By Kingsley Baehr
SPRINGTIME!
BLOOMING PLANTS AND FLOWERS!
BLOSSOMING TREES!
BEAUTIFUL GARDENS!
BUSY GARDENERS!
WHAT A GLORIOUS TIME OF YEAR!
BLOOMING PLANTS AND FLOWERS!
BLOSSOMING TREES!
BEAUTIFUL GARDENS!
BUSY GARDENERS!
WHAT A GLORIOUS TIME OF YEAR!
But the Bible presents three gardens, two of which are notorious more for the inglorious events which happened in them than for their beauty.
The first one witnessed the power of Satan over human beings.
The second one witnessed the victory of the Savior over Satan
[at immeasurable cost to Himself].
“But what about the third one?” you ask.
Ah, the third one!
Talk about glorious!
Unimaginable beauty and glory!
That garden called “Heaven”!
Ah, the third one!
Talk about glorious!
Unimaginable beauty and glory!
That garden called “Heaven”!
That is where everything that happened in the other two gardens culminates in the exaltation of the Sovereign over Satan,
the Savior over sin, and saved sinners over sin-slavery!
Warren W. Wiersbe explains it best in his Bible commentary.
Warren W. Wiersbe explains it best in his Bible commentary.
“Human history began in a Garden (Gen. 2:8ff), and the first sin of man was committed in the Garden of Eden. The first Adam disobeyed God and was cast out of the Garden, but the Last Adam [Jesus] (1 Cor. 15:45) was obedient as He went into the Garden of Geth-semane. In a Garden, the first Adam brought sin and death to mankind; but Jesus, by His obedience, brought righteousness and life to all who will trust Him. He was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8).
History will one day end in another garden, the heavenly city that John describes in Revelation 21 and 22. In that garden, there will be no more death and no more curse. The river of the water of life will flow ceaselessly and the tree of life will produce bountiful fruit.
Eden was the Garden of disobedience and sin.
Eden was the Garden of disobedience and sin.
Gethsemane was the Garden
of obedience and submission.
Heaven shall be the eternal garden
of delight and satisfaction,
to the glory of God.”*
Today, if you are willing to admit your sin as partaker of that sin in the Garden of Eden, and submit to the Savior Who submitted in obedience to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, then you will be assured of a place in that Heavenly garden forever and ever.
What an opportunity! Don’t lose it!
*Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books; Electronic Edition