A New World with Christ
Read Revelation 21:1-8. For further reflection, read Revelation 21:1 – 22:21.
Christ our Saviour is born today! This is the day that Christians around the world and throughout the last few centuries have chosen to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many Christians and non-Christians will make the effort to attend a church’s Christmas service. Typically, the message of the service will revolve around the peace, hope, or joy that we can have in Christ. However, as you would have noticed in our reading today, we will be focusing upon this great new world that this baby Jesus Christ will bring in the future.
This is a vision given to the apostle John to be told to his people across the ages. As we read this vision, there is a sense of perfection and finality to this new creation. This old creation will pass away. That peace and beauty that we read about in the Garden of Eden is magnified in this vision. It is not going to be just a Garden, but rather there’ll be the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband (God’s people)”. The ultimate fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham will be realised here (v3) (cf. Gen 12:1-7). All the pain, suffering, and hardships here in this world will be gone, and God himself will wipe every tear from our eyes. Jesus is “making everything new!” (v5).
Who is the one who will accomplish this? It is the one who was seated on the throne, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. That is Jesus Christ himself (cf. Rev 22:12-16). We will never thirst again because he will give us water from the spring of the water of life. Unlike Adam and Eve, we will forever be in the presence of God (cf. Rev 22:5). We will have access to a greater river than the one found in Eden (Rev 22:1), and also access to a greater tree of life (Rev 22:2). Because of this, as God’s people, we “will reign for ever and ever.” (Rev 22:5)
That baby born in a manger that we are celebrating today, is God. However, this is not just any “god” that we see/read that mankind made up, but one who reconciles to himself all things, and one who will be making everything new, where there will be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain.”
That last point is ultimately why we celebrate Christmas. There have been plenty of wonderful leaders or rulers of nations throughout history, but none has garnered such praise or worship like Christ. None has reconciled us back to God, only Christ. Leaders change, but our Saviour Christ does not.
So, in this season of transition for all of us at Subi Church, there may be questions, uncertainties, anxiety about what the future of Subi Church holds. However, let us remember that our hope does not depend upon a mere human leader, but in the one who left this throne above for us. He is the unchanging, immutable, loving, and eternal one.
We celebrate Christmas because that baby boy is God incarnate, supreme over all things, in heaven and on earth, and he has come to reconcile us back to God through his death and resurrection. In him and through him, we will have a new heaven and a new earth, one where there is no more pain, suffering, or death.
If you’re reading this before attending our Christmas service, come to our Christmas service and sing praise to God for this wonderful news! If you have attended our Christmas service, don’t stop praising God through your celebrations and Christmas festivities! This is the Gospel that has been celebrated by millions throughout history, and this is the Gospel that we celebrate on Christmas.
Hallelujah and all glory to God indeed!