In The Garden
Indeed, the Lord will comfort Zion;
He will comfort all her ruins.
And He will make her wilderness like Eden,
And her desert like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and the sound of a melody.
Isaiah 51:3
narrative from John 20
Can you relate to Mary Magdalene in some way? Luke 8 tells us that she was a follower of Jesus, and on their first encounter, Jesus had cast 7 demons out of her, rescuing her from the terror of Satanic oppression. Ever since, all her days had been ordered around one central figure: Jesus. She stuck close by, clinging to His words of life. She got up each day, having no plans but to find out what Jesus' plans were, and go with them.
It comes as no surprise, then, that when Jesus was crucified, she was one of the four women who stood nearby. She was there when Jesus breathed His last. Now she was faced with shifting her paradigm: no more would she wake up to the same expectations as before.
Before dawn on the Sunday after Jesus' death, Mary was the first person to visit Jesus' tomb, thinking she would finish His burial rites by adding the traditional ointments and spices. To her surprise, the tomb was open, with the stone covering rolled over to the side. Bewildered, she ran to Peter and John, two of the three men who had been Jesus' closest friends, and told them what she had seen. They came and inspected, confirming that the tomb was empty – no body, no Jesus, only grave clothes.
Peter and John returned to the place they had been staying, but Mary remained at the burial site, weeping. Of course she was weeping! She was confused; her life pattern had been disrupted, the person who meant the most to her was dead and – gone! What lay ahead? How would she go on? What would she do?
Luke 24:6-7 fills in some of the narrative that happened next. Stooping down to look into the tomb to confirm her reality, she saw two angels sitting on either end of the table where Jesus' body had been lying. They asked why she was crying, and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind – her Lord's body was missing, and she didn't know where to look next. The angels reminded her of words she had heard Jesus say, but forgot in the moment: Jesus would rise from the dead! Mary had been asking the wrong question! Perhaps truth had not set in, because as she turned around, Jesus asked her the same question the angels had – why was she crying, and who was she looking for? Desperately, thinking she was speaking to the gardener, Mary begged to know where Jesus' body had been taken.
All of a sudden, Jesus called her name. "Mary." She knew that voice. She straightened, turned around, and looked squarely into the face of her Lord. She was the first to see Him following His resurrection.
Jesus instructed Mary (of all people!) to announce His presence to His other followers. With renewed purpose, Mary did so. Jesus had righted her world. She could again plan each day according to Jesus' plans.
Why In a Garden?
It's interesting that God often chooses gardens to fellowship with His people. Additionally, while it may be surprising to our culture (and many others) that Jesus first appeared and spoke with a woman after His resurrection, it was Jesus' normative to relate equally with men and women followers. [I'm also fascinated that a woman was the first victim of Satan (in a garden), and Jesus flipped the enemy on its head by appearing first to a woman following His resurrection (in a garden).]
The First Garden
In Eden, God created man and woman in His image, placing them in an optimal living spot surrounded by beauty. Genesis 3:8 indicates that God's normal routine was to walk with His beloved humans in the cool of the day. They enjoyed each others' company – the first "small group"! – and deepened their relationship. When sin entered, Adam and Eve felt shame for the first time. They hid themselves from God, and made fig leaves to hide their vulnerability from each other. God still sought them out, desiring them for themselves, knowing full well what had happened.
The Middle Garden
On the Mount of Olives facing Jerusalem was a garden called Gethsemane where Jesus often met with His followers. God, in the form of Emmanuel was still reaching out to His people for fellowship. It was to this place Judas led those who wanted to capture and kill Jesus, using his close relationship and knowledge of Jesus' whereabouts for evil.
The Garden Tomb
Not far from the place Jesus was crucified, just outside the gates of Jerusalem, was a newly built tomb located in a garden. Jesus met Mary there following His resurrection. He continued His pattern of finding His people in a place of growth, beauty, peace, and solitude – His venue of choice for fellowship!
The Last Garden
Revelation 22:1-2 describes the place Jesus is preparing for us. It is another garden, a restored Eden. There, we will never be separated from Jesus' physical presence. We will then freely enjoy His fellowship as we were always meant to: without sin, distraction, or busy-ness. For now, we can have a foretaste of this glory by seeking Him in His word, praying to Him in the Spirit, and listening for His voice.
Do You Have a Garden?
I'm not talking about a plot of land with tomato plants. Do you have a metaphorical "garden" where you meet with God – a place accessible to your imagination for walking with the One who loves you most? This is a "place" set aside just for you and Him, where you can express anything without fear, and listen to what He's saying to you. God is right there, waiting for you to come near. He created you for garden walks and garden talks!
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©2023 Julianne Knapp. First published 4.4.23
He will comfort all her ruins.
And He will make her wilderness like Eden,
And her desert like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and the sound of a melody.
Isaiah 51:3
narrative from John 20
Can you relate to Mary Magdalene in some way? Luke 8 tells us that she was a follower of Jesus, and on their first encounter, Jesus had cast 7 demons out of her, rescuing her from the terror of Satanic oppression. Ever since, all her days had been ordered around one central figure: Jesus. She stuck close by, clinging to His words of life. She got up each day, having no plans but to find out what Jesus' plans were, and go with them.
It comes as no surprise, then, that when Jesus was crucified, she was one of the four women who stood nearby. She was there when Jesus breathed His last. Now she was faced with shifting her paradigm: no more would she wake up to the same expectations as before.
Before dawn on the Sunday after Jesus' death, Mary was the first person to visit Jesus' tomb, thinking she would finish His burial rites by adding the traditional ointments and spices. To her surprise, the tomb was open, with the stone covering rolled over to the side. Bewildered, she ran to Peter and John, two of the three men who had been Jesus' closest friends, and told them what she had seen. They came and inspected, confirming that the tomb was empty – no body, no Jesus, only grave clothes.
Peter and John returned to the place they had been staying, but Mary remained at the burial site, weeping. Of course she was weeping! She was confused; her life pattern had been disrupted, the person who meant the most to her was dead and – gone! What lay ahead? How would she go on? What would she do?
Luke 24:6-7 fills in some of the narrative that happened next. Stooping down to look into the tomb to confirm her reality, she saw two angels sitting on either end of the table where Jesus' body had been lying. They asked why she was crying, and she blurted out the first thing that came to mind – her Lord's body was missing, and she didn't know where to look next. The angels reminded her of words she had heard Jesus say, but forgot in the moment: Jesus would rise from the dead! Mary had been asking the wrong question! Perhaps truth had not set in, because as she turned around, Jesus asked her the same question the angels had – why was she crying, and who was she looking for? Desperately, thinking she was speaking to the gardener, Mary begged to know where Jesus' body had been taken.
All of a sudden, Jesus called her name. "Mary." She knew that voice. She straightened, turned around, and looked squarely into the face of her Lord. She was the first to see Him following His resurrection.
Jesus instructed Mary (of all people!) to announce His presence to His other followers. With renewed purpose, Mary did so. Jesus had righted her world. She could again plan each day according to Jesus' plans.
Why In a Garden?
It's interesting that God often chooses gardens to fellowship with His people. Additionally, while it may be surprising to our culture (and many others) that Jesus first appeared and spoke with a woman after His resurrection, it was Jesus' normative to relate equally with men and women followers. [I'm also fascinated that a woman was the first victim of Satan (in a garden), and Jesus flipped the enemy on its head by appearing first to a woman following His resurrection (in a garden).]
The First Garden
In Eden, God created man and woman in His image, placing them in an optimal living spot surrounded by beauty. Genesis 3:8 indicates that God's normal routine was to walk with His beloved humans in the cool of the day. They enjoyed each others' company – the first "small group"! – and deepened their relationship. When sin entered, Adam and Eve felt shame for the first time. They hid themselves from God, and made fig leaves to hide their vulnerability from each other. God still sought them out, desiring them for themselves, knowing full well what had happened.
The Middle Garden
On the Mount of Olives facing Jerusalem was a garden called Gethsemane where Jesus often met with His followers. God, in the form of Emmanuel was still reaching out to His people for fellowship. It was to this place Judas led those who wanted to capture and kill Jesus, using his close relationship and knowledge of Jesus' whereabouts for evil.
The Garden Tomb
Not far from the place Jesus was crucified, just outside the gates of Jerusalem, was a newly built tomb located in a garden. Jesus met Mary there following His resurrection. He continued His pattern of finding His people in a place of growth, beauty, peace, and solitude – His venue of choice for fellowship!
The Last Garden
Revelation 22:1-2 describes the place Jesus is preparing for us. It is another garden, a restored Eden. There, we will never be separated from Jesus' physical presence. We will then freely enjoy His fellowship as we were always meant to: without sin, distraction, or busy-ness. For now, we can have a foretaste of this glory by seeking Him in His word, praying to Him in the Spirit, and listening for His voice.
Do You Have a Garden?
I'm not talking about a plot of land with tomato plants. Do you have a metaphorical "garden" where you meet with God – a place accessible to your imagination for walking with the One who loves you most? This is a "place" set aside just for you and Him, where you can express anything without fear, and listen to what He's saying to you. God is right there, waiting for you to come near. He created you for garden walks and garden talks!
Get free articles in your inbox by clicking HERE. Your information will never be shared.
©2023 Julianne Knapp. First published 4.4.23