Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost is the title of a famous poem written by John Milton in 1677. Actually it was not literally “written” by Milton, because at this time in his life, John Milton was blind; he dictated it.

Paradise Lost is a poetic retelling of the book of Genesis particularly of the fall of Adam and Eve and it is embellished with vivid imagery for the reader to picture what might have taken place that fateful day in Eden when paradise was lost. Milton was not alone in his hope in God's promise to Adam and Eve. No, time after time in human human history, in music, poetry, lyrical song, book, painting or statue we have heard the tale. The theme of returning to Eden or from a place of peace humans once knew so well is a common theme in literature and in music.

In the sixties, folksinger Joni Mitchell wrote a song about getting “back into the garden.” Titled Woodstock, and named after the 1969 music and art festival in New York where the song was first played, it was later popularized by the folk band, Crosby, Still and Nash. The song, contains overtly biblical elements, with references like “child of God, ” “being caught in the devil’s bargain” and the notion of how we have to “get ourselves back to the garden;” but it does not mention redemption through Jesus Christ. instead the elements of the song lyrics entwine scriptural truths with evolutionary beliefs. Still, a half-truth is not completely true

It was a character named Mary Poppins who once sang, “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down;” likewise a little bit of biblical sounding religion helps the yeast-like lie from Satan grow. Truth is , since Paradise and fellowship with God was lost. man has found himself in a sorry condition. He spends his days in toil and labor, singing the blues and trying get himself out of the mess he is in. It is not until he looks at Jesus for an answer that he will find what he is looking for, the door to heaven and the key to enter.

Jesus, amazing Jesus, stands at the cross-hairs of time as the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end…author and finisher of our Christian faith. People before Christ ‘s birth looked forward to the promise given and fulfilled in Christ. People AD look back in time to the cross and resurrection.

Because we Christians have believed the promise of God, the one that He made and kept and held since the beginning. We can trust that though paradise was lost, there is a way back, one way, a way that God himself provided.

His name is Jesus, and like the good book says, he saves his people from their sin. He restores all things and we, who have believed, are confident in Him.

Though Paradise was Lost, Paradise was Regained in Jesus Christ, something Milton knew as well. Adam and Eve gave into temptation, disobeyed, and lost Paradise... the Son resists temptation, obeys the word of God, is resurrected from death and regains forever what was lost.