“When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.” – John 20: 14&15
On Holy Thursday we are told in the Gospel of John that Jesus’ Passion began when he went to a garden in the east to pray. The garden the scripture speaks of is physically the Garden of Gethsemane. Spiritually it is the Garden of Eden.
On Easter Sunday Mary of Magdalene went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. She found an empty tomb and began to weep because she thought they had taken the body away. Mary was approached by our risen Lord and he asked why she was weeping. Mary thought Jesus was the gardener.
“Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” – Genesis 2:15
Adam was the first gardener. God put Adam in charge of all creation and gave him the job of caring for it. Adam failed and death came into the world. Jesus’ glory undid the failings of Adam and restored life. His sacrifice unlocked paradise for all humanity who love him. Jesus has become the new Adam. As the new Adam he has also become the new gardener. Mary was not wrong when she thought she was speaking to the gardener. She was. With the veil removed Mary could see Jesus for who he truly is for the first time – the master of all creation.
Death came into the world through a garden when a woman selfishly took the fruit off of the tree of life for herself. Salvation came into the world through a garden when a woman selflessly took the fruit of her womb and placed it back upon the tree of life for all humanity.
My heart is full because the tomb is empty.