Pastor Tom Johnson, December 31, 2011
If you look carefully at the language of our reading from Revelation, there is a strange—but wonderful—mix of past, present, and future tense. The is the past tense: John "saw"—past tense—a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. John "heard"—past tense—a loud voice announcing God's presence with his people. It is a vision he had in the past about something that has not yet happened but will happen in the future.
John has entered a timeless dimension. He has a vision of the world the way it will be when Jesus comes back again. He experiences future events—the first heaven and the first earth passing away and the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. He had a vision of this new heaven and earth without sin, death, and the devil. What a beautiful world that will be—no more death, no more tears, no more grieving, no more crying, and no more pain. "Count me in!" we say. "Come, Lord Jesus" is our prayer. But not just yet—this is a future vision.
It is with this kind of hopefulness that many of us long for in the upcoming year. We hope it will be a good year. We wish one another a happy new year—a prosperous and blessed new year. Some of us have seen a number of new years start off with a promise of renewal, only to find that it was a year with tears, grieving, crying, pain, and even death. We may even caution ourselves to not get our hopes up high with anticipation. We are more guarded and protected if we lower our expectations.
But remember that John has entered a timeless dimension and experiences God's timeless reality; he has experienced the future—what will be. But that is not the only thing he experiences in his vision. He also experiences the present—what is. And without this divine perspective we may miss this present reality of what God is doing around us and in our very own lives. The loud voice says, "See, the home of God is among mortals!" It does not say "will be" but "is." Jesus is born. The Word has become flesh. He did not leave us when he ascended into heaven; he took his place among us in a spiritual dimension.
He is among us when two or three are gathered in his name. He is among us when we hear the Word read and preached. He is among us when he washes our sin and guilt away with the water, Word, and Holy Spirit. He is among us when we distribute his Body and Blood in the bread and the wine of the Lord's Supper. Ironically, Jesus' last words as he ascended up and disappeared in a cloud were "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." We say to one another, "The Lord be with you" "And also with you." We great one another with the words, "The peace of the Lord be with you." We affirm this present reality of God's home among us.
I could not help but think of Charles Dickens' story, A Christmas Carol. A vision of the past, present, and future that renews and reshapes Ebenezer Scrooge. He is never the same. He experiences life-transformation in the present because of this unique perspective on life—timeless realities that impact us here and now.
In John's revelation, it's a loud voice from the throne—from the glorified Jesus' lips himself—he said, "See, I am making all things new." Not past or future but a present work of Jesus in the world now—renewing and refashioning the world in his own image. And isn't that what we all long for—evidenced by our new year's resolutions. We want to refashion, redefine, and renew ourselves. We want a fresh start. We want a more wonderful and better self.
The bad news is that the new year will not and cannot make such bold promises. The good news is that the Lord will and is able to make such bold promises—on any day of the year. But in this Scripture, Jesus makes the promise from his timeless and divine perspective and commands John to write it down as trustworthy and true words for God's people to take comfort in: "I am making all things new."
It is so guaranteed by Jesus that he says, "It is done!" From his perspective, what he is doing day to day and hour by hour in our lives has already been accomplished by his limitless power. He is making all things new. We don't need to wait until the new year or new heavens and earth to experience God's transforming power. He assures us that we can experience his transforming power now.
That gives me an idea for a new year's resolution: that we resolve to hold God to his promise—that we don't just casually think or say to ourselves, "Oh, that is a nice thought" but actually pray that God would act, do, and manifest himself in our lives. That we would experience this making of all things new. May it be so.
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