“Behold! There is a new creation!” affirms Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17. The apostle then proceeds to recall that such a creation has been made possible because of God’s reconciling power in Jesus Christ. Christians are called to participate and rejoice in this new creation – to be ambassadors for Christ, so that the world may know that the day of salvation has come. As Christians from East and West, North and South, all around the world celebrate Holy Week, it is important to remember not only the cost of our salvation, but also what it means to be part of God’s new creation.
In the gospel of Matthew we see the events of Holy Week unfold in dramatic ways as the old creation is confronted by the new in Jesus. From his entry into Jerusalem in chapter 21, to his trials, followed by death and resurrection in chapters 26 to 28, Jesus offers us glimpses of the new creation – a new world order where poverty confronts wealth, where the blind and lame see and walk, where peace confronts violence, where justice confronts injustice, and life overcomes death. Easter week challenges us to re-think and practice what it means to live in the power of the resurrection and to work for the kingdom of God in a world still in the grip of the “old” creation.
As we remember together the events of Holy Week, may we all continue to learn and live anew in God’s creation made possible by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Through its various commissions, partners and collaborators, the WEA is blessed to be a place where stories of the kingdom unfold daily. In efforts towards gaining religious liberty for all people, or working on behalf of children and youth, and speaking the good news of the gospel around the globe, all of us in the WEA wish you a very blessed and happy Easter.
Stay Connected