The challenge with the resurrection of Jesus is not simply the resurrection itself, it is that something “new” entered into the world. Creation itself was being made new with Jesus’ body at its fulcrum. History had no comparison, science had no measure for it, and religion couldn’t fit it in. It was new, totally new! This event set into perpetual motion, new creation itself. Even our bodies, minds, spirit, soul, heart, wills, character, feelings, thoughts and strength are subject to the possibility of this newness as we take on what we were intended for, the new life.
In Jesus, we discover that we are now made for a new world in which life is eternal. In John 4:14, Jesus tells us, “whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again – ever!…” This certainly isn’t logical in the empirical sense, but it is logical in the new and available Kingdom that we are invited to participate in here and now. How can this be? Jesus, of course, is talking about the fulfillment of life that only comes from Him. As we partake in His living water, we find our new self with God satisfied, regardless of old world and old body realities. The key is to “drink from the water”. We should not interpret this as past-tense, but present-tense, as we drink from the source of life “…the water Hegives will become in us a spring of water gushing up to eternal life”.
New Creation understands that life, as God created it to be, is different than life without God. To, “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19) is to abide in the Source of new creation itself. Like a tree planted in the garden of God’s perfection, our soul is allowed to live and have rest regardless of the weather and storm. It is able to give of it’s fruit, scent and wood to others. It is no longer missing it’s intended purposes. Life with out God is no-longer optional or sensible because we would be missing out what is “new” itself. To illustrate this simply, there is Creation & there is New Creation.
As followers of Jesus, we now participate in the making and advancing of the reality of God in our world here today. We are for this world being made new not against it. We are caretakers again, as God intended us to be in the beginning, giving us dominion over creation! We are His stewards in this New Life that we now have….thanks to Jesus alone.
