Tuesday, March 11, 2014
John 19:41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden ...
FROM GARDEN TO GLORY
During the Middle Ages troops of traveling performers went from town to town putting on "mystery plays." Usually a series of biblical presentations were included, complete with costumes and props.
Often, these would begin with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, perfectly holy and happy until they fell into sin and ate from the fruit of the forbidden tree. A tree decorated with enticing red fruit was a prominent part of this play.
When the whole cycle of plays was complete that tree would reappear -- this time bearing golden fruit and standing on the bank of the River of Life, as in the description of heaven in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible. The story of salvation comes full circle and what began in a garden, where Satan introduced sin and death, concludes in Paradise restored, where sin and death are no more (paradise is a Persian word for garden).
In between these two gardens there are others that play a prominent part in God's saving activity on behalf of lost sinners. Jesus our Substitute and Savior went up against Satan in the Garden of Gethsemane. There our Lord would not waver from his Father's will and the path to the cross. As a result, within 18 hours another garden became his destination -- the garden where Joseph of Arimathea had a tomb carved from the rock.
In between the grave in the garden and the garden of Gethsemane Jesus used the tree of the cross to overcome the old Deceiver who overcame our first parents with that tree that he used for his temptation. As a result, that grave in the garden in its emptiness became a victorious centerpiece of glory, the glory of our salvation. Jesus' victory over death is our guarantee of forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Did you go back to the garden in Eden as you began your Lenten journey to the grave in the garden? No wonder, that's where both sin and grace first took root -- and where God first spoke of our Savior's suffering and death -- and victory over the old evil Foe.
