Easter: The New Beginning

What has happened before will happen again. God is the God of new beginnings

In beginning, God said “Let there be light”, brought light out of darkness

Spirit of God was hovering over formless waters that were void of life

God got to work, like a gardener, spoke world into existence

Sky, land, sea, sun, moon, stars, fish, birds, animals

Adam was made in His image, a gardener-creature, to care for creation

Adam got to work, naming each animal, 1-by-1, in his care

God planted Tree of Life in garden of Eden to give life for eternity

And at the climax of creation God gave Eve; Adam’s gardening partner

She was the life-giver; from her would come new generations of new gardeners

Sin brought death into a world that was never supposed to die

We live in post-Fall apocalypse: death is the unnatural invader that haunts every creature

The Fall was the end of the world, but God promised Eve that her Offspring would bring a new beginning

The resurrection is a story of creation & re-creation!

What has happened before will happen again. God is the God of new beginnings

Sin turned gardeners into vandalizers: murdering, desecrating, destroying, abusing; the dark was extinguishing the light

So God sent watery apocalypse, flood to make world empty & void of life

God was starting creation from scratch, but not totally from scratch:

From trees, God had Noah make a life-giving ark

Dove returned w/branch of a tree to signal new beginning

Noah & family stepped off ark as new Adams & new Eves

And behind them, each animal, 2-by-2, in their care

They were new gardeners in a new creation

From them would come new generations of new gardeners

Noah’s Flood was the end of the world, but a promised Offspring of Eve would still bring a new beginning

The resurrection is a story of creation & re-creation

What has happened before will happen again. God is the God of new beginnings

On Good Friday, the darkness of sin extinguished the Light of the World, Jesus who hung on the cross.

Death was the unnatural invader that killed the eternal Son of Man

Earthquakes, thunder, darkness: Jesus’ crucifixion WAS the end of the world

Jesus was all creation in one & Judgment Day happened on the cross

A spear pierced the Savior who was void of life, out flowed water with Savior’s redeeming blood

Jesus’ cross was the new tree of life bearing fruits of restoration & forgiveness

Easter: Jesus stepped out of the tomb as the New Adam (meets Mary:)

John 20:11-16 Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

Jesus is the New Gardener of the New Creation; brings world into new existence

Jesus brings light out of darkness along with sky, land, sea, sun, moon, stars, fish, birds, animals, all of it

Jesus’ death was end of world & his resurrection is the new beginning

Jesus is the Image of God who restores creation to the Father

Jesus is the new Adam, appears 1st to a woman, because He is the Promised One to Eve!

Jesus rose in a human body to wrap His eternity up with creation, the Offspring of Eve to bring the new beginning.

Jesus steps into the new creation as the New Adam, and behind Him, all creation, 1-by-1, in His care

The resurrection is a story of creation & re-creation

What has happened before will happen again. God is the God of new beginnings

One day Jesus will return, dark forms of heaven & earth will be no more

Just as He said, “Let there be light”, Jesus will declare: “Behold, I am making all things new!”

Jesus will get to work as the New Gardener, making this old world new: Sky, land, sea, sun, moon, stars, fish, birds, animals, all of it.

See, Jesus didn’t just go to heaven when He died, & heaven isn’t the end for us

Jesus gvies THE new beginning: unity of heaven/earth, new creation forever

He will plant a new Eden, a worldwide garden-city

Trees of Life will line highways, from them will flow rivers of life-giving water

And there with Jesus, the New Adam, will be His Eve, the church, 2 forever bonded!

Jesus calls you by name into that new beginning in baptism

Not just a 2nd chance; just as He said “Let there be light”, He declares you a new creation

In baptism, the Spirit hovers over life-giving water to flood you in the image of Jesus (vandalizer to gardener)

Baptism brings you to the cross as the new tree of life & joins you to death & resurrection of Jesus

Baptism makes us a new generation of new gardeners that will care for the new creation into eternity

Bapstim is your little Easter, where Jesus says “Let there be light” the darkness of sin & death is extinguished from you forever.

Baptism is your apocalypse & your new beginning.

The resurrection is a story of creation & re-creation. In Jesus, the resurrection is your story.

What has happened before will happen again. God is the God of the new beginning.

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Amen.

QUESTIONS

How can you make your baptism a daily reminder of the new beginning Jesus has given to you?

How does the promise of living a new, perfect earth with Jesus change the way you see the world?