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After Jesus' crucifixion and burial, Mary went to the tomb in search of His body. She stood outside the tomb weeping. She stooped down and looked into the tomb. Mary saw two angels sitting on the bare stone slab. One angel was sitting at the head, and the other was sitting at the feet where the body of Jesus had been laid to rest (John 20:11-16).
Here, in the empty tomb, we see a picture of the Old Testament Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat is located on top of the Ark of the Covenant between two gold cherubim, each sitting on opposite ends of the Mercy Seat. This was the place, the holy place, where God met with the high priest.
When Mary looked into the tomb what she saw was not made of gold (like the Mercy Seat). She saw 2 live angels and bare stone-slab where Jesus' body should have been. When Mary did not see Jesus in the tomb, she turned around, turned her back to the tomb, and she saw Jesus in the garden. At first, she did not know it was Him. Mary thought he was the gardener so she asked him where they'd moved the body of Jesus? Jesus called her by name and then Mary recognized Him. She met with Jesus right there in the garden.
Christ, Himself is our Mercy Seat and we meet with Him in the garden.
The garden is symbolic of our spirit. We must learn to find Jesus and recognize Jesus in our own spirit. If you have asked Him into your heart, He lives in your spirit. Once, we begin to understand this, we can meet with Him anytime.
The Mercy Seat was a holy place where the high priest met with God once a year. If Jesus resides in your spirit, it has become a holy place. It's where He wants to meet with you. Just like the Mercy Seat has 2 gold angels, there were 2 angels or 2 spirits in the empty tomb. If Jesus resides in your spirit, there are 2 spirits sitting together, your spirit and His spirit. All you have to do is turn to Him and talk to Him.
As the Gardener of your spirit, Jesus is turning your stony heart into a beautiful fruit-bearing garden for His pleasure and yours.
The Mercy Seat sat on top of the Ark of the Covenant. 3 things were kept inside this golden box:
1. the pot of manna
2. Aaron's rod that budded
3. the stone tablets containing the 10 commandments
If you ask Jesus, the New Testament Mercy Seat, to sit in and top off your spirit, you will also find these 3 items in your spirit. You will find:
1. Jesus, the very bread of life (manna) sent from heaven.
2. Life and life eternal (Aaron's rod that budded).
3. His commandments are written on your heart (which has been transformed from stone to flesh - Ezekiel 36:26).
The unbeliever's spirit will contain only 2 of the 3 items found in the Ark of the Covenant:
1. Missing - Jesus.
2. Life and life eternal are in their spirit but the eternal part will not be in heaven.
3. His commandments are written on their heart and theirs is a heart of stone.
Take away: Meet with Jesus in your spirit. That's where He is. This is where intimacy with God takes place. He is sitting there waiting for you.
(Note: The Song of Solomon has much to say about our garden, its gardener, and how to meet with him. To learn more, check out my book, The Greatest Romance. In it I explore all the symbolism in the Song of Solomon.)
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