Three Gardens

EASTER:

THREE GARDENS

TEXT: Genesis 2:8-9; Matthew 26:36; John 19:41

INTRODUCTION: What is a garden? It can be a place of life, a place where flowers, plants, and vegetables push back the soil and come alive. We protect our gardens with fences to keep the animals out. We pull the weeds to keep them from choking what we have planted.

We tell our kids to stay out of the garden. Satan learned the same lesson: Don’t mess around with a garden – especially a garden that belongs to the Father.

The Bible is a story about gardens.

In one Adam took a fall. In another Jesus took a stand.

In one God sought Adam. In another, Jesus sought God.

In one Adam hid from God. In another, Jesus emerged from the tomb.

In one Satan led Adam to a tree that led to his death. In another, Jesus went to a tree that led to our life.

This morning I want us to look at three gardens.

I. THE GARDEN OF EDEN

Genesis 2:8-9

You may be wondering, what are you doing in Genesis? I thought this was Easter. Why aren’t we looking in the Gospels for the account of Jesus’ resurrection? We will in a little while.

First we must look at the reason for the resurrection and the reason is found in Genesis 3:1-5.

A. It Was A Garden Of Deception

Subtle = Cunning, Deceptive.

Satan is a liar!

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

He is the father of all lies and it all started in the Garden of Eden.

2 Cor. 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Satan is subtle, deceptive. As this verse says Satan takes the simplicity that is in the salvation provided by Christ and twists it into something it is not. He makes salvation hard.

Then he deceives Christians and non-Christians alike by making us think that we can’t be happy living the Christian life. You will be board. You can’t have any fun.

Yeah…that’s what will happen. You will no longer want to have a blast by getting drunk and making a complete fool of yourself, saying and doing things that you will regret, getting into fights, waking up with a head twice the size and pounding like a bass drum. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle and taking your life and those in your car and on the road into your hands.

Wow! I had forgotten just how “fun” those days were.

Satan says Jesus was lying when He said; John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

He deceives us into thinking that God will not take care of us, that we’re not important to Him. He says God is lying when He says; Philip. 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

He deceives us into thinking that we can love the world and love God at the same time;

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

He deceives us into thinking that we can get away with sin; Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. [8] For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

But not only was it a garden of deception.

B. It Was A Garden Of Decision

Genesis 2:15-17

Adam was created with the capacity to choose to love God and obey Him or not to, he was not a robot. God said you may eat from any tree but this one. Adam made a deliberate choice to disobey God.

1 Tim. 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Adam knew exactly what he was doing! He chose to disobey!

God gives us all the choice to serve God or not. And by choosing not, you automatically choose to serve Satan.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.