Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
When Jesus came back to life, the people who saw him required new eyes to see him clearly, truly.
Mary saw only a gardener until Jesus spoke her name (John 20:16). The two disciples from Emmaus saw only a clueless traveler until Jesus broke bread with them (Luke 24:30-31).
Later, Saul (Paul), a leading persecutor of Jesus’ followers, had his eyes opened too. He was stopped by a blinding light from heaven, and he heard the voice of Jesus saying, “Why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:3-6). Saul received eyes of faith so that he could see Jesus truly as the Lord and Savior.
In our text for today Paul, who became a missionary for Jesus, declares that we can see other people differently now too. Because of Jesus, we can see that all who are “in Christ” are a new creation. The rebirth of every believer echoes the miracle of Christ’s resurrection.
And there’s more. When we see an “in Christ” person, a new creation, it’s a sign that God is up to something bigger— a glorious remaking of his whole creation. This is what other texts have described as the coming of a new heaven and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:1)!
So when someone comes to faith in Christ, we see in that person a new creation. And this is a reminder of God’s continuing project of making a new creation, launched by the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection!
O God, give us eyes of faith to see your ongoing work of new creation as Paul did. May we see, rejoice, give you praise, and live in that confidence. Amen.
Written by: Dave Den Haan