Growing up, my family had quite a lot of fruit trees scattered throughout the yard, including Winesap apples, an old Southern favorite. Their sappy, sweet flavor made for delicious applesauce, with only a split-open apple and a spoon required.
The lyrics of “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree” read sweetly, with references to the fantastic thing about Christ, resting under His shadow, and a thriving soul. But there’s nothing sappy about this hauntingly beautiful hymn, for in it, we discover the true meaning of life. Thanks be to Jesus, our apple tree.
Do We Know Who Wrote “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree”?
The poem “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree” was first published under a distinct title, “The Tree of Life My Soul Hath Seen,” in 1761 within the London publication Spiritual Magazine. The author was listed as R.H., who most readers presumed to be Rev. Richard Hutchins, a Calvinist Baptist pastor from Long Buckby, Northamptonshire.
In 1784, it appeared within the hymnal Divine Hymns or Spiritual Songs: For the Use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians, a compilation by Joshua Smith, a lay pastor from New Hampshire.
Hutchins’ poem was set to music by several composers, although Elizabeth Poston, a British composer, might be one of the best remembered. Her devotion to folk music is clear within the structure of “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree,” with its melodic overlapping, like a round, lending itself to an easy, easy-to-sing harmony. Her melody first appeared in The Cambridge Hymnal in 1967.
What Does It Mean that “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree” is a Carol?
Carols, celebratory songs of joy related to faith, are traditionally sung at Christmastime, pointing to the birth of Jesus Christ.
While “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree” does indirectly mention Jesus’ birth, many readers consider Hutchins intended the poem to grow to be a carol. It can have been intended to redeem the pagan Christmas celebration of wassailing in apple orchards, singing to the spirits in hopes of harvest. Pagan imagery becomes redeemed with a Christian message—a standard practice in Christian music throughout history.
Yet, there’s a subtle but persuasive joy masterfully woven throughout the lyrics, a joy made possible due to Jesus’ birth, as seen in stanzas 2 and three:
His beauty doth all things excel:
By faith, I do know, but ne’er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ, the apple tree.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I even have bought:
I missed of all: but now I see
‘Tis present in Christ the apple tree.
The lyrics above speak to a heart longing to know the deeper meaning of life. We search but miss all of it until we discover it in “Christ the apple tree,” who offers a meaningful life rooted on this glorious truth:
Jesus left His heavenly throne and have become man, living amongst us, seeing the unseen, bringing healing spiritually, emotionally, and physically. He lived an ideal, sinless life, as only He could, and have become the sacrifice for our sin, bearing the burden of the world’s sin on a wood cross. He died but arose in three days to victory, crushing every ploy of the enemy, starting with a bit of fruit within the Garden of Eden. Through Jesus’ resurrection, we’re let loose from everlasting death and the penalty of sin and let loose to live an abundant (purposeful, content, and joyful) life.
We were blind, but now we see that each one of life, the unspeakable beauty and value of our faith, is found only in Christ the apple tree.
Does “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree” Reference Any Bible Verses?
It’s believed the carol alludes to a minimum of two Bible verses.
In English translations of Song of Solomon 2:3, an apple tree is a metaphor for a Bride’s admiration for her husband: “Like an apple tree among the many trees of the forest is my beloved among the many young men. I delight to take a seat in his shade, and his fruit is good to my taste.” Apples weren’t known to grow in ancient Judea, the passage refers to a different fruit (possibly apricots or pomegranates). Still, the usage of apples to symbolize admiration or nourishment has grow to be common in Western culture.
As Christ-followers, the Bride of Christ, we love Jesus, our apple tree, who is much above any tree of the forest, for He is above all others and worthy of praise. We enjoyment of His presence, and on this communion, He spreads over us as a tree branch, providing shade and refreshment, for His goodness is good to our sight and taste (Psalm 34:8).
Another Bible verse, Genesis 2:9, includes the 2 most recognized trees in scripture, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of excellent and evil. In Genesis 2:16-17, God commands Adam to enjoy eating from any tree within the Garden except the tree of the knowledge of excellent and evil. We understand how the story ends. The serpent tempted Eve. She took a bite of the fruit hanging from the tree and handed it to Adam, and he also took a bite (Genesis 3).
But Jesus, our Messiah, got here to make right what Adam and Eve had done mistaken in disobeying God’s clear command. They desired to be like God, but as a substitute, became sinners in need of a Savior. Only the proper Sacrifice lifted on a tree and raised three days later could transform a tree of death right into a tree of life. Jesus Christ, the apple tree trumped the enemy’s try and bring everlasting death to humanity, providing everlasting fruit that may never rot or mold as we seek Him above all other “trees of nature.” We see this concept explored in the primary stanza:
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and all the time green:
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ, the apple tree.
What Theological Themes Does “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree” Discuss?
Satisfaction is found only in Jesus. The world (trees of nature) offers satisfaction to each supposed need: Super-sized meals, faster web, a more efficient automotive, dating apps, and viral popularity, to call a couple of. They may offer temporal satisfaction, but only Jesus “satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:9). We wear ourselves out trying to find things, activities, and other people to fill an area they never can. Come, sit, and rest. As the third stanza reminds us, we must find true success within the person of Jesus Christ.
For happiness I long have sought,
And pleasure dearly I even have bought:
I missed of all: but now I see.
‘Tis present in Christ the apple tree.
Delight is found only in Jesus. Like the wife enamored along with her beloved in Song of Solomon 2:3, God wants his people to search out extraordinary enjoyment of Jesus, for He is worthy. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself within the LORD, and he provides you with the desires of your heart.” “Trees of nature” may stand tall and offer beauty. However, only Jesus, the apple tree, delights from inside, bringing nourishment and refreshment to the soul, cultivating fruit that delights with every bite. We see this concept especially underlined within the fourth stanza:
I’m weary with my former toil,
Here I’ll sit and rest awhile:
Under the shadow, I will likely be
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree.
Redemption is found only in Jesus. God mercifully banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden when their sin was exposed. If they remained within the Garden and ate from the Tree of Life, they’d live eternally of their sinful state with no hope of redemption—for them and all of humanity. Jesus, our Redeemer, brings life where there once was death, becoming the tree of life to one and all who believes. (John 3:16). The fifth and final stanza takes us on to that concept that death becomes life in Jesus:
This fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.
A Prayer Thanking God for Sending Jesus
Heavenly Father, thank You for bearing the grief of sending your only Son, Jesus Christ, who began His earthly life in a wood manger and died with the burden of my sin and the sin of the world on a wood cross. In Christ, I now live within the “shade” of His resurrection power, bringing true success in all life. How could I ever ask for more? Thank You, Jesus, my apple tree. Amen.
To examine more Christmas carols and other classic hymns, take a look at these articles:
What Can We Learn about God from the Hymn ‘Servant King’?
Top 12 Old Hymns and Classic Christian Songs
What Can We Learn from the Hymn ‘In Christ Alone’?
25 Christmas Hymns to Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ
What Can We Learn from the Hymn ‘Safe within the Arms of Jesus’?
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/RuslanShevchenko
