Three Gardens by Eddie Foster

Read Genesis 2:1-14; Revelation 22:1-5; Matthew 26:36-44 as background.

In Genesis we find the Garden of Eden, our first of three gardens.  It was a beautiful place; there has never been another place like it. Eden was not an accident. It was designed to be fully lived in and enjoyed.  The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was here. This implies that evil already existed. Where had it occurred before man sinned?  Remember that in heaven Lucifer, or Satan, wanted to be greater than God. He rebelled and one-third of the angels with him; all were kicked out of heaven. God created man to have fellowship with him. Adam and Eve ate of this tree and realized they had sinned. It broke that fellowship with God. Why did God put it there in the first place? He wanted them to obey but gave them the free will to choose what to do. He doesn’t force anyone to be saved. He comes and offers it as a free gift to choose.  Adam and Eve weren’t forced to obey either. Life is filled with choices every day. It’s in the free will of mankind to do right or wrong, good or evil, or choose God or Satan. Satan is defeated because of Calvary. He won’t give up but his future has already been decided; his end is the lake of fire. God’s side is the winning side!  There is a better day ahead for the child of God. The tree represents obedience…..or disobedience.  Obeying meant staying in the garden in a beautiful state of fellowship with God. Disobedience meant death entered the human race. Sin entered with their failure to obey. They tried to hide from God, but there is no hiding place from God other than his Son Jesus Christ.  God’s judgement is coming. We need Jesus.

In Revelation we find New Jerusalem, the place of restoration of man to the Garden of Eden. Eden is paradise lost. Now it’s regained. It was lost through sin and regained through Jesus Christ. In this Garden there will be no sin. Ever!  No devil. Ever!  Verse 3 says And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him. No more curse.  Ever!

In Matthew we find the third garden I’m talking about today.  Paradise had been lost in the first part of the message. In the second part, it was regained. What garden is in between?  Gethsemane.  Here Jesus prayed in that garden. What was coming?  Calvary. He was about ready to pay the sin debt that came about as the result of what happened in the first garden. You cannot reach the garden of paradise without going through Gethsemane, the way of the cross.  God made a way. We have to take it to see paradise restored.  Have you been to this garden?  It’s the only way to heaven.  Make your way to Calvary, to the cross.