New

If you read last week’s post, you will understand why new toilets and water pumps are a big deal around this house. Both happened today and now we can breathe a sigh of relief, no more water woes. As I thought about the word new, my heart was drawn to Jesus’ words when He told us what is coming: “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5b BSB)

There was a time a few thousand years ago when, in human history, all things were new. The whole earth was brand new. The first elephants, flamingos, whales, mighty oaks, wildflowers. The first man and woman. New life spoken into being.

Have you ever thought about how it must have been? Nothing had been marred by sin’s selfish stains. There was no dying of any kind. There were no allergies, infections, or cancers. There was no disharmony, hatred.

It seems foreign. Several thousand years later species have become extinct. Landscapes have been destroyed by fire or floods. People and animals and plants are diseased, dying. All things are not new.

“There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him…And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means, ‘Be opened!’).” (Mark 7:32, 34 BSB emphasis mine)

When you read that do you hear the sigh? See Jesus looking knowingly to the Father? His heart is breaking. In that look and that sigh He in essence says, ‘It’s not supposed to be this way.’

It’s not. But because God loves us so very much, He has allowed us to take His perfect creation and make a mess of it. So that we can see how powerless we are, how selfish we are, how in need of Him we are. And knowing all this, before there was even the need, the trip to cross was already in place.

And so, Jesus died in order that once again, all things can be new. He went on to tell John to write in Revelation the rest of verse 21:5: Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” God is faithful and His Word is true and in His perfect timing, all things will be new. And this time, because of a lavish love that we can’t even begin to comprehend, we get to live where nothing decays, gets sick, or dies. The minute you say ‘Yes’ to Jesus you are a new creation, forever.