Tag: Mary

The Gardener’s Promise

“Her Savior was right there, but grief hid Him. We miss Jesus too, expecting Him to show up in a way WE want, instead of seeing Him in the Word, worship, or answered prayers. Mary saw a gardener, but His name was Jesus.”

Carl Pollard

 I’m no gardener, but I’ve got one story of botanical triumph. In Alabama, I had a fire pit where I burned all sorts of junk—boxes, old couches, mattresses, you name it. One day, I threw in a box of rotten vegetables. Didn’t think much of it. But a few months later, three corn stalks were growing right out of that pit. Shallow roots on a plywood slab, pushing through a metal grate. I didn’t water or tend them, yet they produced nine whole kernels! I ate that corn, somehow didn’t get tetanus, and I’m still amazed. 

Sometimes, where only death is expected, life is found. 

In John 20:11-18 Jesus’ followers expected a dead body but found a living Savior. Mary Magdalene met a “Gardener” who turned her tears into purpose. Christ’s resurrection plants hope in barren places, calling us to share His life with a world in need.

Mary found the tomb empty and wept, thinking someone stole Jesus’ body. She’d stood at the cross (John 19:25), watched Him die, and now even His memory seemed lost. Her tears show what life would be like if Jesus stayed dead—a world without hope. Two angels asked, “Why are you crying?” but grief blinded her to God’s messengers. We do the same, dwelling on broken families or a culture that’s left God, missing what He’s doing. A 2024 Gallup poll says most Americans feel hopeless. If you’re in Christ, the empty tomb is our hope—rejoice in it!

Mary turned and saw Jesus but thought He was the gardener. Gardeners worked tombs early, so it made sense. He asked, “Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” Her Savior was right there, but grief hid Him. We miss Jesus too, expecting Him to show up in a way WE want, instead of seeing Him in the Word, worship, or answered prayers. Mary saw a gardener, but His name was Jesus.

Jesus said, “Mary,” and she knew Him, crying “Rabboni!” (Teacher). All 4 Gospels make women the first resurrection witnesses. This was countercultural, and some rejected their claims (even the apostles). Skeptics like Celsus called Mary “hysterical.” But she was the perfect witness: she followed Jesus, heard His prophecies, watched Him die, and saw Him rise. He spoke her name, like the Good Shepherd (John 10:3), and it shows He knows your name, your pain, and calls you to life as your Great High Priest and Shepherd. 

Jesus told Mary, “Go tell my brothers I’m ascending to my Father and your Father.” His resurrection makes God our Father. Mary ran to share the news. Only 10% of Christians regularly share their faith (Barna, 2021), but 1.6 billion people haven’t heard the gospel. Don’t hold onto safe faith—plant the seed of hope. Where death is expected, life is found. God will bring the increase.

Trust the Savior in barren places—brokenness, doubt, or pain. Jesus plants hope, as He did for Mary (John 16:33). Hear His call to repentance, baptism, or renewed commitment (Acts 22:16). 

Plant hope boldly—share your faith, serve others, invite someone to worship with you. The harvest is ready, and it’s more than nine kernels.

Does Isaiah 7:14 Describe A Virgin Or A Young Woman?

Friday’s Column: Brent’s Bent 

Brent Pollard

With Christmas on Sunday, thoughts turn to the Christ child, born between 6 and 4 B.C. in Bethlehem. While the baby Jesus is the focus of most of the debate surrounding the innumerable nativity scenes that dot lawns and yards across the United States, His mother, Mary, is a divisive figure in her own right. In his purported “translation” of the Bible, Thomas Jefferson, for instance, left out the story of Jesus’ virgin birth. As with many others, Jefferson disbelieved in miracles. Before IVF, such an unconventional conception would have been unthinkable for the erudite of the Age of Enlightenment. However, some Christian groups today don’t believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. One way that the latter rationalizes their view is to point out that the word translated as “virgin” (almah) can likewise mean a young woman. 

There seems to be no reason it can’t mean both “virgin” and “young woman.” Those preoccupied with the debate over the virgin birth of Christ miss the other point of Isaiah 7.14. Aram and Israel threatened King Ahaz of Judah. Ahaz’s fear was palpable. God instructed Ahaz to request a sign to indicate Judah’s deliverance. God told Ahaz that he could even ask for something extraordinary. Ahaz was not a righteous king, but he pretended to be godly here by saying he would not test God. To this, God replied with the words most commonly associated with Jesus: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel” (NASB). God revealed that this was a sign He would send to Ahaz. Moreover, God would remove the danger posed by Aram and Israel before this child reached adulthood (Isaiah 7.16). 

I’ve seen well-intentioned brothers argue that this prophecy can only refer to Jesus’ virgin birth and that we must not permit others to interpret it as referring to a young woman. However, I wonder what good a sign concerning Christ would have done King Ahaz. Ahaz was a historical figure who existed more than 700 years before the birth of Christ. How could a messianic prophecy promise Ahaz that Judah would not fall? The answer is that it couldn’t. Ahaz required immediate fulfillment. In the following chapter, Isaiah documents the event as having been accomplished. Isaiah and his wife had a son, and his birth foretold that the Assyrians would plunder those who opposed Judah (Isaiah 8.1-4). The prophetess was not a virgin since she and Isaiah were married and had given birth to at least one of Isaiah’s children (Isaiah 7.3). Thus, a young woman was the immediate realization of the sign, but a virgin was the ultimate fulfillment. 

The sign’s demands tested the faith of Joseph and Ahaz, but Joseph succeeded where Ahaz did not. Ahaz needed to trust God and wait for the sign He promised. But Ahaz sought out the Assyrians and allied with them (2 Chronicles 28.16). Joseph was well aware that a virgin could not normally conceive a child. Therefore, he was going to dissolve his relationship with Mary privately. But an angel announced to Joseph that Mary was carrying a child the Holy Spirit conceived. Joseph believed the prophetic sign from God and acted accordingly. Joseph’s response should be ours today. Rather than quibble over the precise definition of “almah,” we should believe that God means what He says.