We all know how the story begins:
In the beginning, there was a garden. And God was there, walking with His people in the cool of the day.
We know how the story ends, too:
A garden-city, bursting with life, where God dwells face-to-face with his people forever.
But tucked in the middle—on the morning death was defeated—the resurrected Christ appears again… in a garden.
That’s not just poetic. It’s intentional.
From Genesis to Revelation to the resurrection, gardens are not background scenery. They’re sacred spaces where heaven touches earth. The story of the garden is the story of God with us.
In the opening pages of Scripture, we find ourselves in paradise. In Genesis 3:8, Adam and Eve hear “the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” Can you imagine that? The Creator of the universe strolling under the trees, not with thunder or fire, but with the gentleness of a friend. That’s the kind of intimacy we were created for.
But just a few verses later, everything falls apart. Sin enters, and shame soon follows. Adam and Eve are sent out of the garden. Banished, yes—but not forsaken. The garden isn’t destroyed. God doesn't burn the whole thing down in frustration. Instead, he guards it. God gives a glimmer of hope in the waiting.
During Holy Week, we’ve entered into another garden—the Garden of Gethsemane.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, he knelt under ancient olive trees to pray. “Not my will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) With sweat drops of blood, he too encountered God in the garden. Love took root in agony as he surrendered for our salvation.
The redemption of the world didn’t begin on a cross—it started in a garden, with Jesus’s willing heart.
On Easter morning, we arrive at the garden that changed everything.
John 20 tells us Mary Magdalene came to the tomb weeping. She bends to look inside, only to see two angels where Jesus’s body had lain. After panicking with the other women that Jesus’s body had been taken, she turns and sees someone she doesn’t recognize.
Mary assumes he’s the gardener. But then he speaks her name—“Mary.” And just like that, she sees Jesus. Grief gives way to joy. Confusion gives way to clarity. Death gives way to life.
She was wrong about who he was... and yet, she wasn’t.
From Eden to Easter, God has always been the Gardener—cultivating communion, restoring what was lost, and making all things new through Christ. Jesus is the Gardener of the gospel story. He’s the one who plants hope in tombs and cultivates life from what looked dead. He speaks our names and brings us back to life, too.
Right there—in the same garden where death had been buried—resurrection begins to bloom. And one day, we’ll enter into the restored garden that’s been redeemed so we can commune with God forever.
Revelation 22 paints a breathtaking picture—not just of a garden, but of a garden city where heaven meets earth. There’s a river, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God. Trees line the banks, bearing fruit in every season. The curse is gone. And we will see God’s face. (Revelation 22:1–4)
It’s Eden, but better. It’s communion, restored. It’s being with Jesus forever.
This Easter, you might find yourself longing for something you can’t quite name. Maybe you might feel the ache of what’s been lost—relationships, peace, joy, purpose. Perhaps you feel far from the garden, like you’ve been banished and can no longer enter the gates.
Here’s the good news for you this Easter: Not only has Jesus died on the cross for your sins and been resurrected from the grave, but the Gardener has also come looking for you.
He meets us in our confusion, our sadness, our grief. He tenderly speaks our names. He reminds us that resurrection isn't just a one-time event—it’s a living, breathing reality we’re invited into every single day.
Jesus didn’t just rise from the dead—He rose in a garden to show us that life with Him is possible again. What was lost is being restored. Even now, amid our lives, he seeks us out in our mess and grief and calls us back to himself. He reminds us that he’s still here with us. He offers us the good news in his willing sacrifice on the cross for us.
On this joyous Easter day, let’s remember that the garden is coming back to life. One day, the winter will break forth into spring, as we too will be able to walk with him. Hold onto this hope as we celebrate the resurrected Jesus. He is making a way to return to reign and restore all things.
Resurrection has already begun, but one day it will be complete. The garden will flourish in full, and we will see his face.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life… on either side of the river, the tree of life… and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” Revelation 22:1–2, 4
Pray: Jesus, Gardener of our souls, thank you for meeting us in the garden. For calling us by name. For bringing resurrection life into the dead places. Cultivate in us hearts that long for Your presence. Help us to walk with you and trust you ntil the day we see you face-to-face in the garden that will never end. We love you. Amen.
Scripture: John 20:11–18