After the cross, a garden
by Jacob Traeger
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid (John 19:41).
Read John 19:38–42
The story of God and humanity begins with a garden. Genesis tells the story of the first human beings living in a garden created by God. In the garden, the tree of life was planted – the same tree John sees at the heart of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 22.
Here, at the climax of the story of God and humanity, we also find a garden. Unlike Eden, this garden has a tomb. Unlike Gethsemane, this garden is not a place of betrayal. This garden is a place where Jesus’ body is carefully tended and cared for by two unlikely people: a Pharisee and a member of the same Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus to death just days earlier.
Joseph and Nicodemus embody hope. The easier path for them would surely have been to leave this work to others. A dead man is not worth their reputation and social position, however eloquent or wise he may have been.
It is no accident that Jesus’ body is laid in a garden. He described himself as a grain of wheat earlier in John’s Gospel. Now, that seed has been planted. As every farmer and backyard gardener knows, there is no guarantee that the seed will germinate and grow. God must send the sunshine and rain, in its time.
On Sunday morning, when Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb, she will see a man gardening and tending to the shoots of new life. But that part of the story will have to wait.
For now, we see the gardeners Joseph and Nicodemus. Placing Jesus’ body in the ground. And daring to hope that this is not the end of the story. That the seed of Jesus’ life will germinate and grow.
In some way, we live all our lives on Holy Saturday. We trust that God is making all things new through the resurrection of Christ Jesus, but we do not yet see the full fruit. Like Joseph and Nicodemus, we are called to a life of hope. Even in moments when all seems uncertain and lost, you can have faith that God is still at work.
The seed lies in the ground. The garden lacks the tree of life. But the true gardener has not stopped working. A new day is about to dawn.
God of gardens, God who plants and waters, God of resurrection and new life: fill me with the hope of Joseph and Nicodemus. Give me confidence that you are working even in situations that seem hopeless and, through your hope, bring my faith to life in acts of love. Amen.
Jacob lives with his wife, Kate, in Canberra, where he serves as a pastor in the Molonglo Valley Gospel Community church plant. He loves that Canberra is a place full of interesting people, where Christians can serve, bless and pray for those making big decisions for Australia. In his downtime, you’ll find him hiking, cycling, playing board games or making homebrew with friends.
- Click here to read previous devotions.
- We are also posting them on LCA Facebook, making it easy for you to share them with family and friends.
- Sign up to receive Daily Devotion in your inbox every morning. If you’re already doing that, please encourage others to sign up. Click here for the link.
