One thing I like- when it comes to stories- is for things to end better than they started. Call me picky, but if things end worse than when they began…no, thank you! Who wants to pop some corn and watch a Lifetime Original about serial killers and unanswered mysteries?! Who wants to bake brownies and flip through the pages detailing a father’s family after a heartbreaking accident?!
Nope!
I know, refined tastes enjoy tragedies. It seems movie critics watch a different movie than we do because what they say is “Spectacular," “Groundbreaking,” or “A Triumph,”…I find it confusing or just dark. Some tragedies teach a lesson, but they seem to point out the world's hopelessness on its own. Disease kills. Betrayal hurts. Each of us has within us a side we’d like to be free of.
This is one of the many reasons I love the Bible.
The Story God tells, The Story of Reality, starts out great, and it ends in unwritable, unexplainable greater good.
Remember how it starts?
Genesis 1:1–2 (NIV)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
God is there. And He is completely happy, lovely, holy, and whole. He needs nothing. Father, Son, and Spirit are in perfect union and fellowship. His love is so great in Himself that it bubbles over, and light shows up…waters appear…ferns…palm trees…bumble bees, and everything else. He puts purple in the field, blue in the sky, brown on the tree, and darkness in the deep.
Genesis 2:6–7 (NIV)
6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the
ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The God of great love creates humanity to bring us into that “happy, lovely, holy, and whole” fellowship God has between Father, Son, and Spirit…can you imagine? He makes us to be with Him forever.
How do you get better than that?
Our parents, Adam and Eve, are in a Garden God made. He makes man and breathes life into him…life. God comes and walks and talks with them. They are in a beautiful Garden paradise, blessed and known by our good and loving God.
Everything is perfect until an unspeakable tragedy occurs. Like us, our ancient parents leave God to follow their desires. Satan lures them away, and without much thought, they leave God’s Garden and God’s presence and believe the Liar. And he delivers pain and death.
The story goes on from here through the pages of Scripture; we see humanity run away from God and the “happy, lovely, holy, and whole fellowship” again and again. Pain, heartbreaking disease, unsolved mysteries, and tragedies appear in every part. We see it in our world and many of our lives.
But God likes stories to end better than they begin.
When John writes his account of Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection, he wants us to see that our story is not over. God would not let satan, or our own mistakes, sins, and running, derail His purpose. Far from it! These things would further show how wonderful He is and how much He loves us.
So, He returns to a garden where we first walked away from Him.
John 19:41–42 (NIV)
41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Jesus went to the cross to pay for our sins. He was placed in a tomb and took our place in death. For anyone who believes in Jesus, sins have been atoned for, and our punishment has been laid on Him.
Not long after Jesus was laid in the tomb, He came out. Death found it impossible to hold Life itself. Jesus conquered death, satan has been defeated, and we have been redeemed.
Just a little while later, Jesus visits His disciples who are holed up in a locked room, sad their Messiah was killed and scared they might be killed, too. When He gets there, He talks to them and gives them peace, but He does something incredible that reminds us of the Garden of Eden.
John 20:22 (NIV)
22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus breathed on them again.
In the Garden of Eden, God gave us life.
Because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we have been given eternal life. I think that when Jesus did this, it was a sign that He was giving us His life inside us.
This is a New Creation. This is eternal life. This is even better than what Adam and Eve had in the Garden!
Now, God does not just walk with us like in the Garden of Eden, but the Holy Spirit dwells in us (1 Cor. 1:19).
Now, we are sons and daughters of God through the Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15).
Now, all that was lost in Adam and Eve, Jesus has restored and made new and better.
Here is just a taste of what Jesus has done:
· Sins are forgiven.
· Atonement is made.
· Righteousness is granted.
· Justice is satisfied.
· Death is defeated.
· The head of the serpent is crushed.
· The curse of sin is reversed.
· One day – Christ will return – and make all things new!
· The entire world will be renewed.
· Death will be no more.
· No more weeping.
· No more pain.
· No more sorrow.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve could talk with God, walk with God, and hear His commands.
But because of Christ in the Garden, the Holy Spirit now dwells in us, our hearts have been made new, and we love His commands.
And this story is just getting started! Can you believe it? The best is yet to come for everyone who believes! Because of Jesus, we now have happy, lovely, holy, whole fellowship with God for eternity! Can you imagine!
This really will be… really is, “Spectacular," “Groundbreaking,” “A Triumph!”
What a great reminder of God's plan for us!