Advent and New Creation

by Rev. Raymond Coffey

December 2007

The season of Advent is for me the richest time of the year. Of course Holy Week is the most reflective period in the church calendar. Advent, stretched as it is over four weeks, is a time of deep joy and satisfaction. Maybe it is the beauty of the season, the music that is so magnificent or the delight of giving to others that enhances this time of the year. From childhood I took special pleasure in this time of the year. I remember a rather simple crèche that was made of paper that captured my imagination each year it was assembled. And the little traditions that grew over time into a more meaningful observance have always filled my heart with treasure. But in reality there are more substantive reasons why I love this time. The most significant is that I have grown in my understanding and appreciation of the Biblical story of the birth of Christ Jesus. And that is what I would like to underscore in this brief article.

It is not just that I am learning more of the details Christ’s nativity, though of course there are things that we notice that had not be noticed before. It is rather that I am beginning to see the underlying themes that are conveyed through the accounts of the birth of Jesus. These themes are introduced in the Old Testament and find their realization in Jesus Christ. These themes are woven in the entire fabric of redemptive history and find expression throughout the Scriptures, both in promise and in fulfillment. They will be fully realized consummation of all things when Jesus Christ returns in glory and the eternal kingdom will be established. 

One of the central themes related in the Infancy narratives of the gospels is that of “New Creation.”  The birth of Jesus Christ is the beginning of the new creation that will be fully consummated when Jesus returns. With the birth of Jesus is also the birth of a new world order. It is nothing less than the coming of the Kingdom of God, albeit in a form that is not immediately recognizable. The lowly birth of a babe is the inauguration of the mighty and glorious reign of God. What a paradox!

As is common in Scripture we find glimpses of this in terms, phrases and events that are mentioned almost in passing. And yet these hints indicate the larger reality that is being revealed through this birth. The very first item that reflects this is found in Matthew 1:1. The NIV says, “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.…”  Literally the phrase reads, “The book of the genesis of Jesus Christ.…”  The term “book of the genesis” is a quotation from Genesis 2:4 where the exact phrase is used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew text. We immediately recognize this as an allusion to the book of Genesis and the purpose is to signal that in Jesus Christ the new creation has dawned.  His genesis is the beginning of the new creation.

We find somewhat of the same thing in the opening of John’s gospel. John begins with the phrase “In the beginning…” This again takes us back to the opening words of Genesis and heralds the beginning of a new creation. The opening chapters of John are also structured around a 7-day pattern, John 1:19-2:1. Once more this heralds the beginning of the new creation. Luke’s account of the nativity traces the genealogy of Jesus back to Adam. Jesus is therefore portrayed as the fulfillment of all that God had intended for Adam to be. Jesus is the new Adam, the head of a new race, a new humanity who partake in the new creation through the new birth by the Holy Spirit.  Even the gospel of Mark, which does not give us an account of the nativity of Jesus, alludes to the theme of new creation in his opening verses by referencing the “tearing” of the heavens at the baptism of Jesus, Mark 1:10.  The old creation is passing away, the new creation is emerging.

During this Advent season, as we focus on a similar theme in our preaching, I trust that we will be grasped by these momentous truths that reveal God’s overall purpose in redemptive history. These biblical realities have the power to lift us out of ourselves, to move us beyond our own horizon and to see the larger picture that is even now being displayed through the church as a witness to God’s greater design. We are prone to slip into discouragement, depression and doubt during this season. We can succumb to the temptations of the old world order and measure ourselves by the standards of the world. And this will only result in misplaced values, unrealized expectations and deeper debt. But with our eyes focused on Jesus, we can rejoice in the birth that has transformed our existence and created a new order of life. We can therefore sing, rejoice and delight in all of the gifts of this season as we celebrate the coming of Christ and of a new creation. To that end we enter this season with hope, with assurance in God’s promises and with a fresh understanding of what it is that God is doing in a subversive manner to usher in the new creation centered in his Son, Jesus Christ.