Back to the Garden: Jesus, the Gardener!
In the beginning, God created man and woman in His image and likeness, commissioning them to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and govern it. He placed them in Eden to cultivate and steward the land. Adam, the first gardener, was given the sacred task of expanding the beauty and abundance of the Garden to cover the entire earth.
But what were they to fill the earth with? More than just people—they were called to fill it with image-bearers who reflected the glory of God and carried the knowledge of His presence (Numbers 14:21, Habakkuk 2:14). Humanity was designed to radiate His character, to be vessels of His love, wisdom, and authority.
Yet, as we know, the story took a tragic turn. Adam and Eve fell, failing in their mission and severing their communion with God. They were cast out of the Garden, no longer able to partake of the Tree of Life. Their choice to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil distorted their ability to reflect God’s image and obscured their understanding of His true nature.
Mankind wandered in darkness, disconnected from the source of life. But all was not lost.
From the foundation of the world, God had already set His plan of redemption in motion (Ephesians 1:3-10, Eph. 3:9-11, Revelation 13:8). The cross was not an afterthought; it was the divine design for restoration. Jesus, Emmanuel—God with us—came to reveal the heart of the Father and to lead us back to the Garden.
In John 19:41-42, we read that Jesus was buried in a garden. And on the morning of His resurrection, Mary Magdalene mistook Him for the gardener (John 20:11-18). But she was not wrong—He is the Gardener! Just as Paul calls Jesus the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), He came to undo the curse of the first Adam.
In the first Garden, death entered the world. In the Resurrection Garden, death was defeated.
Because of Adam’s disobedience, the Garden became a graveyard. But through Jesus’ obedience, the graveyard became a Garden once more. He has opened the way for us to return, to eat from the Tree of Life, and to walk in fellowship with our Creator once again.
Now let’s look at the Final Garden…the New Jerusalem…
In Revelation, we see the Garden fully restored within the eternal City of God. The gates of the City are never closed (Revelation 21:25), and at its center flows the River of Life, with the Tree of Life bearing fruit for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:1-2, 14-17). Many theologians call this the Garden City, where heaven and earth are made one.
Now, as the Bride of Christ, we have been given a mission. Alongside the Spirit, we cry out, “Come!” To all who are thirsty, “Come!” The gates are open. The invitation stands: Come, eat from the Tree of Life. Drink from the River of Life.
But before we invite others, we must ask ourselves—are we daily partaking of the Tree of Life? Are we drinking from the River of Life? Are we walking with Christ in the Garden? Are we reflecting His image to the world around us?
The wedding feast is being prepared, and Jesus has commissioned us to go into the highways and byways, inviting all to come. The world is filled with thirsty image bearers, longing for living water. It is our privilege and calling to proclaim that the way back to the Garden is open. Jesus, the Gardener, has made the way available. The gates are open— and the Spirit and the bride say, “come”!