Appointment in the Garden

“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?’
‘Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,’ the woman replied. ‘It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, “You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.”’
‘You won’t die!’ the serpent replied to the woman. ‘God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.’
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.” (Genesis 3:1-7)

 “Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples” (Luke 22:3)

“After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. ‘Who are you looking for?’ he asked.
‘Jesus the Nazarene,’ they replied.
‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said ‘I am he,’ they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more he asked them, ‘Who are you looking for?’
And again they replied, ‘Jesus the Nazarene.’
‘I told you that I am he,’ Jesus said. ‘And since I am the one you want, let these others go.’ (John 18:1-8)

Here we have two accounts of a sinless man in a garden in a confrontation with a representative of Satan. The First Adam failed in his confrontation and brought sin into the world as a result. The Second Adam did not fail and removed the sins of the world as a result. Which will you serve? Which will you emulate? Whose confrontation will you copy? Will you shrink back and be silent and passive as the first Adam was? Or will you be bold and step forward, standing in front of your family as Jesus did? Will you be ready for your appointment in the garden? We will all be faced with confrontations in this life. How we handle them will point to who we serve: man or Christ. Will you be ready for your appointment in the garden?

To the glory of the Lord God, whose I am, and whom I serve.