Leaving the Garden | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Leaving the Garden | Previous Challenge Entry
By Steve Rosas
11/27/25
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden and there He put the man He had formed” (Genesis 2:8-9a).

At the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden, a new tomb…they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:41).

“So the Lord God banished him from the garden of Eden….and placed on the east side of the garden…cherubim and a flaming sword…to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:23-24).

“Early on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdal went to the tomb and found that the stone had been removed from the entrance….Jesus said to her ‘Mary’ and she cried out ‘Raboni’ which means Teacher….Mary of Magdala went to the disciples with the news ‘I have seen the Lord!’” (John 20:18)

Two gardens. Two trees. Two encounters with God. Two very different experiences.

Adam and Eve came into the garden as new creations- the culmination of God’s creative power. Their lives were free of worry and strife. They were in close and daily communion with the Lord.

Mary of Magdala entered the garden in overwhelming and unspeakable grief- her spirit was shattered, and her faith devastated. She was completely broken- her heart, her dreams, her plans, her body and her will to go on. She had lost a friend, a cherished teacher and the only person she had ever known that left the world a changed place everywhere that he went.

When they left the garden, they were in opposite places. Adam and Eve left the garden in shame and defeat. Mary left the garden with wonder and hope, proclaiming “I have seen the Lord”.
After Adam and Eve left the garden, access to the tree of life was barricaded. Many centuries later, the garden contained a cross of death rather than a tree of life. However, this instrument of death and the empty tomb opened the way to make the fruit of eternal life available to all.
Adam and Eve began life in the garden as miraculous creations of life but left in utter defeat and despondency. Mary entered the garden at the lowest of lows but left at the highest of highs.

Today, we find ourselves in God’s garden wherever and whenever we encounter Christ. At these times, we stand at the threshold of a choice: to leave in silence and defeat, clothed in our sin or to step into the world and declare, with hearts full of wonder, “I have seen the Lord!”

All Scripture quotations are from the NIV (New International Version) Bible

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.