John 20:11-16: A Garden from the Grave

Isaiah 35:1–2, 10 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God… And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Intro

What does the Ark of the Covenant… the Temple… and the Garden of Eden all have to do with the Resurrection of Jesus?

This is one of those sermons that’s going to zoom out and give us a big overview of the Bible to hopefully see how the Resurrection of Jesus is the hope and climax of all of God’s promises.

The way John frames the resurrection highlighting this detail here and this detail there…

Jesus being buried in a garden tomb…

Two angels to announce Christ’s resurrection…

And Mary mistaking Jesus for a Gardener…

All point to the hope of salvation we have in Christ.

What are the ramifications and promises of that stone being rolled away.

We are going to have two points today from John 20:11-16 both looking at Jesus as the True and Better fulfillment of two very specific Old Testament types that when you put both of them together each point to the great hope we have in Christ for our redemption from the Fall.

Let’s start with the first Old Testament type or shadow that points forward and finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ with point number 1…

I. Jesus is the True and Better Mercy Seat

John 20:11–13 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.

Now by this point… still no one has seen Jesus.

He had rose again sometime around dawn but all Mary Magdalene and the disciples had seen was an empty tomb (Matthew 28:1).

Mary had evidently come back to the tomb separate from Peter and John and was standing there weeping all alone.

Her whole world was gone.

Jesus had rescued her and saved her from seven demons (Luke 8:2).

He had given her a whole new life, and now He was… gone.

Two Angels

So Mary is standing outside the tomb weeping.

Apparently she wasn’t there when the two angels told the other women who had come with her that morning that Jesus was not there but He had risen! (Matthew 28:1, 5-6; Mark 16:1).

She was probably so shocked by the empty tomb that she immediately went to tell Peter and John leaving the other women behind (John 20:2).

Peter and John had already gone back home having run ahead of Mary… and now Mary was the only one there (John 20:4).

When Mary looked into the tomb she saw the two angels that had spoken to the women earlier and They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” (John 20:13).

And She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

Mercy Seat

And here’s what’s interesting.

When she saw the two angels they were both dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.

Now why does John say that?

Remember… there are no arbitrary details.

The details the Gospel writers give either their first-hand, eyewitness testimony to historical events…

Or, and in many cases, they are given to us to point to the Theology behind the History.

Especially for John, he wants us to see the theological significance behind the details of the cross and resurrection.

So if you know your Bibles and you have two angels sitting on opposite ends… one at the head and one at the feet… what do you immediately think of?

The Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.

Historical Background

Now the Mercy Seat was part of the Tabernacle and later the Temple.

It sat in the Holy of Holies where God’s presence dwelt in the midst of His people.

“Ark of the Covenant”

Its called the Ark of the Covenant because it was a Chest that held the Two Tablets of stone that had the Ten Commandments that God gave His people when He made His Covenant with them at Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 10:1-5).

Inside was also Aaron’s staff that budded identifying Him as God’s chosen priest to offer sacrifices and intercede on behalf of the people…

And a golden urn holding the Manna from the wilderness reminding them of God’s provision as token of God’s promise to bless them in the covenant (Hebrews 9:4).

So inside the Ark you had:

The Commandments the people were obligated to…

God’s promise to bless His people in the covenant…

And a priest to atone for their sins and transgressions in the covenant.

The Ark… the chest… of the Covenant.

And on top of the Ark was the mercy seat (Exodus 25:17-22).

Literally the word means “atonement covering.”

It was made out of pure gold with two Cherubs… or two angels… on either end with their wings outstretched overshadowing the mercy seat as you can see in the picture here.

And God said in Exodus 25:21-22 And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony [or the covenant] that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

It was on the mercy seat that God would dwell with and meet with His people.

Highlighting the fact that the only way you and I are able to draw near to God is by His grace and mercy.

The mercy seat represented Yahweh God’s throne on earth… His Kingdom and Reign in the midst of His People.

Isaiah 37:16 O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.

Day of Atonement

And so it was on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies that’s God’s presence would dwell in the midst of His people and the only day that the People or the Priest would have anything to do with the Mercy Seat itself was on the Day of Atonement.

The Day of Atonement was Israel’s high holy day under the Old Covenant.

It didn’t do anything to take away their sins as we’ll see… but it did temporarily deal with the people’s sin and make it possible for God to continue dwelling with them and allow the people to dwell in the Land.

Bull

On the Day of Atonement the High Priest would take a bull… the most expensive animal sacrifice and offer it on behalf of himself to make him fit to offer sacrifices for the people (Leviticus 16:11).

Goats

Then the High Priest would take two goats and offer them on behalf of the people.

Sin Offering

One goat would be a sin offering - a sacrifice of propitiation that would die in the place of the sinner and satisfy the wrath of God against sin turning that wrath into divine blessing and favor (Leviticus 16:15).

And the Priest would take the blood of the Bull and the Goat and sprinkle it on the mercy seat to make atonement for sin (Leviticus 16:15).

Why?

Because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

And the life of the flesh is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11).

Scapegoat

Then would come the scapegoat (Leviticus 16:20-22).

Where the first goat was killed as a sin offering and propitiation before the Lord, this goat was kept alive.

The High Priest would lay his hands on the head of the goat and confess the sins of the people.

Then the goat would be driven into the wilderness far away never to be seen again.

It was a sacrifice of expiation takes away our guilt and shame and removes our sin as far from us as east is from the west.

That’s what chasing it into the wilderness was all about… the goat was carrying away the people’s sins.

Christ as Fulfillment

And all of this just pointed forward to Christ.

Hebrews 9:11–12, 10:14 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)…

So God’s True, Heavenly Temple (Hebrews 8:5, Exodus 25:30).

he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves [that’s the Day of Atonement] but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption…For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Christ is the True Fulfillment of the Day of Atonement and the True and better Mercy Seat where our sins are forgiven once and for all!

He is by His single offering both our propitiation and expiation once and for all.

He satisfies the wrath of God turning that wrath into divine favor and removes our sin as far form us as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).

So when John says And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet, He wants us to see the place where Jesus had lain…. His body and His death as the True Sacrifice and the True Mercy Seat where our sin is atoned for once and for all.

Jesus is the True and Better Mercy Seat and the True and Better Sacrifice.

Number 2…

II. Jesus is the True and Better Adam of a New Creation

John 20:14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

The reason why could be several things.

Number 1 she could have been supernaturally hindered.

When Jesus talked with the Disciples on the road to Emmaus and told them how all the Scriptures said it was necessary for Christ to suffer and die and enter into His Glory (Luke 24:26-27)… we are told their eyes were kept from recognizing Him (Luke 24:16) and it was only after that their eyes were opened and the recognized Jesus (Luke 24:31).

Plus, after His resurrection Jesus had a glorified resurrected body.

While He still had and has today the wounds of His crucifixion and victory over Sin, Satan, and Death, His appearance was likely changed (John 20:27).

It had a semblance of what it was but was somewhat new.

In His incarnation we are told in Isaiah 53:2 that [Christ] had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him, but Psalm 45:2 talking about the glory of the resurrected victorious king it says You are the most handsome of the sons of men.

It was His same body but raised in glory.

John 20:15–16 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

There’s a callback here of Jesus saying I Am the Good Shepherd.

The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out (John 10:3).

At hearing her name… the voice of the Shepherd her eyes are opened.

And there’s this picture of faith.

The sheep follow him, for they know his voice (John 10:4).

Gardener

Now from here to do some pretty heavy theology.

Because there’s a curious detail that John includes in the Resurrection story that opens up all the theological implications of what Christ accomplished on the cross.

This is another one of those Theology behind the History ideas that’s been so common in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

And that is that Mary did not recognize Jesus but instead supposed him to be the Gardener.

Now Jesus’ tomb was in a garden, so its not unreasonable for her to think that, but John doesn’t just put that in there because its a neat little detail.

Like we saw last week he’s pointing out how the Resurrection is the beginning of a brand New World… a New Creation… where the Old World and all the former things of sin, death, and the curse have passed away, giving way to a New World where all things are made right and all things made new.

A New World and a New Garden of Eden restored!

Well just as Adam was a gardener placed in the garden to work and keep the ground… Christ is the Last Adam… the True and Better Adam and the True and Better Gardener of a New Creation. (1 Corinthians 15:45-47).

To see the full significance of this and what this says about the glory of Christ we need to go back to the Garden and the First Adam.

This is where that theology is going to come into play.

Eden

God placed Adam in the Garden with a job to do.

The Garden was the Garden of Eden…

And Eden in Hebrew basically means… delight… to live a life of luxury… or to let all things go well (Genesis 18:2, 2 Samuel 1:24, Psalm 36:8, Jeremiah 51:34; Beeke, RST: Man and Christ Vol. 2, 2020, 136).

So the Garden of Eden was the Garden of Delight… The Garden of Luxury… The Garden of All Things Well…

In other words the Garden of Shalom… where everything was in Perfect Harmony and Perfect Peace.

Garden as Temple

And theologically… you and I need to see the Garden as the very first Temple and the manifestation of God’s Kingdom Presence on earth.

When God created the World He created it as a Temple to house His glory and dwell in the midst of His people.

We see this in the construction of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in History of Israel.

The Tabernacle was God’s mobile Temple for the years throughout the wilderness and the Later Temple was what Solomon was able to build when Israel had a permanent home of their own.

The Temple and the Tabernacle both communicate the same thing.

Presence of God

First both the Garden of Eden and the Temple were where the presence of God dwelt with His people.

God “walked” in the Garden in Genesis 3:8 and the same Hebrew word is used to describe God dwelling with or “walking” with His people in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle.

Leviticus 26:12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

Garden Imagery

The Temple was also filled with and covered with Garden imagery.

You had the Lampstand that stood directly outside the Holy of Holies and was shaped like a Tree made to look like almond blossoms possibly symbolizing the Tree of Life (Exodus 25:31-35).

It would give light to the Holy Place and light and life were closely connected to the Bible.

When John talks about Jesus… the True Fulfillment of the Temple… he says, In him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).

The walls of the Temple were made with cedar and carved with gourds and open flowers (1 Kings 6:18).

And the wood doors of the inner sanctuary had wood carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers (1 Kings 6:29, 32, 35).

The Two pillars at the entrance of the Temple were carved with pomegranates and lily-work (1 Kings 7:18-20).

When you were in the Temple everywhere you’d look would be pictures of a Garden.

Gold/Precious Stones

The Temple was also overlaid with gold and adorned with onyx and precious stones all of which is mentioned in the creation account in Genesis (Genesis 2:11-12, 1 Chronicles 29:2, 1 Kings 6:20-22, 7:9-11).

Again all these reminders of Eden.

Work/Keep

When Adam is placed in the Garden… as we are going to look at… he is told to work it and keep it (Genesis 2:15).

Two words that when used together are used to describe the work of the priest in working and keeping the Temple and guarding it from all unclean things… what Adam should have done in the Garden (Numbers 3:7-8, 8:25-26, 18:5-6, 1 Chronicles 23:32, Ezekiel 44:14).

East

Both the Temple and Tabernacle faced east, and when Adam and Even were banished the Garden they both it was from the gate at the east (Ezekiel 40:6, Exodus 27:13-16, Genesis 3:24).

River

In Ezekiel 47, Ezekiel has a vision of what was for him a future temple looking forward to Christ and the Church where from the Temple flowed a great river.

Starting from below the threshold of the Temple water flowed towards the east and this river starts as a small trickle and gets deeper and deeper as Ezekiel goes as a picture of the Holy Spirit and the advance of the gospel throughout the church age (Ezekiel 47:1).

It starts small… like a mustard seed… but then grows into a great river waters the earth (Ezekiel 47:3-6).

This river has trees on both sides that give fruit for food and leaves for healing (Ezekiel 47:12).

And the water itself flows into the desert and enters the sea making the dead, saltwater fresh or literally healed and wherever the river goes it brings life (Ezekiel 47:8-9).

And there’s fishermen at the sea catching a great many fish (Ezekiel 47:10).

Doesn’t all that sound like the Gospel and the Church to you?

That’s what Ezekiel was seeing.

And John sees it too in Revelation 22 where the river flows bright as Crystal from the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation 22:1-6).

In other words this River flows from the presence of God and the Lamb giving life to the world.

Didn’t Jesus say “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” talking about the Holy Spirit? (John 7:37-39).

Well in Eden there is a river that flows to the Garden… so God giving life… and from the Garden it splits to become 4 rivers that go out to water and give life to the world.

The very same thing as the Temple-River of Ezekiel and John’s visions again ultimately looking forward to Christ.

Cherubim

Finally, there are the Cherubim… the same angels from the Mercy Seat.

When Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden God placed two Cherubim to guard the way to the Tree of Life after the Fall (Genesis 3:24).

In the Temple, Solomon made two cherubim about 15 feet high to guard the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant… the place where God’s presence dwelt.

Also the veil that separated the Holy of Holies in both the Tabernacle and the Temple were embroidered with Cherubim finely worked in (Exodus 26:31-35, 2 Chronicles 3:14).

A constant reminder of the sin that separates us from God and the Tree of Life.

This is why its such a big deal that when Christ dies on the cross the veil of the temple is rent in two because Christ atones for our sin and opens the way back to God and dwelling with Him as we did in the Garden of Eden (Matthew 27:51).

Summary

So the Garden is God’s first Temple, and the Tabernacle and Later Temple are both a shadowy picture of a new recreated Eden both of which find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

All the promises, hopes, and expectations inherent in Eden and then pictured in the Temple are ultimately realized in Christ in the Covenant of Grace.

He is the True and Better Adam and New Gardener of a New Creation.

Let’s look at that.

Kingdom on Earth

Now you have to remember that when we talk about the Garden of the Temple we are talking about God’s Presence… God’s Glory… and God’s Kingdom on earth.

He’s enthroned on the Cherubim (Isaiah 37:16).

The Holy of Holies is where God’s Presence and God’s glory dwelt.

So the idea of Temple is intimately tied to the idea of God’s Glory and God’s Kingdom.

You need to keep that in mind as we talk about the work Adam was given to do.

Image and Sin

And so God made Adam and when God made Adam God made him and the woman both in His own image (Genesis 1:26)

This idea that God made mankind to know Him and reflect His holiness, character, and glory.

That’s why you and I were created.

To reflect God’s Glory as Sovereign Lord and Holy Creator.

The One from whom, through whom, and to whom all things exist (Romans 11:36).

In other words, to Him belongs all the glory… to Him belongs all of our life.

That’s why to sin is to fall short of the glory of God (Romans 6:23).

It says He is not worthy… He is not glorious… from Him and through Him and to Him does not belong all of our life!

We don’t need to live for His glory we only need to live for ourselves.

That was the lie in the Garden: You will be like God, knowing good and evil… you can be your own God… you can make your own rules (Genesis 3:5).

Adam’s Job

So God made Adam and God placed him in the Garden to “work it and keep it” and God commanded Adam to Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 2:15, Genesis 1:28).

So what was Adam given to do?

To spread God’s Glory and God’s Kingdom over all the earth.

God gave Adam the Garden to work and keep God’s sanctuary, but He was also called to fill the earth and subdue it implying taking the borders of the Garden-Temple Eden and expanding them until God’s Kingdom, Presence, and Glory covered the whole earth.

(Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology, 2011, 621-622; Ferguson Lessons from the Upper Room, 188-190).

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

That was the goal of Creation.

For God’s glory to fill the earth and to make the goodness of God’s glory known… the knowledge of the glory of the Lord… to the blessing and delight of His people.

Its all about God’ revealing and glorifying His Name.

So as God’s image bearers multiplied and filled the earth God’s Temple and Glory and Kingdom would go with them.

Prophet, Priest, King

In this way the First Adam… just like the True and Better Adam, Jesus Christ… was given the work of Prophet, Priest, and King.

As Prophet he was to obey and proclaim God’s Law and Glory

The command to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and Evil was entrusted to Him.

As Priest, He was to work and keep the Garden…

Guard God’s Temple and extend His glory to the ends of the earth.

And as King He was to have dominion as God’s vice regent and representative ruling under God for God’s Glory.

Reflecting God’s Glory as His Image bearer as the Sovereign Lord and Creator of all things from whom and through whom and to whom all things exist (Romans 11:36).

But Adam failed.

He broke God’s Law.

He did not guard the Garden from the Serpent.

And He forfeited His dominion.

As a result the world was put under a curse.

Jesus

And that’s where Jesus comes in as the True and Better Adam and Gardener of a New Creation.

All of this… the Tomb in a garden… the Resurrection taking place in a garden and Mary supposing Jesus to be the Gardener is John’s subtle way of saying He is the Gardener!

The True and Better Adam of A New Creation who has come to reverse the curse and make all things new.

Where Adam failed, Christ obeyed.

Adam brought sin and death into the world and by His death and resurrection Christ has overcome and conquered them both.

And from that victory there is now in Christ a New Beginning of a New Creation… a New Heavens and New Earth that is “already and not yet.”

One that is redeemed from sin and death and the curse and return to the shalom and peace and communion with God that was lost by the First Adam in the Garden of Eden.

After the Fall the World was put under a curse… subjected to futility (Romans 8:20).

Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you (Genesis 3:18).

Where the world was meant to be a Garden of Luxury and Delight filled the Presence and Glory of God… it became a desert wasteland full of sin and death.

But Christ the True and Better Adam rose again and at that Garden Tomb established a New Eden of a New Creation world to take the desert wasteland of this world broken by sin and turn it into the Garden once again…

To reverse the curse and bring life and salvation as far as the curse is found.

Presence, Glory, Kingdom

Now remember when we are talking about the Garden we are talking about God’s Presence, God’s Glory, and God’s Kingdom on Earth.

So when we are talking about Christ… from the Garden Tomb… extending the Garden of the New Creation we are talking about the Gospel and Life and Salvation reaching to the ends of the earth.

This is what the Great Commission is all about.

Matthew 28:18–20 All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

How does the knowledge of the glory of God cover the earth like the waters cover the sea?

Through the preaching of the Gospel!

They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest… and I will be their God and they will be my people (Hebrews 8:10-13).

The promise of the New Covenant is the Promise and Hope of Eden.

God’s Presence and Glory and Kingdom where God is our God and we are His people.

And Christ as the True and Better Adam will not fail to extend God’s Temple… Presence…Glory…Kingdom to the ends of the earth.

As the Gospel goes forth Christ goes with us to save all His elect.

Going back to Mary… My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27).

What we are talking about is the advance of the Gospel throughout the Church Age.

Isaiah 42:1–4 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

This idea of Justice is true biblical justice…

Righteousness… Obedience to God’s Law for God’s glory.

He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

The idea here is that the Kingdom does not come all at once or is established by force.

It grows slowly and imperceptibly… its like the mustard seed or like leaven (Matthew 13:31-33).

Like Jesus said, in Luke 17:20–21 The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

Its an internal spiritual Kingdom that grows and works its way inside out from regenerate hearts as Christ preaches peace to the nations (Zechariah 9:10).

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

When Matthew quotes this passage he says Jesus will lead justice to victory and in His name the Gentiles will hope (Matthew 12:20-21).

Again this idea that justice and Kingdom… all things right and all things new… comes from the good news of the Gospel.

He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

He will not grow faint or discouraged means Christ will surely do it… He will not give up or grow tired.

Until when? Until justice and God’s Kingdom is established in all the earth and the coastlands wait for His Law.

The coastlands cannot wait for His Law unless they have regenerate hearts.

This passage is promising the success of the Gospel to where God’s Kingdom and God’s Glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea just as the First Adam was called to do.

This is the hope we have in Christ and that sin will not have the last word on our lives or this world but the last word will be the Gospel of God’s Grace.

Conclusion

Now I know that’s a lot of theology.

Basically a big zoom out of the overall story of the Bible.

So let me try to bring it down and simplify it for you.

Why did we do all this?

Why did we talk about the Mercy Seat and the Garden and Jesus as the True and Better Adam…

What does all of that have to do with you?

The way John frames the Resurrection when you put both of these together… the Mercy Seat and Adam in the Garden… both of these together tell us that by His Resurrection Jesus truly is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25).

As the True and Better Mercy Seat and the True and Better Adam, Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and the fullness of salvation from the Fall.

He is the hope of salvation and redemption from the Fall for all who believe in Him.

The way John frames it… in the Resurrection we have the promise of God’s Presence, Glory, and Kingdom… a way back to Eden...

And by Christ’s Death… the Full Atonement for Sin at the True and Better Mercy Seat to give us the Hope of Eternal Life.

Let’s Pray

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