Speaker, entrepreneur, Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is once again using his national platform to point Americans toward the Gospel, this time through a childrens story that places the cross of Christ at the center of a simple but profound tale.
His new book, "If the Tree Could Speak: The Story of the Cross That Saw It All," is scheduled for release on Feb. 24 and traces the life of a tree that begins as a tiny seed with outsized aspirations.
As reported by Fox News, Tebow uses that narrative to invite readers especially young ones to see the crucifixion not merely as an instrument of Roman brutality, but as the turning point of human history and the ultimate symbol of hope.
In an on-camera conversation with Fox News Digital, Tebow explained that the project grew out of his own self-examination about how often he fails to give Christ the praise He deserves.
That personal reflection led him to a broader theological question: if human beings neglect to worship their Creator, why does the rest of creation seem so eager to do what we will not?
Tebow said that question drew him back to Scripture, specifically Luke 19:40, where Christ rebukes those who would silence His followers.
"Jesus replied, I tell you, if these [people] keep silent, the stones will cry out [in praise]!" the verse declares, a line that helped spark Tebows imagination about how even inanimate creation might testify to the Savior.
From there, Tebow began to picture the scene of Calvary from the vantage point of the object physically closest to Jesus in His final hours.
He said he asked himself what it would mean to be the closest thing to Jesus that day on Calvary," adding, "And that is the wooden cross that he was hanging on."
To tell that story, Tebow rewinds the clock on the cross and introduces readers to a small seed with big ambitions.
"I decided to go back to when this tree was just a seed. Then it grew up, and it had dreams and he dreams of being a door, a table or maybe even a throne. And then he hears about this carpenter that everybody's praising, and he's thinking, Maybe that carpenter could turn me into a masterpiece."
Those dreams, Tebow noted, are abruptly shattered when the tree is cut down and fashioned into something it never wanted to become.
However, the tree's "dreams were dashed when he gets cut into a cross, and he's thinking, 'No, a cross that's for criminals,'" said Tebow.
In Tebows telling, what appears to be the trees greatest disappointment becomes the very means by which its existence is redeemed.
"His life is transformed because of this encounter with Jesus."
Tebow acknowledged that for many people, the cross is still primarily associated with shame, torture and public humiliation.
Yet in the book, aided by the vivid artwork of Rommel Ruiz, a Dominican American art director, illustrator and designer, the cross is reimagined through the eyes of the tree as the place where Gods love is most clearly revealed.
"You fast-forward to his encounter with Jesus on the cross, and his perspective changes," said Tebow.
"He sees the love of God, and how his life is transformed because of this encounter with Jesus."
As the crowd mocks and dishonors Christ, Tebows tree longs to defend the One nailed to its beams.
And the tree, Tebow continued, then asks Jesus to give it a voice as people mock and dishonor the Lord.
"'I would tell them all who you are. I will tell them how different [you are] I would tell him about your love,'" said Tebow, recounting the tree's words from the book.
"And I can just imagine Jesus saying, 'Yeah, but that's not your job. You just do your job, and your job is to keep me up high,'" he said.
For Tebow, that imagined exchange carries a lesson for believers who may feel powerless or sidelined in a culture increasingly hostile to biblical faith.
Everyone in life faces obstacles and setbacks while trying to achieve hopes and dreams without realizing what God is doing, Tebow said.
He argued that the cross itself is the clearest example of God overturning human expectations and redeeming what appears to be utter defeat.
"Ultimately, now, when you look at what God has done, the cross which in the past was only a symbol of shame, guilt and a place for the worst of the worst to hang and die now means hope all over the world," said Tebow.
From that perspective, Tebow said, no circumstance is beyond the reach of divine intervention.
"God could show up, and he can turn something that feels like only a mess into a message," said Tebow.
"I feel like that's the story of the cross. But it also gets to be the story of our life that if the cross is true, then the life, the death, the burial, the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus are true."
Tebow stressed that this is not abstract theology but a personal reality for anyone willing to trust in Christ.
He urged those who struggle with doubt or feel distant from God to remember that the cross was not a private event for a select few.
Tebow said those who are lacking in faith should remember the cross counted for all of us.
"If you put your faith in Jesus, somehow he does something so miraculous and supernatural that he changes us from the inside out," he added.
Tebow said that awareness of what happened on Golgotha leaves him deeply moved and personally humbled.
Tebow said he feels enormously humbled by the day that Jesus went to the cross.
He also said he believes the current faith revival across the country is happening in part because "young people are searching for purpose and meaning."
In an era dominated by social media metrics and digital validation, Tebow suggested that many are waking up to the emptiness of chasing clicks and likes.
"I think people are realizing that the more [social media] followers and likes [they get on various platforms] doesn't matter anymore. You've got to live with who you are on the inside."
For Tebow, Christianity is not a self-help program or a moral upgrade but a radical transformation of identity.
"Christianity isn't this religion that's like your average and it makes you a little bit better. It's a relationship that takes you from dead to alive, from lost to found, from orphan to son or daughter," said Tebow.
"There's a weight and a gravity to it. Young people, especially, are looking for that purpose and meaning and I think it can only be found in the person of Jesus."
That conviction has shaped not only Tebows public witness, but also his philanthropic work and private life.
In 2010, he launched the Tim Tebow Foundation, an organization explicitly rooted in Christian conviction and dedicated to serving the most vulnerable.
The foundation is committed to "bringing faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need," as he has said on many occasions.
"For us and our team here [at the foundation], we believe good works are fueled by the gospel and the love of Jesus but then also, in every way possible, by trying to care for those who have been abandoned, overlooked, trafficked and treated as less than."
"We believe good works are fueled by the gospel and the love of Jesus."
That belief has led Tebow and his team into some of the darkest corners of modern society, including the fight against child exploitation.
Tebow and the foundation worked with Homeland Security Investigations on "Operation Renewed Hope2," a three-week "surge" of investigations into child abuse in 2023.
The foundation said it located "311 probable identifications of previously unknown victims, including 14 positive contacts and confirmed the rescue of several victims from active abuse."
For conservatives who have long argued that faith-based initiatives and partnerships with law enforcement are essential to protecting children, Tebows efforts offer a concrete example of moral conviction translated into action.
Away from the spotlight, Tebows personal life reflects the same emphasis on faith, family and responsibility that many on the right see as the backbone of a healthy society.
Tebow is married to Demi-Leigh Tebow, a speaker, author, entrepreneur and former Miss Universe 2017.
The couple lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and recently welcomed their new daughter, Daphne.
As Tebow steps into fatherhood while releasing a book about a tree that finds its purpose in lifting Christ high, his message is clear: in a culture chasing fleeting trends, the cross still stands as the ultimate source of meaning, identity and hope.
Fox News Digital's Ryan Gaydos contributed reporting.
Login