THE CARPENTER

A cloud of sawdust. The smell of wood. The final nail. The masterpiece. “It is finished” says the carpenter. A table, a chair, a book shelf. At the end of the day, when the work is done, the carpenter steps back and says, “This is good.” Long before carpentry became a profession on earth there was the master craftsman, the great architect, the carpenter. In the ancient book of Job, we are told that He “laid the earth’s foundation” and “stretched a measuring line over it”.  In the accounts of Genesis, we learn that there are created things and made things.  He created light out of nothing He made man out of the dust of the earth which he had already created. It is not in the creating but in the “making” where His masterful craftsmanship lies. He  has always been the Master Builder, taking what is formless and giving it form and shape and as scriptures say that he created all things for His pleasure.

And so when the Master Builder came to earth in the person of Jesus, He could have chosen to be born in the  home of  a politician, accountant, doctor or lawyer but  He chose to be   “the carpenter’s son.” He chose  an earthly father who was a carpenter to practice and re-experience His ancient and timeless trade of carpentry and craftsmanship which He had so dearly missed. He chose to learn again as an apprentice, what he had been doing in eternity – creating and building things. When his earthly father Joseph taught Him how to plane a piece of wood, it must have come  naturally to him and probably felt like he had done before. Indeed carpenters build, craft and fix things made of wood.

But there is one thing no human carpenter can fix: It is the problem of Sin. Bent wood can be planed into symmetry. A loose joint can be tightened.  But a heart far from God cannot be repaired with human tools. The Bible says all have sinned — we lie, we lust, we get angry, we “cheat small-small,” we hold bitterness in our hearts toward our fellow men. Someone once said, it is easier to disassemble an atomic bomb than it is to remove the sinful nature from the heart of man. But the Master Carpenter has a solution.

Carpentry on earth is a picture of what God does in the Spirit: carpenters straighten what is crooked, join what is separate and form useful things from raw wood. That’s what God does with people. That’s why Jesus, the Carpenter of Nazareth, paid the ultimate penalty by dying the death we should have died to pay the price of our sins, on the cross —  a piece of wood. The Great Carpenter used a piece of wood to rebuild our relationship with Himself. On that cross He paid for our sins. Three days later He rose again to show his power over death – the thing that all men are afraid of. To leave no doubt of His presence on earth and His sacrifice for men, he cemented his presence in time – AD (The Year of our Lord) and BC (Before Christ). These are the signposts with which we refer to time.

Listen! The same Jesus who measured the heavens can measure your life and set it straight. God will build  your life, your home, your future, your eternity. So whether you are a carpenter, craftsamn or  artisan, if you are someone who works with your hands, hear this: God sees your work. He respects your skill. He even chose your profession to reveal His nature.

But skill is not salvation. You can make beds for others and but do you have the peace of mind and assurance that your soul will be at rest when you take your last breath? You can roof houses, but is your own eternal house ready? You can make cabinets that last for years — but your soul will live forever. Will you let the Master Carpenter work on you? Will you let Him sand away sin, cut off what is rotten, and fit you into His plan? Indeed the Bible says  in Hebrews 3:4 “every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything”. God can help build your life in a way that pleases Him. If you believe Jesus is God who became man, died for your sins and rose again, you can talk to Him now. Pray from your heart and say:

“Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God and the Master Carpenter. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose again. Today I bring You my life — rough and imperfect. Please forgive me, make me new, and build my life according to Your plan.  I surrender to You. Amen.”

If you meant that, the greatest Carpenter has started His best project — you. Find a Bible-believing church, tell someone what you decided, and keep allowing Jesus to shape you. Your hands build furniture. His hands build futures. Let Him build yours