Whether it is coincidence or the design of God, there are an awful lot of metaphors in the Bible connecting Jesus to plants. For an example, Jesus is “The living bread.” Is Jesus literally manna from Heaven? Obviously not, but when He says He is bread (John 6) the reader instantly knows what He’s getting at. Over and over, throughout the Gospel record, Jesus describes Himself in ways that compare Him to vegetation. Is that odd? You might think so, but when you look at each one, you realize (as always), He was making a lot of sense.
A couple weeks back we noticed how Jesus is the “Branch” that grows into a mighty tree. Last week we noticed that He is also the “Vine” that bears the fruit of Christians. What else is Jesus? To me, He’s Lily of the Valley.
The statement, though it is Biblical, is perhaps more famously known in song-form:
I have found a friend in Jesus
He’s everything to me
He’s the fairest of 10,000 to my soul;
the Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
all I need to cleanse and make me fully whole…
Scripturally, the phrase is found in Song of Solomon 2:1, and though that book is written by Solomon to express a great love between husband and wife, it was also viewed by Jews as an allegory describing God’s love for Israel. Christians likewise see in it an allegory describing Christ’s love for His bride, the church.
What a beautiful picture of the Christ! He is our pure and perfect King, risen above us, yet gracious enough to stoop down to be nearby!
~ Matthew