On Good Friday we focused on the 7 last words of Christ. And one of those 7 words of Christ was – It is finished. It is finished, as we heard, was not a cry of defeat but a cry of completion. Like when you’re working on a jigsaw puzzle and you study and anguish because all the pieces look the same. But slowly and surely the picture starts to take shape and the remaining pieces are easier to place. And then, then the final piece is there and you have the pleasure and honour of placing that piece and triumphantly proclaiming – It is finished.
It’s such a great feeling when you accomplish any task or project and you can just sit back and admire the final product. In our reading from the Book or Revelation today that’s exactly what we see being revealed to John.
The finished work of Jesus for us. Let me read a portion of it again and give some commentary on the sections:
I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Most biblical scholars believe that John, the writer of this Book is the same as John the writer of the 4th Gospel. Remember how John begins his Gospel – in the beginning, the word was with God and the word was God and all things were created through him. John begins his Gospel with the same words as the Book of Genesis and the account of Creation – in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. In John’s Gospel and here in John’s Revelation he sees the work of Jesus Christ, the Word of God bring about the new creation – a new heaven and a new earth. And what is significant in their differences is in that very first observation – and the sea was no more. The sea was the place where evil hid – the pigs who had the demons cast into them rushing into the water because that was where they felt safe. Jesus walking on the water to show his authority. Jesus calming the sea that threatened the disciples telling it to “be quiet”. Here in the new heaven and earth, unlike the Garden of Eden where the Serpent was able to cause disobedience to God and bring evil – that cannot exist. As John says later in Revelation 21 – Nothing evil will be allowed to enter.
In Revelation 13 John sees the full extent of the seas – The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. We don’t know why God allowed Satan to tempt Adam and Eve but that will NOT be possible in the new Heaven and Earth where John says the tree of life will be restored without any forbidden fruit available to tempt us. In Revelation 22 he says: he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Next John sees this: And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;
Here again we can see the Garden of Eve restored but not with Adam and Eve as the first husband and wife but with the New Jerusalem prepared for her Husband. Let’s not get caught up on the gender issues of this but rather the symbolism. Jerusalem with a Hebrew word meaning – house of Shalom – house of peace. But the peace of Shalom is very different to peace as we understand it. As St Paul says – a peace that goes beyond all understanding It’s not about absence of war or absence of noise it’s Shalom. The forging together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight.
Just as Adam and Eve became one flesh, so too we become one with God – something that was taken away from Adam and Even when they sinned and were separated as they hid from God. Instead of being one with God they were now one with evil as they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And in the Hebrew understanding of knowledge is where there is a marriage of 2 becoming one as we read where Adam “knew” his wife as a sign of that union. Adam and Eve, and all their descendants “knew” evil.
But now, through Jesus, we are one with God again through Shalom, the new Jerusalem, house of Shalom – house of peace – a peace that goes beyond all understanding – a peace the world cannot give. That’s what John saw.
And from this John sees the outcome. God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” This is it – this is the finished work of Jesus for us. No more death. Where O death is your victory – thanks be to God who gives us the victory over death. Everything associated with death is gone – mourning, crying, suffering – all gone. They are part of the Old Order – they are part of the first things that have passed away. Ironically it is death that must now suffer the agony of death. The wages of sin, death, is gone and the free gift of eternal life has begun.
And then we hear from Jesus himself: And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”
The final and ultimate “I AM” statement – I AM making all things new. I AM the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end. And to link it to those words from the cross – it is finished – he repeats – it is done. Friends, this is our destiny. This is why we believe. As St Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians – if it is only for this life that we have hope then we are to be pitied more than anyone else. But we don’t hope for this life. This life is part of the old order of things whose destination is death. Our hope is in the new ordering of things – the new Heaven and Earth. The new Jerusalem where we will dwell with God and God will dwell with us. He won’t just visit in the cool of the evening as he did with Adam and Eve but we will gather around him day and night basking in his glory.
We have so much to live for and look forward to and we have the full assurance of reaching our heavenly home because the work of Christ is finished. Christ has been glorified and his words are trustworthy and true. Amen
