The Garden Tomb

     "Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.   There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand."

     Spring is a lovely time of the year, when the trees put forth their leaves and multitudes of beautiful flowers appear.   Concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, no one knows at what time of the year He was born, but the time of His crucifixion and resurrection was definitely in the spring.   His crucifixion was on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan), at the full of the moon, on the day of the preparation of the Passover supper.   It was according to the lunar calendar of the Jews, therefore in our calendar, it comes either in March or in April.   It was a time of the year when all nature, that through the winter had appeared so bare and dead, was now coming awake and alive again.

     In a like picture, we are told in Numbers 17, about Aaron's rod, an old dead, walking stick, that was laid overnight before the Lord.   The next morning, that dead rod had budded, put forth blossoms, and produced ripe almonds.   Thereafter, the rod was placed in the Ark of the Covenant, along with the two other wonderful things, each representing Christ, and what He is to the saved person:   The two unbroken tables of stone, on which the ten commandments were inscribed by God, representing the perfect righteousness of Christ in which we trust; the manna representing Christ, the true bread from heaven, of which we partake by faith; and Aaron's rod which budded, bloomed and bore fruit representing Christ, our resurrection and our life ~~ our victory.

     As Paul says, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." (I Corinthians 15:20).   The firstfruits are just a sample.   One of these days all the dead in Christ shall come forth as Jesus did, to live for evermore.

     At the place of His execution, there was a garden, and in the garden, a tomb, a rich man's tomb.

     Isaiah says, "And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death."   His dying on the cross was between two thieves, but when He was dead, they placed Him in the rich tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea, for the evening of the 14th day of Nisan was coming on, and the next day, the 15th, was a Sabbath, a "high day", beginning a week of the feast of the unleavened bread.   The 15th was not the seventh day Sabbath, but it was a special Sabbath day.

     The friends of Jesus, hurried to get Him in the tomb before sundown, for the Sabbath began then.

     Joseph of Arimathaea loaned Jesus his new tomb.   Jesus needed to borrow that tomb only for a little while.   Only for three days was it used.   Then Joseph still had it for his own use, but whether he used it or not, we do not know.

     Near Jerusalem, but outside the old walls, is a place called "Gordon's Calvary," so called, for a famous British general, who first believed it to be Calvary.   Close by are a few ancient trees, the remains of a garden, and an empty tomb.   Perhaps it was Joseph's tomb, but it is empty.

     There are three great gardens of the Bible:   the garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden of Calvary or the resurrection.   Flowers grow in a garden, trees blossom, and birds sing.   Surely Eden's paradise was full of lovely flowers and blossoming trees.   The shady retreat of Gethsemane, attracted Jesus as a place of prayer.   But no sweeter flowers ever grew, than that which blossomed in the garden of the resurrection, that Sunday morning.

     Christ is the rod that budded, blossomed and put forth fruit.

     Paul says, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour (fragrance) of his knowledge by us in every place." (II Corinthians 2:14).

     Years ago my father went to hear a great Jewish Christian preacher, and he said, afterward, that the preacher began by announcing this subject; "I smell a sweet smelling savour."

     Did you ever think how that flower that bloomed in Calvary's garden that Sunday morning, so many years ago, has been spreading abroad its sweet smelling savour throughout the world, ever since.   If you want to be "turned on," if you want real joy in your heart, come and smell that sweet smelling savour of the crucified and risen Jesus.

     The fruit of that flower, in the resurrection garden, is salvation; everlasting life to everyone that believes. (John 3:16)   Jesus knew of this wonderful fruit, therefore He willingly went to the cross.   "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." (Isaiah 53:11)   "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame." (Hebrews 12:2)

     Charles Dickens wrote his own story of Jesus' life, which I have read, but it ends with His death on a cross ~~ no more.

     A highly acclaimed play, "Jesus Christ, Superstar," comes to an end, and they tell me, with death on the cross ~~ no more.

      A Jehovah's Witness tried to tell me that Christ's body did not come out of the tomb, that all that came out was His Spirit ~~ no more.   But without a resurrection, there is no gospel.  Without His resurrection, there is no sweet smelling savour.   Without His resurrection, there is no fruit, no hope, and we are left dead in our sins.

      "But now IS Christ risen from the dead," cries Paul.   On the Isle of Patmos, Jesus appeared to John and said, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Revelation 1:18)   This was a victorious, risen Christ.

     The Gospel, as Paul states it, in I Corinthians 15:3,4, is that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures foretold He would, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, as the Scriptures foretold He would.

      This is the message Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:27.   This is the message that so riled the priests, and the modernistic Sadducees, Acts 4:1,2.

      Paul says, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." (I Corinthians 15:1,2.

     Is yours a real, living faith in Jesus Christ, a risen and living Savior, or is yours only a vain, empty faith; an expression of mouth only.   Come then to the garden of the resurrected Lord and breathe the sweet smelling savour.   Come then, and taste of the fruits of everlasting life, that is yours for the taking.;   "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." (Psalms 34:8)

      Just taste and you'll be satisfied and need no other.   I beg you, only believe in the resurrected Savior.   (Romans 10:9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

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     July 19th through July 25th, the First Missionary Baptist Church of Saint Helens, Oregon will be having their annual revival meeting.   Evangelist Elder Norman Byrd will be preaching the revival.   We should all pray for this meeting and if you can, travel there and attend.   I am sure you will hear some good preaching.

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     If you haven't been to the church link's page in a while maybe you should take a look.   There have been a lot of church web sites added to this list.   Some have been added that are new web sites but most have simply been found recently by me.

     You should make sure your church is listed.   If you are a member of an independent Baptist Church that is holding fast to the Landmarks of Faith given in God's Word and your church is not listed, I assure you this is an oversight on my part and purely unintentional.   Please feel free to E-Mail me with your church web address so that I can list your church too.   Your web site is not doing you much good if no one finds it.

     An old preacher, back in the mountains described it very accurately when he, said, "You can grab that old Baptist chain and shake it and it will rattle plumb back to Jordan." That is perpetuity.

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     July 20th through the 23rd, Landmark Baptist Church of Yamhill, Oregon, will be having their Vacation Bible School.   Please keep this endeavor in your prayers.   Vacation Bible Schools have been a real blessing in the future growth of many churches.

     First Baptist Church of Fossil, Oregon, is having their revival meeting each night this week at 7PM.   Elder Charles Curtman will be preaching the revival.   Pray that the Lord will save souls and people will turn back to serving God.   They will be celebrating their 125th anniversary with a special meeting October 20th through the 22nd.   To my knowledge, they do not have a web site as yet.

Link To Missionary Videos

     I have set the date of Tuesday, October 12 as departure day!   The support has been comming in at such a rapid pace that I see no reason not to move forward now.   My son and I will depart for Francistown on the 12th to find a vehicle and a house.   My wife and daughter will follow two weeks later.

     We sent in our Visa application to the Botswana Embassy and it arrived on Monday June 7th.   It is expected to take at least 8 weeks for a response.   So we hope to hear by the end of July.   Please pray with us that all paperwork will be in order, and approval for all 4 of us will be forthcoming.

     Please pray for our travels to Missouri and Kansas.   We will be going back home to say goodbye to family the latter part of July into August.

Yours for souls,             



Doug Hammett             
Passionary to Botswana

Letters To The Editor

     Folks if you want to respond to something you have read in "Baptist Landmarks" please E-Mail your response to edit@BaptistLandmarks.org   Your response will be printed here.

     I would like to have a cartoon in each issue if possible.   If there is someone reading this paper who can draw cartoons that will cause us to laugh at the foolish things we sometimes do and cause us to think of how we could better serve our Savior, please E-Mail me and let me know.

     It's not what you left behind but what you sent on ahead that counts.

     Don't let yesterday use up to much of today.

     "We only see a little of God's loving,
     A few rich treasures from His mighty store,
     But Oh!   Out there beyond the life's horizon
     There's more, there's more."

~~Copied.

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