Easter Poem - Two Trees

Happy Easter everyone. I thought you might enjoy an Easter poem I wrote several years ago. If you like it, please leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you.

Two Trees

The thirty silver pieces were placed within his palm

He grabbed them and he walked away appearing to be calm

But a voice cried out within his heart, “You fool, what have you done?”

“You placed the kiss of death upon the cheek of God’s own Son.

“I followed Him for years”, said Judas, trying to ease his mind.

“I watched Him heal the sick and give new eyesight to the blind?”

“He raised the dead, changed water to wine and made the demons flee.”

“But, in all the years I walked with Him, what did He do for me?”

“No silver or gold, no cattle or land, or any kind of pay.”

He only taught me how to live and love, and how to pray.
“I owe Him nothing more than this, He deserved just what He got.”

Poor Judas never truly heard the things that Jesus taught.

As Jesus’ hands were bound and He was cruelly dragged away

He knew He’d been betrayed by one who’d supped with Him that day.

A voice cried out within His heart, “My child, what did you do?”

“But I’ll give the gift of life to you, if you’ll allow Me to.”

“You followed me for years, and witnessed miracles galore.”

“I healed your soul and showed you things you’d never seen before.”

“I built a home with streets of gold I want to share with you.”

“The cattle on the hills are mine, which means they are yours too.”

“No money did I give to you, but your sinful debt I’ll pay.”

“I bear no grudge, I will forgive. Don’t turn your heart away.”

But Judas clutched his silver coins and tucked them in his purse,

While Jesus walked to Pilot’s hall, to face sin’s awful curse.

As Judas pulled his coins out to view his rich reward,

He knew he was a poorer man for selling out his Lord.

He hid his eyes and ran away to find someplace to hide.

But shame and guilt exposed his soul, no matter how he tried.             

The foolish man had turned away from Christ, his only hope.

He took his thirty coins to town, and bought himself a rope.

Out on a hill he found a tree, and hung himself that day.

Despair made Judas think that death could be the only way.

 

But nearby, on another hill, on another rugged tree

The man he’d sold was hanging there, with love beyond degree.

In pain and suffering He still asked His Father to forgive.

He died that day so everyone could have a way to live.

So, Judas died in vain that day to pay for what he’d done.

But death had simply sealed his fate, with no place now to run.

He hung upon a tree that day, a sad and desperate man.

The gulf between his soul and God, a black and awful span

But, Jesus died in pain that day to pay for all our sin.

His death had sealed sin’s dreadful fate, true life could now begin.

The awful gulf of sin was spanned when Jesus died that day.

He paid the price and gave His life to take our sin away.

So, two men died upon two trees to pay for sin that day.

But only one death had the power to take that sin away.

It’s still the same, our debt was paid the day that Jesus died.

Now we can live eternally, in heaven by His side.

Janice Austin Bates

May 12, 1999