Return to the Garden

[00:00:00] In the name of Jesus, amen. [00:00:03] Christ is risen. [00:00:04] He's risen indeed. Hallelujah. [00:00:09] Doesn't the altar just look like a garden this morning? [00:00:12] I love the way the flowers are popping out next to the stone there and just all around. I guess it makes our green carpet kind of, you know, especially meaningful. [00:00:25] I was thinking that this morning, but, you know, the Gospel of John says that the place where Jesus was crucified, in the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden. [00:00:39] All the more fitting that this should look like a garden. [00:00:44] It's fitting that Jesus should rise from the dead in a garden. [00:00:50] He is the new creation. [00:00:53] The Gospel of John also says that just like a seed is planted in the ground and then comes up and bears fruit, well, that's how it would be for Jesus, that he would be planted in the ground, that he would die and then rise from the dead so that those who are in him would have life. [00:01:14] Jesus is that garden. We are that garden. [00:01:18] Jesus, the new creation that Jesus came to establish, he came to recreate us in himself, to bring back the Garden of Eden. [00:01:31] This is the new Garden of Eden. Eden restored. [00:01:37] We had it this morning in the sunrise service. That text from the Gospel of John where after he's risen from the dead, Mary Magdalene runs into Jesus in the garden. [00:01:49] But she doesn't recognize him. She doesn't know who he is. [00:01:53] She thinks that he's the gardener. [00:01:57] And it's just a beautiful moment because you know who the gardener is. [00:02:01] It's Adam. [00:02:03] It's like Adam, the first human being is back, back from the dead, back from corruption and sin. [00:02:15] Sinless now, sinful no more. Clean, cleansed, new, bright, fresh, beautiful. [00:02:25] The garden restored. [00:02:28] That's what the Old Testament reading said, that Zion is the garden restored, so to speak. And I'm stretching it slightly. There's no talk of flowers here. [00:02:41] But again, you shall plant vineyards and have joy. You shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. [00:02:49] The planters shall plant and enjoy the fruit. [00:02:54] There will be watchmen on the hill, in the hill country of Ephraim. Arise, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God. [00:03:04] These promises, this vision of the future was spoken at a bleak time for Israel. And Israel didn't, well, didn't see the garden happening. [00:03:16] Israel was sent into exile. [00:03:20] The Babylonians came and destroyed Jerusalem. It looked like all hope was lost. [00:03:26] But God promised them that Israel would be restored, that Jerusalem would be restored, that Zion, Jerusalem, Mount Zion would be restored, that it would be a garden again. Arise and let Us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God. Let's go on a journey toward the fulfillment of God's promises, toward the garden that he has promised, the life and restoration, that new creation in Jesus it's fulfilled. [00:04:02] Jesus brings the garden. He brings the new humanity. [00:04:06] Humanity restored, Israel restored, Gentiles restored in Israel joining the journey. Arise, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God. [00:04:23] It's a journey because it's not here yet. We have the garden here. [00:04:30] We're celebrating. We're looking at Christ as the one who restores creation and brings the garden. But these Easter lilies are going to die. [00:04:39] I mean, nice thing is they're going to come back again. If one of you plants it in your yard next year, it will come up and trumpet the news about Jesus again. [00:04:53] What about the hope that's in your heart now as you look at Jesus risen from the dead? [00:05:04] Will that die? [00:05:08] Will it be threatened? [00:05:11] And let's just say there's going to be a time when I'm confronted with suffering or difficulty, disappointment, discouragement. [00:05:24] Maybe next year, maybe this week, maybe later today, something will come and try to dampen the hope within me in Jesus Christ. [00:05:37] And God, grant me your spirit, to look with Jesus perspective and to hold in front of my eyes. [00:05:46] Lord, you hold in front of my eyes the hope of Jesus in whatever situation. That's our prayer, all of us, that God would continually remind us of the promises fulfilled in Jesus that are yet waiting for us. [00:06:03] Loved ones right now are in the hospital in a difficult spot, in pain, or in some other difficult situation that you know about and that I don't. [00:06:16] Are they seeing the garden, the hope that we have in Jesus Christ of new life. [00:06:24] It's here now, like we have that life and that hope. And you see it when. [00:06:30] When somebody dies in faith, rejoicing in God's promises, or when someone endures suffering for the sake of those around them looking to Christ. [00:06:45] But it's not seen in sort of bodily immortality or incorruption. It's not. [00:06:53] Well, it's not plain to see around us without the eyes of faith. [00:06:59] This garden here that will wilt again and come back in another form. [00:07:07] It's pointing toward another garden that doesn't fade. [00:07:12] It's pointing toward Zion, our hope. [00:07:19] And we're on a journey toward it. [00:07:23] So the challenge is to take the garden with us in our hearts and to remember Christ in the midst of suffering and death, in the midst of difficulty, when it seems absent, when nothing around you tells you garden, that's when we look to Christ. [00:07:44] The nice thing is it never happens, actually. [00:07:48] Well, I don't know. I mean, now I'm thinking of places where maybe you can't see anything hopeful, but there must be something even there. [00:07:58] The sun. When the sun rises, right? Christians have always, well, looked at the sun, watched the sun rise, keeping in view what scripture says about the sun, like the dawn from on high, shall break upon us. [00:08:16] Talking about Christ coming with light and life. [00:08:23] God designed the sun to give us hope every morning and perhaps the night to remind us of our mortality. [00:08:31] He gave us Easter lilies to remind us of the good news and to trumpet it to those around us. [00:08:42] God's given us signs of the new creation all around us, if we interpret them that way. [00:08:51] But the hope that we have and the fulfillment of that hope, it is set in the future. [00:08:59] And so we keep going on our journey. Arise and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God. [00:09:07] We have challenges to face. Yet together as a congregation or together as your family, we have suffering to bear for one another, danger to navigate. [00:09:26] If then you have been raised with Christ. Seek the things that are above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God. [00:09:37] That's where we're to be oriented as we go together into suffering, as we take on the adventure that God has given us together, that's where we set our minds together. [00:09:50] We set our minds on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [00:10:03] And maybe you can see that as, I mean, again, if you see this garden as the end point of our focus, of our hope, then, well, I'm going to be disappointed eventually because these flowers are going to fade. But just for the flowers, insert whatever else we might put our hope and trust in. [00:10:29] There are sort of bright spots in life here and there. [00:10:36] Maybe you were sick, but you're healed, or maybe something's going well, or there's something to look forward to. [00:10:45] But if we mistake these things for that unfading hope, that inheritance kept for us in heaven. Jesus Christ risen from the dead, never to die again. [00:10:56] That country that God has promised to us in heaven, that's the real deal. [00:11:08] So set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ, in God, in Christ, you are a new creation. [00:11:25] And that new creation is something to believe in, not something that is seen apart from the eyes of faith. [00:11:37] The new creation, your life it's hidden with Christ in God. [00:11:45] And one day it will be made manifest. You'll be able to see it. [00:11:51] When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. [00:11:59] Think about that. What that's saying is that something about you is hidden from you. [00:12:06] Like you can't see the fulfillment of God's promises for you. [00:12:13] It's just like. [00:12:15] Well, as a fallen, sinful human being corrupted by sin. [00:12:22] I can't imagine what life was like for Adam in the garden before sin. [00:12:29] But now there's Jesus. [00:12:31] Adam restored without sin, with unending life. [00:12:36] And still we can't really see what that's like. We get a glimpse now, but then we'll see fully see Mary Magdalene in the garden. She didn't recognize Jesus. There's something mysterious about him. [00:12:58] Our life is hidden with Christ in God. [00:13:04] And that helps make sense of the life of the martyrs and their hope. [00:13:10] Or of those around you who endure suffering for Christ's sake. And you're like, how are they doing that? [00:13:18] You see, the martyrs go to their death confidently because their life is hidden with Christ in God. [00:13:25] By faith. They see what's been given them by faith. They see the garden to come and humanity restored, creation restored. It's hidden with Christ in God. That means it's safe, untouchable. The circumstances that press in on you and tempt you to despair, those don't have any bearing on Jesus and his victory on that new creation. [00:14:01] It's there. No matter what it's held for us in the future. We have it by faith. [00:14:09] If then you've been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above. Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. There, Christ is seated at the right hand of God, reigning and ruling over all things. He's conquered even death. [00:14:29] Death no longer has dominion over him. [00:14:33] Where's your sting, death? Where's your victory? [00:14:37] Jesus has won the victory. Christ is risen. [00:14:42] He's risen indeed. [00:14:44] Hallelujah. Let's stand and say that. [00:14:47] Stand up. And now, before we say it, just this is going to make a difference. Imagine one of those Easter lilies in front of your mouth, alright? And like you are speaking through it. [00:14:59] Christ is risen. [00:15:01] He is risen indeed. Hallelujah.