What’s the deal with gardens in the Bible?
by Jill Newman
QUESTION: What’s the deal with gardens in the Bible?
ANSWER:
It’s pretty obvious that gardens are a big deal to God. You can’t get very far in reading the Bible without coming across some kind of garden or a metaphor regarding trees, plants or seeds. In fact, the Bible begins and ends in a garden, starting with Eden in the book of Genesis and ending with the beautiful fruit-filled garden of trees lining the River of Life in the book of Revelation.
Three gardens in scripture stand out for the major events that occurred there. The Garden of Eden began as a garden of beauty, provision and fellowship with God. Adam and Eve walked with God and He provided for all of their needs. However, it became a garden of deception, disobedience and death, following the serpent’s lies. Adam and Eve’s poor choice to disobey God led to the consequences for their actions.
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. (Genesis 2:8-10)
The Garden of Gethsemane began as a garden of prayer and fellowship with God. Many times the disciples walked with Jesus in the garden in the cool of the day, praying and spending time together, in the same way that Adam and Eve had walked with the Lord. However, the peaceful place became a garden of suffering and submission to God’s will, as Jesus prayed earnestly and ultimately submitted to the will of His Father in Heaven.
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:32-36)
Finally, the Garden of the Empty Tomb began as a garden of weeping and despair, as the followers of Jesus mourned His death on the cross. Three days later, this garden became a garden of resurrection when Jesus rose from the dead, and a garden of rejoicing because He had conquered death once and for all.
Near the place where Jesus was crucified was a garden, and in the garden there was a new tomb where no one had yet been laid to rest. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:41-42)
These gardens tell the story of the gospel. Although God originally created mankind to live with Him in the garden paradise of Eden, the choice Adam and Eve made to disobey Him began a chain of events that affects us all. We are now born with a sinful nature; we are dead in our sins and desperately need a savior. Alone, we can do nothing. Even our “good” deeds are not enough to redeem us.
Gethsemane’s garden reminds us that only Jesus, who was fully God and fully man and who lived a perfectly sinless life, could pay the ultimate price for the sins of the world. When we repent and turn from sin, believe in Jesus as the only sacrifice for our sins and put our trust in Him, we receive the Holy Spirit and eternal life with God.
That finally brings us to the Garden Tomb, now empty because Jesus conquered death and rose again. We now have hope because those who put their faith in Jesus are born again into the Kingdom of God, and will spend eternity in a perfect garden paradise with the One who loves us so much He was willing to die to save us.
Next the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river the Tree of Life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for healing the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. (Revelation 22:1-3)
Living forever with God in a beautiful garden paradise is the assurance of eternity for all who put their faith in Him. And, though we are still awaiting that future blessing, we can see hints left behind, proving to us that He hasn’t forgotten. In the book, Every Moment Holy, Douglas K. McKelvey encourages us with these words:
“The forms of these flowers are the intentional designs of a Creator who has not abandoned his broken and rebellious creation, but has instead wholly given Himself to the work of redeeming it. They are like a banner planted on a hilltop, proclaiming God’s rightful ownership of these lands long unjustly claimed by tyrants and usurpers. They are a witness, each blossom shouting from the earth that death is a lie, that beauty and immortality are what we were made for.”
Reflect:
Read Genesis 2:8-3:24, Mark 14:32-42, Mark 15:33-16:20 and Revelation 22:1-21.
It has been said that the two paths to eternity run parallel until the end. The stories that take place in these gardens could be used as a template for sharing the gospel, starting with the fall of man and ending with eternity with God. Spend some time praying and then write an outline of what you might say to a friend who doesn’t know the Lord.