I love Easter. When Easter gets here, it really hits me that it's Spring. And, too, dogwoods are some of my favorite trees and they always bloom right around Easter.
Whenever the dogwoods start blooming, I always remember the stories from Sunday School about the trees and their relationship to Jesus' crucifixion. According to Christian legend, before Jesus came along, the dogwood was more of a stately tree, often growing very large like modern-day oaks, maples and magnolias. It was actually the largest tree growing in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' death. The cross on which he was nailed was supposedly crafted from a dogwood tree. After his death, the tree changed. I've heard two stories on this. First, Jesus himself dwarfed the tree, twisting its branches so it would never be sturdy enough to make crosses again or the other point of view- the tree itself was so devastated by its part in the Crucifixion that it never grew as tall or straight again. Either way, no dogwoods in crucifixions again.
The second part of the legend is that the flower of the dogwood is a living reminder of Jesus' death. The four petals of the flower represent the four arms of the cross on which He died. Each petal has a reddish color on its outside edge, signifying the blood Jesus shed on the cross. And the pointy red center of the dogwood blossom represent the bloody crown of thorns Jesus wore.
How true is any of this? I don't know. The Bible doesn't name the specific tree used in the Crucifixion. Roman records are unclear too- it probably depended on which trees grew in the area. Either way, it is food for thought and will make you think a little differently about the beautiful dogwood.
More Easter-themed posts to come!
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