They wanted to destroy the tree with its fruit to cut off the name of Christ, so it is to no longer remembered.

That wasn’t going to happen.

Jesus went as a lamb to the slaughter. He didn’t open His mouth. He didn’t complain, fight, defend Himself, hurl accusations at His accusers, or cry out to His Father in frustration.

They thought He had been defeated. That was never, and is never, going to happen.

Jeremiah 11:19 says, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit.” The forces of evil want to destroy the tree and its fruit.

They are never going to destroy Christ, but what can they do? They can destroy our fruit and they can do what they can to get a branch removed from the tree. That’s the closest they can get to destroying the tree itself.

What would it mean to have our fruit destroyed? Satan will tempt us to sin. If we sin, we will become unfruitful. Sin separates us from God and our only fruitfulness comes from Him. Sin will cut off the sap flow that produces fruit in and through us.

And if he can’t get us with an outright physical sin, he will work to get us to sin against the tree by trying to cause disunity. We need to defend against wrong thoughts and attitudes toward each other.

Verse 20 says that the Lord tests hearts and minds. We need our hearts and thoughts right toward God and each other.

Jeremiah says he’s committed his cause to Christ.

What cause have you taken up? What are you after? Is it the cause of Christ? Is it a commitment to seeing righteousness in your life, in your church, in your community, which can only come by the cross of Christ?

What is your heart and mind set on? Take up the cause of Christ. Let nothing be more important than seeking His kingdom and righteousness. It comes through the cross alone.