The Fifth Sunday of Easter
\nApril 24, 2016
\nRevelation 21:1-5<\/p>\n
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.\u00a0 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.\u00a0 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.\u00a0 They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.\u00a0 He will wipe every tear from their eyes.\u00a0 There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”\u00a0 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”\u00a0 Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”\u00a0 (NIV1984)<\/p>\n
Dear fellow worshipers of our Living Lord and Savior,<\/p>\n
He is risen!\u00a0 He is risen indeed!<\/p>\n
Do you like getting new things?\u00a0 It\u2019s kind of a silly question, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 No matter who we are we almost always like getting new things!\u00a0 Children like getting new toys and making new friends.\u00a0 Many people enjoy going shopping for new clothes or new shoes or new tools.\u00a0 Who doesn\u2019t<\/u> like the smell of a new car?\u00a0 Moving into a new house or re-modeling the old house so that it looks like new can be the highlight of our year.\u00a0 Part of the thrill of opening up a present is seeing what new thing someone has given to us.<\/p>\n
As I was studying our sermon text for this morning, my friends, the word that kept resonating in my mind was the word \u201cnew.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Our text both begins and ends by focusing our attention on something \u201cnew.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 For that reason let\u2019s study this portion of holy Scripture under the theme:\u00a0 The Risen Christ Makes Everything New!<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 There are three things we want to see this morning.\u00a0 First, let\u2019s see that the risen Christ will make a \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> home for us.\u00a0 Then let\u2019s see that the risen Christ will make us \u201cnew.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Finally, let\u2019s see that the risen Christ will make our relationship with God \u201cnew.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n I did a little research on the Greek word that is translated here in our text as \u201cnew.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I found that this word is used in three different yet inter-connected ways.\u00a0 Obviously, the first way in which this word is used in Scripture in the sense of something that is \u201cunused.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 (See Matthew 9:17)\u00a0 This word is also used in Scripture in the sense of something that is \u201cunknown, strange or remarkable,\u201d<\/em> with the connotation of being \u201cmarvelous.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 (See Mark 1:27; John 13:34)\u00a0 Finally, this word is used in Scripture in the sense that what is old has become obsolete and needs to be replaced by what is \u201cnew.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 In such situations the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> is, as a rule, \u201csuperior\u201d<\/em> to the old.\u00a0 An example of this would be the \u201cnew<\/u> covenant\u201d<\/em> that God has established with us in Christ (Hebrews 8:8, 13; Hebrews 9:15), the \u201cnew<\/u> covenant\u201d<\/em> that we celebrate every time we receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion.\u00a0 (See Luke 22:20; I Corinthians 11:25)\u00a0 It is in this third sense, my friends, that the word \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> is used here in our text for today.<\/p>\n With that insight, I invite you to look at the opening verse of our text.\u00a0 John writes, \u201cThen I saw a new<\/u> heaven and a new<\/u> earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The \u201cfirst\u201d<\/em> heaven and the \u201cfirst\u201d<\/em> earth that John refers to here are the heavens and the earth with which you and I are all too familiar.\u00a0 They are the heavens and the earth that God declared to be \u201cvery good\u201d (i.e. <\/em>\u201cperfect\u201d) on the sixth day of creation.\u00a0 (Genesis 1:31)\u00a0 They are the heavens and the earth that were \u201csubjected to frustration\u201d<\/em> (Romans 8:20) when mankind first brought sin into God\u2019s once perfect Creation.\u00a0 They are the heavens and the earth that because of mankind\u2019s sin are now constantly \u201cgroaning as in the pains of child birth\u201d<\/em> (Romans 8:22).\u00a0 This heavens and this earth\u2014 together with everything in them\u2014 will most certainly \u201cpass away,\u201d<\/em> my friends.\u00a0 (See Matthew 24:35; I Corinthians 7:31; I John 2:17)\u00a0 In fact, the apostle Peter tells us that the heavens and the earth as you and I know them now will \u201cdisappear with a roar\u201d<\/em> and be \u201cdestroyed by fire\u201d<\/em> on that great and awesome day when the risen Christ will return to this earth as the Judge of the living and the dead.\u00a0 (See II Peter 3:10)\u00a0 In their place, however, the risen Christ will give us, His children, a \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> heaven and a \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> earth\u2014 a heavens and an earth that are far far \u201csuperior\u201d<\/em> to the ones we see and know now!\u00a0 John even tells us that on the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> earth there will no longer be any sea.\u00a0 What does this mean?\u00a0 In John\u2019s day and age the sea was very often a source of danger and death.\u00a0 For better or for worse the sea often separated entire nations of people.\u00a0 Perhaps the fact that there will be no sea on the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> earth emphasizes that there will be no danger or death or separation of any kind.<\/p>\n To me, my friends, when I look at the other parts of Scripture which describe the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> heavens and the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> earth that John saw here in his vision I am led to the conclusion that on Judgment Day the good Lord is going to use the fire at the end of the age to purify this world, to burn away the \u201cdross of sin\u201d and restore this earth back to the way it was on the seventh day of Creation\u2014 a perfect paradise!\u00a0 Picture the most beautiful location you have ever seen in your life, picture what you have always imagined the Garden of Eden to look like, picture what you might consider to be your own perfect little sanctuary here on this earth and multiply it a million times over!\u00a0 That\u2019s the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> earth, that\u2019s the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> home that the risen Christ will make for us and give to us!<\/p>\n The second point we want to see from this text is that just as the risen Christ will make a \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> home for us so also the risen Christ will make us<\/u> \u201cnew\u201d<\/em>!\u00a0 Look at verse two, \u201cI saw the Holy City, the new<\/u> Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Is John talking about an actual literal city here?\u00a0 Probably not\u2014 especially when you factor in that the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> Jerusalem is also described as a \u201cbride beautifully dressed for her husband.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The picture of the \u201cbride\u201d<\/em> is used in other parts of the Bible to describe the Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints.\u00a0 (See Hosea 2:14-23; Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 19:7-8)\u00a0 Why is the Church described as a \u201cbride\u201d<\/em>?\u00a0 There are two things that I would like you to remember in connection with this picture.<\/p>\n First of all, the picture of the Church as a \u201cbride\u201d<\/em> reminds us of the perfect agape<\/em> love that Jesus\u2014 who is the Bridegroom\u2014 has for us.\u00a0 The perfect agape<\/em> love that motivated Jesus to die on the cross for our sins is the perfect agape<\/em> love that we will experience and enjoy for all of eternity!\u00a0 Secondly, the picture of the Church as a \u201cbride beautifully dressed for her husband\u201d<\/em> assures us that the instant we leave this \u201cold\u201d world and this \u201cold\u201d life behind us and enter into eternity we will be \u201cnew,\u201d<\/em> we will be \u201choly,\u201d<\/em> we will be \u201cperfect\u201d<\/em> in absolutely every single way!\u00a0 The robe of righteousness that we were given when we were brought to faith in Jesus as our Savior, the robe of righteousness that we all too often sully with our sins while we are here on this earth\u2014 in eternity this robe of righteousness will shine brightly for everyone to see!\u00a0 We will be like a \u201cbride\u201d <\/em>dressed in her stunning white bridal gown!<\/p>\n Once the risen Christ has made us \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> then all the saints who are now with Jesus in heaven (I Thessalonians 4:14) plus all the saints who were caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air while He \u201cpurifies\u201d<\/em> this world with fire will come down to the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> home that God has prepared for them.\u00a0 Here on this \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> home all the saved children of God will enjoy a \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> and \u201csuperior\u201d<\/em> relationship with the living Lord Himself.\u00a0 Look at how this \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> relationship is described in verses three and four of our text.\u00a0 John writes, \u201cAnd I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, \u2018Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.\u00a0 They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.\u00a0 He will wipe every tear from their eyes.\u00a0 There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Even though we know that Jesus is always with us\u2014 especially when we need Him the most (See Matthew 28:20), even though we know that the God of heaven personally comes to us every time we read and study His holy Word and every time we receive His holy Supper (I have long taught that receiving the Lord\u2019s true body and blood in Communion is the closest we get to God on this side of heaven), even though we know that as the forgiven children of God we have the freedom to approach God\u2019s eternal throne of grace in prayer at any time and for any reason\u2014 even though we know all this, my friends, the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> relationship that we will enjoy with the Triune God in eternity is going to be infinitely \u201csuperior\u201d<\/em> to the relationship that we already enjoy with Him right here right now!<\/p>\n This portion of our text automatically reminds me that when God first created the heavens and the earth He came down to the Garden of Eden and was literally \u201cwalking in the garden in the cool of the day\u201d<\/em> (Genesis 3:8).\u00a0 This portion of our text reminds me of the fact that whenever the Lord Jesus Christ visited the city of Bethany He stayed at the home of His dear dear friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus.\u00a0 (See Luke 10:38-42; John 11:5; John 12:1-3)\u00a0 Imagine that kind of close personal relationship with God being perfectly restored!\u00a0 Imagine, my friends:\u00a0 You will live in the very presence of the Triune God Himself.\u00a0 You will live in perfect harmony with the Almighty Creator of the universe.\u00a0 You will live in perfect harmony with all your brothers and sisters in the faith.\u00a0 And as we heard in last Sunday\u2019s sermon text (Revelation 7:9-17) and as John reminds us here in our text for today, anything and everything that could possibly hurt us or our relationship with God or our relationships with each other\u2014 it will all be gone forever!\u00a0 The risen Christ assures us, \u201c\u2026the old order of things has passed away.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Do you like getting new things, my friends?\u00a0 That\u2019s still a silly question, isn\u2019t it!\u00a0 Whether it is a new toy or a new friend, whether it is new clothes or new tools, whether it is a new house or a new car we enjoy getting new things, don\u2019t we!\u00a0 Unfortunately, every new thing that we get here on this earth eventually becomes old.\u00a0 Toys loose their luster and get set off to the side.\u00a0 Friendships fade.\u00a0 Car and homes breakdown and need repair.\u00a0 Praise God, my friends, that nothing<\/u> like that will ever<\/u> happen with the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> things that the risen Christ will make for us!\u00a0 Whether it is the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> home Jesus gives to us or the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> us dressed in our stunning white robes of righteousness, whether it\u2019s the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> relationship that we will enjoy with the Triune God or the \u201cnew\u201d<\/em> relationship that we will enjoy with our fellow saints, we will always have the confidence which the risen Christ Himself gives to us in the closing verse of our text:\u00a0 \u201cHe who sits on the throne said, \u2018I am making everything new!\u2019\u00a0 Then he said, \u2018Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n To God be the glory!<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Fifth Sunday of Easter April 24, 2016 Revelation 21:1-5 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.\u00a0 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-easter","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=668"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":669,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668\/revisions\/669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}