Into the Garden - Part B

When that same Jesus died on the cross and when he died on that cross Peter's hope died with Peter would have never been so hope less in the day that Jesus died on the cross noticed three days later, Jesus got up again and appeared to Peter and the other disciple, and in one fell swoop. Peter went from hopeless living to living like that. So when Peter writes living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He knew that he would now have a hope that never done Jesus resurrection gave us the hope we can be set free from sin and have victory over death today on connect with Skip Heitzigs Scriptures about the complete hope and restoration.

You can find right now in Jesus alone.

Now we want to let you know about a resource that will encourage and challenge you to fulfill your purpose to impact your world with the truth of Jesus Christ is normal basic human instinct which you believe the children as young as three years old already want to follow the crowd and the group of researchers counted at Duke University study Bible notes to impact himself by defining normal I think I think the Bible calls us to a holy finance of the status quo.

Paul the apostle said, do not be conformed to this world but be trans formed by the renewing of your mind, so transform pastors to define normal.

I think you when you get $35 in ministry today for his bold resources, hundred 9288. Get online securely connectwithskip.com/author.

Okay, let's Skip Heitzigs at four today start when Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane. There was nobody there because all pricing is done in the fall of the year Jesus gets there in the spring of the year. The place was a ghost town was abandoned. So it's a perfect place for him to go to and to retreat with his disciples.

By the way, just a little FYI this is no extra charge. If you were to go there today and I encourage you to do so because we take people to the garden of Gethsemane. We walk through and have a little service there, but there's a part of the garden of Gethsemane that's run by the Franciscans and they have these old olive trees are eight of them ate ancient olive tree and they'll make a big deal out of the fact that all is growth for hundreds thousands of years of preserved and they had these old olive trees they say are a couple thousand years old that were were there no doubt in the time of Jesus. Jesus may have leaned against this trailer that tree.

They have eight of these old trees. They preserve the minutes. It's beautiful to great setting. The only problem with that theory is a thing called history. History tells us that when Titus the Roman general surrounded the city to destroy it in 70 A.D. Josephus, the Jewish historian said the Titus cut down all of the trees around Jerusalem for timber for lumber to build his siege works against the city so the garden of Gethsemane being that close to the ancient city.

These trees would not of been spared so they they may be almost a couple thousand years old almost from the time of Christ, but not quite so just just a little FYI. None of that is germane to our study. Serrated age when the Tridentine and to say what was really the most important is that it was in Gethsemane where the son of God was being pressed crushed like the olives, like the prophet said he was rushed for our iniquities harassed for our sins and the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.

That's the second garden.

The garden of Gethsemane. Now Jesus came into the garden as he often did with his disciples. He spent regular time there, but on this particular night the Bible tells us that when Jesus was in the garden of the Olive press. He was sweating and it says he was sweating great drops of blood. Now when you read that he was sweating. You might think well you know it's the Middle East it's springtime and must've been really hot know.

In fact it was really cold.

John's gospel chapter 18 verse 18 says says it was so cold the people were lighting fires to take the chill of the night air away from them but yet Jesus was sweating and the reason he was sweating and the reason he was sweating great drops of blood.

That's not a figurative statement. He was literally sweating blood is because doctors, medical experts will tell us that there is a condition that a person can experience when they are in extreme mental anguish is where the tiny capillaries around the sweat glands in the head burst person is under incredible duress. This condition known as schematic process occurs with a capillaries burst and the person sweats drops of blood. That's what Jesus was going through. In fact, he said to his disciples my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. When Jesus was in that garden even prayed father if it's possible let this cup pass from me.

Jesus prayed that in his humanity.

He didn't want to suffer. He knew what was coming.

He didn't want to go through that. If there's any other way people can be saved. Other than this happening to me. Let it happen, let this cup pass, but in his deity. He prayed this.

Nevertheless, not what I will but what you well and there. In this second garden, Jesus began to experience the suffering that sin had brought from the first garden. So Jesus in the garden of affliction was suffering because of the sin that was brought in the garden of creation, but someone else came in the garden that night. His name was Judas. We are told in the text. And just like Satan, who entered the first garden, Judas entered the second garden to betray his master and he brought with him a Roman contingent of soldiers and their Jesus was arrested and he stood trial. Not one trial, not even to trials, Jesus went through six no less than six trials, beginning immediately and ending the next day before Pilate three of his trials were religious trials in previous trials were civil trials until finally he was condemned to die in a Roman cross. And then when he died on that cross, Jesus went into 1/3 garden to undo what happened in the first and second garden. Now this third garden is the garden of resurrection. It is a garden like place that was owned by a wealthy Jewish man named Joseph. Joseph of Arimathea, member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling class.

He owned this garden and he was also a secret disciple where told us in John chapter 19 I'm writing now. John 19 beginning in verse 38 after this, Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus and Nicodemus first came to Jesus by night also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 pounds, so they're bringing stuff to bury the corpse of Christ. It says in verse 40. They took the body of Jesus bounded in strips of linen with the spices is the custom of the Jews is to bury now in the place where he was crucified there was garden and in that garden a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. So there they laid Jesus because of the Jews preparation day for the tomb was nearby. Now Jesus did not walk into this garden, Jesus was carried into this garden as a corpse. He was dead.

He had spent six hours on the cross on a Friday afternoon. There he died he died earlier than most victims. Romans were going around to break the legs of the victim so they can get the bodies out the cross because of the Jewish Passover, Jesus was already dead.

After six hours on the cross he gave up his spirit and the bodies were taken down so that the Jews could go home and have their party there Passover celebration by the way, you can visit this garden today. In fact, I'm not trying to pitch our tours to Israel, but we are going to do one next year.

I get asked that all the time and the last day of the tour we take our group into what is called the garden tomb area. It is preserved by the garden tomb association a group out of England that for years have preserved it and there they like the biblical record have founded too many believe it is the tomb from which Jesus rose again and they have preserved this garden so will take our group into that garden and take communion together around the open tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ very very moving time, but this garden was a garden of hope.

If the first garden brought despair and if the second garden brought death, then this garden brought deliverance from both death and despair was a garden of hope because this is the garden where death was conquered. See, when Jesus rose from the dead.

Death died, death died that that's where death got killed blue death out of the water. Death is gone now.

People can live forever because though Jesus was carried into this garden by friends.

He walked out of this garden by foot, which meant that all of those promises that Jesus made about living forever. Eternal life everlasting life. Suddenly all those promises were true. I mean, without a resurrection on a lot of the things Jesus said you'd listen to all, he must've meant that figuratively, there must be some kind of deep spiritual analogy until he rises from the dead and psych groups. I guess you really meant that promises like I am the resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in me will never die okay. Check that's real.

How about this one. I am the way the truth and the life or this one he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has ever lasting life once Jesus got up from the grave.

Every promise he made about eternal life now made sense now. It was real, and this is what Peter referred to when he wrote first Peter chapter 1 and he called the resurrection a living hope, a living hope. Listen to what Peter writes. First Peter chapter 1 verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again or we are born again to a living hope listen through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Let me unpack that really quickly for Peter said now that Jesus is alive from the dead. I have a living hope so. Before Jesus and Peter got together. What was Peter's job, would he do for living is a fisherman so sounds that sound like a dream I that's what a lot of got it is everything to dream culture daily job so Peter get up early in the morning on the Sea of Galilee. But on his own fisherman's hat is the last, put his nets in his boat go out fish all day catchment fish go home in the evening sell them all go to bed, get up the next day, do it all over again to get up the next they do it all over again. Get up the next they do it all over again six days a week one day off.

They were Jewish month after month, year after year's pretty boring. Peter probably even thought is this all there is to life work fisherman being a fisherman.

You know those bumper stickers I see among cars.

Every now and then I'd rather be fishing. Peter would not put that on his car. First of all Peter did not have a car to put it on, but let's say he had like a chariot, he wouldn't put that bumper sticker on because that's what he did for a living. It's like every day and tell one day a man named Jesus walked up to him to Peter Prichard at standard I'm to make you a fisher of men.

And he went like what what what is that mean so he started following Jesus and listening to him and watching him perform miracles and helping him maintain crowds who were coming to Jesus and fishing for men and something grew inside Peter is called hope hope that now he's hopeful now is purpose in life is never been better than this, and for three years. It was so good until one day when that same Jesus died on the cross and when he died on that cross Peter's hope died with him. Peter would have never been so hope less, than the day that Jesus died on the cross. We know the story. Three days later, Jesus got up again and appeared to Peter and the other disciples and in one fell swoop. Peter went from hopeless living to living hope like that. So when Peter writes living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He knew that he would now have a hope that we would never die. So the first garden brought a death sentence. The second garden is where Jesus submitted himself to the death sentence in the third garden is where death was conquered by resurrection which takes us to the fourth and final garden that is the garden of restoration and I'm speaking now of the paradise of heaven. Jesus came into this garden. The fourth garden by an Ascension.

The Bible tells us in acts chapter 1 Jesus Christ was on the Mount of olives and he ascended up into heaven and his disciples watched him go up that you remember in the upper room disciples were all bummed out. Jesus said, he said let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me. My father's house are many abiding places. Many say this I am going to prepare a place for you. Think of those words I'm going to prepare a place for you.

Jesus said that 2000+ years ago. Now when you step outside on a day like this and you look around at this beautiful place. God is created and you can even drive up to the mountain see the pine trees. You can write to a river or lake.

If you can find 1 You Can Dr. of 100 miles go to the ocean. It's a pretty stellar place. God created for us right is pretty awesome even in its fallen state. It's a pretty awesome place he did it in six days. He just said, let there be this B that, to make this, make that so. Heat heat six days. Now imagine if you had like two months what it would look but this is pretty good for six days. Pretty awesome for 2000 years he's been preparing a place for you. Can you imagine what that place must look like, well, Jesus said this to one of the churches in Revelation chapter 2. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God that the description of heaven. The paradise of God. That word paradise is a very important word. According to William Barclay, Bible scholar par Exelon said the word paradise literally means a garden, a walled garden. It was a word the Persian kings would use when they wanted to honor somebody of renown or make that person renowned the king would invite that person to walk with him in his private walled paradise Paradiso walled garden and that person became a companion of the garden specially honored by the King to fellowship with the king so in the final chapters of the Bible. It tells us of the final phase of heaven known as the new heaven and the new earth and it is described as a restored garden.

In fact, the description sounds very much like the garden of Eden on steroids. In fact, it is even complete with the tree of life. Listen to Revelation 22 and he showed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

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. I love the fact that in heaven like in Eden like in the first garden is going to be this garden like environment and factors in the beat.

The tree of life and I love this. It bears fruit monthly. So, what variety it's like, well, welcome to have in this month. We have mangoes like mangoes. I love but come back next month because it's gonna grow apricots and then blob and then banana whatever 12 fruits, one each month.

The curse that was once place on the earth in the first garden will be gone forever in the fourth and final garden. If the first garden was paradise lost then this garden is paradise found paradise restored because of what Adam did in the first garden, Jesus had to do in the second garden and because Jesus going into the second garden is why he was buried in that third garden but because of his work in and between the second and third garden.

He can invite you and I into the fourth and final garden and he does Revelation 22 it says the Spirit and the bride say, come let him who hears say, and let him who is thirsty, whoever desires let them take of the water of life freely. God is inviting you into no less a place then the garden of eternity. The place of restoration, the place of peace and rest, and no curse and eternal life. The question is, will you come into garden you member when Jesus was on the cross. The Bible says that there were two criminals crucified with him one on the right hand, one on the left hand in one of those criminals had a change of heart and cried out to Jesus and said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus turned to him and remember what he said.

He said today. Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me where paradise Paradiso same work today you will be with me in the walled garden. Today I am inviting you to be a guest of the King, a companion of the garden and have the honor place of walking in fellowship with me in my father's house. That is God's invitation to you and I and I would be remiss to not extend the invitation to some of you who have come to church, but perhaps have not come to the Lord. Personally, maybe you are very traditional person you want to go to church on Easter. I'm glad I really am glad for that.

That's that's noble, that's awesome, but that the pressing question is have you come all the way into a personal relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ.

Have you submitted to him if you personally said, Lord, be my Savior be my master I want to walk with you now as well as an eternity in your life can change. Now he can plant hope in your heart today that will grow throughout your life and then icing on the cake. Heaven paradise later. That's what he's offering them wraps of Skip Heitzigs, especially Easter message called into the gutter to Skip to share how you can keep these messages coming your way to connect you and many others around the world with the gospel, God sent his only son to die on a cross for our sins, just so we could be with him forever. That shows us just how amazing his love and grace really is.

Well, we want to take that great news to more people around the globe.

You can help make that happen. Here's how you can help connect even more people with the gospel to give today simply call 800-922-1888 that number again is 800-922-1888, or give online@connectwithskip.com/donate that's connectwithskip.com/donate your support is vital to help connect more people like you to Christ. So thank you for giving generously today and did you notice a great biblical resource available right at your fingertips through your mobile device access. Several of Skip's Bible reading plan's version vital and dive deeper into several books of the Bible to gain new insights. Just search Skip Heitzigs.

It version vital.

Be sure to come back next week. Skip Heitzigs of shares insight from Scripture about God's purpose for all people