 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and deported Jehoiachin to Babylon and carried the Judean people into exile, including Ezekiel himself. Babylon is the land described here as a land of trade and a city of merchants, where he planted the twig.

After Nebuchadnezzar took the Israelites captive, he appointed a man named Zedekiah, not from the royal lineage of David, to rule over Jerusalem and the few scattered people who remained there. This was the seed planted in fertile soil beside abundant waters. The fertile soil means that the people could have thrived there, but instead, Zedekiah sought help from another great eagle, the pharaoh of Egypt. He sent his ambassadors to Egypt and asked for horses and a large army to defend himself against Babylon. But Egypt did not give much help. So when Nebuchadnezzar returned, Zedekiah was captured and carried away to die in Babylon.

Zedekiah was punished and put to death on account of his rebellion against king Nebuchadnezzar. This punishment and death is the punishment and death that all of us sinners will one day receive on account of our sinful rebellion against our king, the Lord God. It is a prophecy that spells doom for the Jewish nation, but also for us sinners, as it foretells our judgment and eternal punishment. For we too have rebelled against God, and the wages of sin is death.

Then we arrive at our pericope for today, verses 22-24. Here God says that He himself, like the eagle, will pluck a sprig from the top of the lofty cedar. Here was a significant change in the story. The eagle at the beginning was the king of Babylon, but in this prophecy of verse 22, the eagle is not a human, this plucking is not some human doing, but is a completely new, free act of God in faithfulness to his ancient promises. This time God himself will pluck a sprig from the cedar, that is from the people of Israel. Once again, a sprig taken from the top means it will be a king. Taken from the cedar, it will be from the royal lineage of the house of David. It will be a young and tender twig. This prophecy was fulfilled in history when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He was "gentle and lowly in heart;" a "bruised reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not quench." This is Jesus, who Isaiah describes as, "...a young plant, like a root out of dry ground..." (Is 53:2).

He was cut off from the tree of Israel. This too was fulfilled when Jesus was"...despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief..." when he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." (Is 53:3-4). This prophecy was fulfilled when "He came to his own, but his own received him not." (John 1). All of this is what was foretold when it says the sprig was cut off from the tree. Jesus was cut off from the cedar, which is Israel.

But, says God, "I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain." Our text says, "On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar." God resowed the branch that he cut off.

There on that mount called Calvary, the sprig was planted in hard, dry, soil; in the bare rock of Golgotha. This mountain, Calvary, is the focal point of all history and existence, for this is the site of the reconciliation of God and sinners. Hence, it is the highest of all mountains, because this is the mountain that connects heaven to earth by God's grace. This picture of God's grace connected to mountains is filled out by Christ's temptation when Satan led him to a "very high mountain..." (Mat 4:8), and there he overcame the temptation of Satan. Later we find Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, described by Matthew as "a high mountain" (Mat 17:1). After his resurrection, Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives. In the Old Testament, mountains also play an important role. It was on a mountain that God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. It was on a mountain that God appeared to Moses. Mountains in the Bible are the places where fallen man is connected to God's grace; where God acts on behalf of mankind.

It was on the mountain of Calvary that the sprig which God planted bore branches and became a great and noble tree. By quoting from this text in Ezekiel in our Gospel reading, Jesus is claiming to be the tree in the parable he told. There on Mount Calvary, a tree was formed into a cross with its two arms spread out like branches. There, Jesus, with his arms spread out like branches of a tree to embrace the world, "birds of every sort will come to nest in their shade." That is, people from "every tribe and language and people and nation whom he ransomed for God by his blood." (Rev 5:9). Here Jesus paid for the sins of the world. Here he cut off your sins from you and redeemed you for God. Here he reconciled you and God. Here he became your shelter where you dwell in his protection. Here is your refuge from sin. Here is your salvation from death. Here Jesus exchanged his life for yours. Here he took your sins off of you and placed them on himself. Here he placed his righteousness on you like a glorious robe.

The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of you all. He exchanged his righteousness for your sins, and for your sins he was pierced and crushed. His soul made an offering for your guilt. Upon him was the chastisement that brought you peace and with his word you are healed. On the cross Jesus made many to be accounted righteous and bore their iniquities. (Is 53:11).

This shoot that was cut off from Israel and planted which grew and became a great tree is what Jesus was talking about in our Gospel reading. It is the plant that grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." (Mark 4:31). It is Jesus himself. Therefore, it is the church, because the church is the body of Christ.

By your baptism you are cut off. That is, your sinful nature is cut off from you, the old man of the flesh. Your guilt is removed from you as high as the heavens are above the earth. From the time of your baptism you are being purged of the sinful desires of the flesh through confession and absolution and by trials and afflictions. At your baptism you are brought into the church to dwell in the refuge and shade which Jesus gives, sheltered from the winds, from the storms, from the burning sun. From all your sin, from all your hardships, from all your anxiety and fear, you are brought into the arms of Jesus in the church to make your nest here. As St. Paul says in our Epistle reading, "while we are still in the tent of this body, we groan, being burdened." But because we are living in the shade of the tree "we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in this mortal body, we are away from the Lord, but we walk by faith, and not by sight." For this reason, "we have good courage," because we dwell in the safety of the branches of the great tree.

Therefore, while away from the Lord, we make it our aim to please him. Like a branch, we cut off the sin with its lusts and desires that dwells in us, that is, in our flesh. We love as Jesus loved. And this house of the Lord, the church which gives its shade to birds of all kinds, we make into a place of refuge for those who are burdened in this life. For those who need the shade of the tree to find rest and peace from the burdens and sufferings of life. For those who are lost and wander aimlessly. For those who cannot defend themselves from the injustice and poverty and oppression of the world. For those trapped in sin who cannot free themselves from their own slavery, addictions, weaknesses.

This is the church, a place of safety. A place where God is present to be our shelter and shade. A place where God's word speaks, a place where his forgiveness is offered in Sacrament. As Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, so the power of God that created all things, the power of God that brings to life the dry bones of Ezekiel, the power of God that raises you from the dead on the last day, is revealed in the humble service of love which is the mission of the church. Open the doors of the church to all who hunger and thirst for righteousness; to those who labor and are heavy laden that they may come to Jesus and find their rest. Make this holy house a house of refuge and consolation for all who groan under the burdens of this present life.

For Jesus Christ is the twig that was planted on the holy mountain, the twig that grew and spreads out its mighty branches so that you can make your nests under its shade, where you dwell in safety and peace, until that day when you put off the tent of this earthly life and dwell forever in the permanent building of God's heavenly dwelling. Amen.