?The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God?E(Romans 8:19).
Pastor Wilson has taught us today that the resurrection of Jesus has cosmic consequences. He was raised by the power the Spirit, and that same Spirit has now been poured out upon the church, poured out into the creation, so that the leaven of a new creation is already at work within the old creation. This creation is suffering the pains of childbirth, until it gives birth to the new creation that is gestating within it.
We know this is true by faith: We hope for the ultimate transformation of creation as something that is not seen; we know it in faith, and faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But we do have signposts that point to the ultimate redemption of all creation.
And this meal is one of those pointers. When God first created the world, God gave the creation to Adam as food: ?I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you.?E Adam was invited to the great banquet of creation, so that he could eat and drink and rejoice in his God. All creation was a means for enjoying fellowship with the Creator.
That is the final destiny of the creation as well. In the renewed heavens and earth of the consummation, we will enjoy the marriage supper of the lamb, the supper of the kingdom, forever. Many will come from the east and west to recline with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus in the kingdom. And we are already enjoying that feast now, in this old creation we are celebrating the feast of the new creation. With the bread and wine of the old world, we are anticipating the feast of the resurrection world. Even now in these decaying bodies, we feed on the body and blood of Jesus.
This meal thus points to the consummation of all things. Every week, the world of the future becomes present. At this meal, the fruits of the earth ?Ethe grain and new wine and oil ?Eare made into the food of communion with God. The bread and wine of this table point to the destiny of all created things, and anticipate the time that the creation eagerly waits for, the time when creation will be set free of its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the sons of God.
Dear Reader,
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