“The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before.”
John 19:41 (NLT)
After Jesus dies on the cross, John shows us what happens next. Joseph of Arimathea—once a secret disciple—goes public. Along with Nicodemus, who had also followed Jesus quietly, he asks Pilate for permission to take Jesus’ body down. Whatever fear once kept them hidden dissolves in this moment. You can’t stay undercover when the cross has changed you. Discipleship is never meant to be secret.
They wrap Jesus’ body in linen with seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes and place Him in a new tomb, never used before, located in a nearby garden. That detail matters. Jesus doesn’t linger among dead things. He is life. Light drives out darkness. This spotless tomb—prepared, pure, and untouched—was exactly where He needed to be.
And it was in a garden.
That garden points us all the way back to Eden. Scripture tells us Jesus is the last Adam. The first Adam turned life into death through disobedience. But the last Adam turned death back into life through perfect obedience. In the first garden, man fell. In this garden near the cross, life was restored.
Jesus was laid in the ground like a seed. And just like every seed planted in good soil, what looked like burial was actually preparation. A few days later, life would break forth. Resurrection would come. And we—filled with the Holy Spirit—are the fruit of that harvest.
The obedience of Jesus didn’t just secure eternal life someday. It released abundant life now. We are new creations. Transferred from death to life. Indwelt by His Spirit.
I’m thankful for gardens today. I’m thankful for a Savior who obeyed all the way through. And I’m reminded that when we lay our lives down and trust God with the soil, He always brings forth something beautiful.