In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth
Spirit hovering over the deep - Chaos
Order

God calls forth, Let there be
Arenas
Creature leaders
Fill, Flourish

Humans
Image-bearers
Placed in a Garden
Seed

Cultivate
World is full of potential
Placed in a Garden

Two trees
Life and a Choice

Sin
Denial, Chaos, Death
Cut off from the Garden and the Tree of Life

Redemption
Buy Back

Tree
Noah
Abe and Issac - Ram in a Bush
Burning Bush - Moses
Torah
Cursed be anyone who dies hanging on a tree

David
Promised King
Sin, take what he wanted
Absalom, grew up just wanting to be like his dad
Tree killed him

Jesus
Carpenter - wood and stone craftsman

On the night he was betrayed
Garden of Trees - olive grove
Again with a choice
Drink the cup or not
Follow God’s will or not

Roman and Pharisees
Carried his cross, his tree

Crucified outside the city
On the day before the Sabbath

Joseph - owned a garden tomb nearby

Is. 53:9

And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth. —Is. 53:9

Woman
Went to the garden at first light
Tomb empty

Mary
Mistook Jesus for a gardener

Boy was she right
Jesus the true human
Made a way for us to human again

Now, in Christ, the resurrection has already begun
By the Spirit, we have the downpayment on our new life

Jesus, John 15
I’m the vine, you are the branches
Bear fruit again

Death no longer has the victory
We don’t float away
We will be raised
Mortal to Immortal body

Jesus, who ate with his disciples, still had scares
We too will be resurrected

It is finished
Rev. 21 and 22

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. —Rev. 21:1-7

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. —Rev. 22:1-5

Cross of Christ we have the Tree of Life
We are now back to ruling over Creation
No separation between Heaven and Earth

In celebration, we come to the table today.