Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death is your victory? Where, death is your sting?

An empty tomb.

A risen saviour.

Other people – who should be dead, walking around.

Death was defeated then.

Death is defeated now.

The tomb is empty, and you can experience a FULL life because of that.

I absolutely adore the fact that Mary goes to tomb and finds it empty. She has an encounter with angels and then sees the risen Jesus for the first time in front of her.

She actually mistakes Him for the gardener. (recorded in John’s gospel)

I don’t think John tells us that by accident – because there’s a big garden theme playing out in the big story of scripture.

The garden….

The birth place of death at the very beginning when sin lands into the garden.

A garden tomb, were the creator of the garden was placed – in death.

Now – not dead, but very much alive.

The creator was back in the game and had changed the landscape entirely.

Because the whole movement of the story is a journey back to the garden. Back to perfection. Back to order. Back to the way it was always supposed to be. Back to walking with Him in the cool of the day. Back to ruling and reigning. Back to life as God knows it. Back to the start.

The gardener came back so we could go back.

Thankful for the one who rewrites stories.