Loving King in His Four Gardens
The King of kings is a loving King. His kingdom is unlike any other, for like Him, His kingdom is filled with sounds, sights adn actions of love. His powerful and heart rendering story is best understood by journeying through His four gardens.
Scene 1: Garden of Eden
There was a loving King who breathed His life into utter darkness and chaos. With His breath and with His song He created stars, sun, moon, planets, oceans, land, birds, trees, waterfalls and creatures. He sculptured man from some dust breathed life into him, and made a woman from the rib. The King gave the man and woman a home—the magnificent Garden of Eden. In this place of exquisite beauty and joy, they had unrestricted access to the King. The King loved them.
But sadly, the man and woman were not content with utopia or being so intimate with the most incredible and formidable person in the Universe. It’s unbelievable really—but they wanted more! How much more could you want? Well this snake of a liar convinced them that there was more and that the King was holding out on them. After they gobbled up that nonsense they discovered it was a terrible hoax, but it was too late. They had violated the King’s trust and broken His heart—they were banished from the Garden.
Scene 2: Garden Gethsemane
The King loved the man and woman so much He found a way to woo them back into His courts—but it was very costly and would take some time. The King had a Son, the Prince of Peace. He loved His Son so much but He also loved the man and woman. So He asked the Prince to go to where the man and woman were now living in exile. Though He knew it would cost Him His life, yet the Prince still set out to rescue the man and woman. In Garden Gethsemane the plan was sorely tested.
The Prince was in such anguish that He was bleeding from His pores—He could have died prematurely. In order to help the man and woman He had to fulfill certain conditions. In this Garden He would identify with the pain and suffering of the man and woman. But that night as He experienced betrayal, abandonment and rejection of His closest friends—and knowing His Father would abandon Him the next day—His heart was breaking. In the midst of His greatest pain, that snake of a liar that had tried to destroy the man and woman had re-appeared. It seemed every dog was barking words of cruel hatred. Could He last the night? He cried out for the cup of death to be taken from Him. But was it the cup of death on the cross, or was it the cup of premature death to shorten the pain? He cried out for help. His Father sent some angels. Strengthened, He yielded to His Father’s plan—to finish the assignment.
Scene 3: Garden Tomb
The serenity of the Garden Tomb belied the harsh and cruel reality—death had silenced the Prince of Peace. His friends and earthly family were distraught.
Unlike the Garden of Eden that began brilliantly and ended badly, this Garden began in tragedy and ended in triumph. Against all possibility, hope or expectation, the Prince of Peace overcame death and hell. He re-appeared to His friends—He was alive!
His resurrection becomes our resurrection, and His life becomes ours.
Scene 4: Orchard of Fruit & Spices
The Prince of Peace had completed His mission. The man and woman could now return to the original Garden—the place of innocence, joy, contentment and beautiful melodies to celebrate and enjoy love. But there had been an extraordinary shift—now Eden’s beautiful Garden was growing in the heart of the man and woman. They were no longer in the Garden—the Garden was in them!
The King and the Prince had planted an orchard of fruit and spices within the man and woman. As the man and woman allowed the King and the Prince to plant, water, weed and feed, the most beautiful Garden was growing. And oh how everyone was to experience and enjoy its beauty and fragrance.
The man and the woman had been transformed by love--the greatest love ever known.
Transformed by Love is now on DVD and is part of the Gardens of Love series.