The Gardener
In the beginning, there was a Gardener. The Gardener planted a garden east of Eden and made every kind of tree grow out of the ground—trees that were beautiful and trees that produced delicious fruit. But there were two special trees in the middle of the garden. One of them was the tree of life and it had fruit that let people live forever. The other was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and it had fruit that let people tell the difference between right and wrong.
The Gardener also made the first family and put them in His garden. Their names were Adam and Eve. They were both naked, and they felt no shame. There was nothing to hide and nothing to fear. The Gardener looked at everything He had created and called it good. And best of all, the Gardener walked with them in the cool of the day. This Gardener was God Himself.
God gave Adam and Eve a command: “You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you do, you will die.”
But the serpent, who was more crafty than any of the other animals, deceived Eve. Adam and Eve chose to disobey and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
And just like that—sin entered the world.
Suddenly, their eyes were opened. But not in the way they expected. Instead of becoming like God, they became aware of their shame.
So what did they do? They tried to fix it themselves.
They sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. They tried to hide their shame with something they could make with their own hands.
And then, when they heard God walking in the garden… they hid, afraid.
Sin had done what God said it would do—it brought death. Not just physical death that would come later, but spiritual death right then: separation from God.
And then, because sin had entered the world, they were sent out of the garden and angels were placed at the entrance, guarding the way to the tree of life.
The way back to the garden was closed.
What is Holy Week?
Hi Sojourners! Welcome to our Holy Week Easter Special! Holy Week is the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. Believers have always remembered the Lord’s death and resurrection by sharing bread and wine, called communion. Over time churches made a special week called Holy Week to help people remember all the important events before Easter and these traditions were already being celebrated 1,600 years ago.
Let’s walk through the first half of Holy Week.
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. That’s the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, and crowds waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna!”—which means “save us!” They welcomed Him like a victorious king returning from battle. But instead of riding a noble horse, Jesus rode a lowly donkey, showing that His kingdom would not bring peace through strength, but peace through weakness.
Holy Monday is about the temple where people made sacrifices to God. Jesus saw that the temple had become a place of greed and unfairness, so He overturned the tables of the money changers. He was showing that a new temple was coming—Himself—where forgiveness is offered to everyone, freely. By stopping the buying and selling of animals, Jesus was saying, “You don’t need these sacrifices anymore. I will be the special sacrifice to take away everyone’s sins.”
Holy Tuesday focuses on the fig tree that looked healthy but had no fruit. Just like Adam and Eve had tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves, the religious leaders of Jesus’ time tried to cover their ugly hearts by obeying rules. They looked godly on the outside, but they didn’t truly love God. When Jesus cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit, He was showing that only God can give us new hearts that bear real fruit. No amount of good rules or outward appearances can make us right with Him—we need God’s help from the inside out.
Spy Wednesday remembers the day when both faithful Mary and treacherous Judas Iscariot prepare Jesus to die. It’s called Spy Wednesday because Judas was spying for the right time to turn Jesus in. Mary spent a year’s wages of 300 silver pieces to anoint Jesus with perfume. While Judas received 30 silver pieces, the price of a slave, to betray Jesus. Mary gave up something extremely valuable because she loved Jesus and honored Him. Judas gave up Jesus Himself for something far less valuable because he did not truly love Him.
Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper Jesus shared with His disciples. They were celebrating Passover, a special meal that remembered how God delivered His people out of Egypt. The word Maundy means “command,” and it reminds us of the new command Jesus gave after washing his disciples’ feet: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Afterwards, Jesus broke bread and shared a cup with them, showing that His own body and blood would be given to save them. Normally, a lamb was part of the Passover meal, but this time the focus was on Jesus—He is the Lamb who would be sacrificed for all of us.
There are still three days left to go in Holy Week, but we’re going to pause here because this is where our story picks back up. Now where were we? Oh right…
The way back to the garden was closed… until God made a way.
Life Outside the Garden
Although Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden, God didn’t leave them hopeless. Instead, He made a promise that would one day fix everything. He said that the seed of the woman—someone who would come from her—would crush the serpent’s head. That meant the evil that caused shame, fear, and separation from God wouldn’t win forever. One day, God would bring His people back to the garden and dwell with them again.
For thousands of years, the world lived under the effects of the fall. The ground grew hard, thorns and thistles pushed up through the soil, work became heavy, and hearts felt heavy too. People lived with fear, brokenness, sickness, and sadness. They hid from God… and from each other.
Then when the time was just right, God sent a new family, Mary and Joseph, who had a baby named Jesus, which means “God saves.” Jesus stepped into a world full of thorns and thistles, a world marked by the curse of the fall. But He came to restore what had been lost.
And this is where we meet another woman named Mary. Now so far we’ve already met three Mary’s in the story. The first Mary was the one who anointed Jesus. The second Mary was the mother of Jesus and the third Mary is the one we’re going to talk about today, Mary Magdalene.
Who Was Mary Magdalene?
Mary Magdalene’s name probably meant she was from a town by the Sea of Galilee called Magdala. Mary had been troubled by seven demons. In the Bible, the number seven often means “complete” or “full”, so this tells us that Mary was completely weighed down by the things that hurt her. Her life was marked by the very brokenness that began in the garden. The fear, the bondage, the suffering… this was the ripple effect of sin in the world.
Then one day she heard someone call her by name: “Mary.”
She looked up. It was Jesus. And everything changed.
Jesus healed Mary Magdalene and gave her a taste of the new life He would bring. Where there had been darkness, there was peace. Where there had been fear, there was calm. Jesus freed Mary completely from the things that had trapped her, filling her heart with hope and joy. She wasn’t hiding or afraid anymore. Just like God promised a way back to the garden after the Fall, Jesus was showing that new life was possible—and it was starting with her.
From that day on, she stayed close to Jesus. She listened when He taught. She followed wherever He went. She never forgot what He had done for her and knew that He was the one who could bring new life, hope, and forgiveness to everyone.
Good Friday
But then came a day she never expected.
Mary watched as Jesus was nailed to the cross.
The One who had saved her… was now dying. The One who gave her hope was suffering. The One who brought her joy was in pain. It felt like the light had gone out and darkness had won.
But even in that moment, Mary stayed. She didn’t run away. She stood there, crying, because she loved Him—and even though she didn’t understand, she couldn’t leave Him.
Finally, Jesus took His last breath and died.
Then, a man named Joseph of Arimathea stepped forward. He was a secret follower of Jesus and had the courage to ask Pilate for Jesus’ body. He carefully took Jesus down from the cross and wrapped Him in linen. Just like Joseph and Mary had cared for and wrapped baby Jesus when He was born, Joseph of Arimathea now cared for Him in His death with Mary watching at a distance. He placed Jesus in a tomb, a quiet, safe place cut from the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance.
Sojourners, the day Jesus was crucified is known as Good Friday. But how could something so horrible be good? It’s because Jesus’ death wasn’t the end—it was the beginning of a new way for people to be close to God again. On that cross, Jesus took the punishment that we deserved. Jesus was the seed of the woman promised from the beginning. He is the fruit of life hanging from the cross. His death satisfied God’s justice so that anyone who trusts in Him can be forgiven and made right with God. What looked like the saddest day… was actually the day God was saving the world and that’s why we call it Good Friday.
Holy Saturday
The next day was the Sabbath, which we call Holy Saturday. It was a quiet day—a day of rest.
Right before Jesus died, He exclaimed, “It is finished.” That means everything He came to do, He had done. There were no more miracles to perform, no more lessons to teach, and no more sin to pay for.
While Jesus was on earth, He had told His followers that He would die and then rise again. The religious leaders had also heard this and were worried that His disciples might try to take His body and say He had risen. So they placed guards in front of the tomb to make sure no one could take Him away.
Everything seemed still and silent… and then Easter Sunday dawned.
Easter Sunday
Early the next morning when it was still dark, Mary walked to the garden where Jesus was buried. She wasn’t coming to celebrate. She was coming to weep.
But when she got there… something was wrong.
The stone to the tomb had been rolled away.
Mary ran to tell the disciples. When they came, they saw the linen wrappings that had covered Jesus lying there, and the cloth that had been on His head neatly folded. Not understanding what had happened, the disciples went home.
Mary stayed behind, still crying. She peaked in the tomb and saw two angels sitting where Jesus had been—one at the head, and one at the foot like the angels who once guarded the way into the garden of Eden.
“Why are you crying?” they asked.
Mary could barely speak. “They’ve taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they put him.”
She turned around to leave and saw a gardener standing there.
“Sir,” she said through sobs, “if you’ve carried Him away, tell me where you’ve put Him…”
Then He said her name.
“Mary.”
She knew that voice.
She looked up.
It was Jesus.
Alive.
“Teacher!” she cried as she reached for Him—but Jesus told her that he had something more important for her to do than to hold on to him.
Once, in the very first garden, people had run and hidden from God. But here, in a garden again… Jesus was sending Mary to go and tell people the good news that He was alive. She was the first witness to the Resurrection. The garden, the way back to God, was open once again.
Easter Sunday is the turning point of history! When Jesus rose from the dead, He defeated sin and death and opened a way for people to walk with God again. People thought peace came through power or force, but Jesus showed a stronger way: forgiveness, love, and generosity—even toward those who hurt Him. His resurrection proves that God’s love is stronger than death. Those who follow Jesus are being changed every day, and one day, God will make everything right, wiping away every tear and ending pain, sadness, and death forever. Easter is the best news ever: God’s love has won, and life will never be the same!
On an interesting note, most of the world actually calls Easter Pascha, which comes from the Hebrew Passover. The reason we call it Easter in the English-speaking world is because the word comes from the name of an old Anglo-Saxon word for April named after a spring goddess. Over time, the name stuck, but the meaning of Easter for Christians isn’t about the goddess or the month—it’s about Jesus rising from the dead, bringing new life, and opening the way back to God.
And guess what? Easter isn’t just one day—it’s a whole season! The days and weeks after Easter Sunday are called Eastertide, lasting 50 days until Pentecost. During this time, Christians celebrate that Jesus is alive and remember all the ways His resurrection changes the world. Just like spring brings flowers and new growth, Eastertide reminds us that God’s love brings new life to hearts and the world.
Why Mary Magdalene’s Story Still Matters Today
Faith is a Gift from God
Even though Jesus had told His followers many times that He would rise from the dead, Mary just didn’t understand.
On that first Easter morning, she saw many clues that Jesus had risen: the empty tomb, the linen cloths, and even angels—but she still didn’t recognize Jesus. She thought He was the gardener! It wasn’t until Jesus called her by name that she realized who He really was.
Mary’s story teaches us something very important: faith is a gift from God. Even when we love Jesus and try to follow Him, we can’t understand or believe everything on our own. God opens our eyes and hearts. Without Him, we would never truly see or trust Him.
God is Working Even When We Don’t See It
Mary thought the worst had happened. She had seen Jesus die and then when she went to His tomb, His body was gone. Everything was going wrong!
But here’s the thing— Mary was standing in the middle of God’s greatest work on earth and she was reading all of it like it was a disaster. Sometimes our lives feel like Mary’s. Things seem scary, sad, or out of our control. It can feel like God isn’t there, but here’s the truth our God is always working even when we don’t see it and He’s working it all out for our good.
God Chooses the Humble
Mary was the first person to see Jesus after He rose from the dead. Think about that—out of all the powerful leaders, important men, and well-known people, God chose her. Why? Mary was a woman, and in those days women had very little status. She also had a scary past—she had been possessed and shunned by society—which meant she wasn’t respected or trusted. She was lowly in society’s eyes.
By choosing Mary, God shows us how the gospel works. It’s not about being good, important, or popular. It’s about God’s grace—something He gives to people who can’t earn it.
Key Scripture
Luke 7:47 says, “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Mary was the only one who stayed by the tomb when everyone else had left. Why? Because her love for Jesus was so great. Why did she love Him so much? Because she understood her own sin and brokenness—and she had experienced how deeply Jesus had forgiven her. God chose Mary because she knew her need for Him, and that made her heart ready to love Him fully.
This shows that God’s love and forgiveness are for everyone, even those who feel broken or unimportant. And when we see how much He forgives, it changes the way we love Him.
If Mary Magdalene’s story inspired you, share this episode with a friend so they can hear the good news of Jesus making a way back for us into the garden to live with God again. Even when life feels confusing, sad, or broken, God is still at work, and His love is bigger than anything we can imagine. Easter shows us that death and fear don’t have the final word—Jesus does.
So this Easter—and every day—remember: the garden is open again. The Gardener is here. And life with Him is waiting for you.
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