New Creation
Did you ever discover something for the first time which completely changes your perspective on a certain idea or topic? Since I was a child, I was always a huge football fan. Each Sunday I would be glued to the TV watching whatever two games were aired that day. In the 70’s and 80’s, before cable, that was about the only choice you had. For me, being from South Jersey, it was whoever the Eagles or the Giants were playing.
When I got older, still loving the game, I continued to watch, enjoy and be entertained. Not until I began to coach my son’s Pop Warner football team, did my perspective of the game change. I was an assistant coach, but it gave me the opportunity to see the enormity of the strategic planning that goes into the performance of every position, even at the youth level. My entire appreciation of the game changed.
The offensive and defensive coaches were tremendously talented in strategically designing even the simplest of plays. From the living room couch football was exciting, but once I understood the importance of each position working in tandem in order for the play to succeed, the true essence of the game became much more clear as well. I never quite looked at the game the same ever since. It has much more meaning and is much more exciting to watch to say the least.
Although this pales in comparison to something like the ‘resurrection’, when I first discovered what the resurrection actually meant, and especially how it pertained to the entire story of God's plan in the bible, I became blown away with amazement. I'm not just talking about a better afterlife or having a renewed body, or even getting 'resurrected' myself. Although these are all super biblical promises I look forward to.
What I'm talking about is discovering the full impact of what it meant for Jesus to die and then become alive again - what it meant for the hope of our world and how it affects every aspect of our present and future life. Once the resurrection became more than just an incredible miracle and I began to see that it framed God’s entire purpose and plan for humanity, my entire perspective of Christianity became so much more clear. Not to mention my love for Christ, what He did and what He's doing now through His people, seemed to pop with an added dimension. Easter is by far my favorite holiday for this reason.
In this sermon we will look at the Easter story from John’s perspective in chapter 20:1-22. From the beginning of his gospel straight through to the end, John hints at this big picture of the resurrection - the remaking of creation. Or, in other words, new creation.
John begins his gospel with a recreation of Genesis 1. He ends his gospel the same way... but instead of God creating the world, he has Jesus launching the beginnings of a new world, starting with His resurrection. Ultimately, at Christ’s return, He will complete this process. But the best part is that as we head toward this final goal, the intermediate stage is the renewal and remaking of human beings.
I pray our eyes will be open to the true essence, impact and enormity of this event. John, like all the gospel writers, reveal the resurrection of Jesus Christ as being much more than just a better afterlife. We’ll attempt to go deeper seeking the full extent and impact of one of, if not the most exciting event in all of history.
Listen to this sermon below
