For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:14–21, ESV)Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
I have never been there, but I’m told that people will stand staring up at the “Creation of Adam” for hours. This painting is the very center of the work that Michelangelo labored for 4 years, lying on his back on a very high scaffold much of the time, to create. The ceiling is considered one of the greatest artistic works ever accomplished in human history. No projected image can do it justice.
You’ve probably seen a print of this great work of art, on a poster, greeting card, or even a coffee mug. In the picture two hands stretching out toward each other. There in the picture is God and Adam reaching out. As you look at the picture your eyes are constantly drawn to the hands then the fingers and finally you realize that it is the focal point. The tension of the whole painting really is found in the tiny space that exists between the two fingers. It’s a beautiful work of art, God the creator reaching out to give life to Adam. In his arms you see the future promise of abundant life as he carefully cradles in Eve. And all of heaven looks on with joy. Adam rests there on the ground, from which he came, ready to receive the gift of life from God himself. And then there is that gap, it’s just about to happen… Heaven and earth, eternity and time, God and man are just about to collide in the creative work of God. Time stands still as you look at the picture you and you wait for it to happen… If you are standing on the floor of the Sistine Chapel looking up your neck would begin to ache. But actually, you might rather have your neck ache than to look around you at the whole world and all that’s going on around us, and find that it’s your heart that aches instead.
The picture has a tiny gap between God and man, but here around us we see a much larger gap. You don’t have to look very far to see the results of what happened after God created human beings. The evidence of the human fall from grace is all around us, and it makes your heart and mind ache. Human beings have certainly fallen a long way from the touch of their creator. High schools are like war zones; unborn children die by the thousands every day; hate explodes in violence; on and on, it makes your head spin and your heartache. We are not lying peacefully on the ground like Adam. Our activity shows just how far we have fallen from the touch of God.
It is amid all that activity that Paul gives these words to us:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)He says to us “Behold!” The word is there even though some translators leave it out. It’s a little word (even smaller in Greek ἰδοὺ), but it means a lot. “Behold!” Paul says because he wants us to notice what God is doing. He wants us to see God’s creative work again.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”A new Adam!
“The old has passed away and behold the new has come!”Look at what God is doing amid all of the turmoil of the world. He is bringing a new creation into being. Just like the picture we looked at before, God is reaching out his had to human beings again. That’s the message of reconciliation: that God is doing something about the heartache that we feel because of sin and death.
Paul wrote those words to the Church at Corinth. It was a Church in a whirlwind of activity, not all of it godly. At one time they were divided into factions. Some people followed Peter, other Apollos and others still declared allegiance to Paul. At another time sexual immorality plagued them. Still another, unhealthy Communion practices, and lawsuits, denial of the resurrection of the dead, and many more. All these problems caused Paul’s heart to ache. Paul longed for the work of God for healing and correcting. He spent 5 years writing, teaching, sending emissaries, and even personal visits. But after all that he found that he himself was under attack. False teachers were calling into question Paul’s life and ministry. They demanded proof of Paul’s credentials. And even though Paul had plenty to give he directs the Corinthian Christians not to himself, but to Jesus instead.
“The love of Christ compels us!”“Behold!” Look at what He has done among you already. “See what God has already done, the new has come!”
The “Creation of Adam” painstakingly painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel focuses on the gap between God and man, the space between their fingers. But Paul focuses on the connection: God reaching out to human beings with a human hand, becoming a human being himself. “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ.” In Jesus Christ, God is present in his own creation. He doesn’t fly above his creation looking on and allowing it to destroy itself. He comes into the world to seek and restore. He takes on human flesh and becomes man in Jesus Christ. He reaches out his hand to gather the world and reconcile it to himself. And it’s not just that he comes, he comes to reconcile.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21, ESV)He took upon himself the task of closing the gap created by human sin. Sin requires death as its punishment. Jesus Christ took that punishment to the cross. He removes the barrier that lies between God and man. He becomes sin in God’s eyes as he hangs on the cross. God’s anger over our sin is all placed on Jesus, and he suffers eternal punishment for us. He suffers eternal separation from God: that is what hell is. And God opens his heart to us. We can now experience eternal love and connection with God. We are no longer enemies but friends. Behold!
That is the wonderful creative work of God, making all things new.
That’s what makes Paul see everything differently. Paul knows what Jesus Christ has done to reconcile the world to God, and that changes his heartache to hope. He knows that the Church at Corinth is a place where God promises to be and be at work, creating everything new. Paul knows that none of the problems that they were facing were beyond God’s reach. Not only had God reconciled the world, (and that included the Church of Corinth) but he had given the message of reconciliation to Paul. Paul doesn’t live or speak for himself, instead he lives for and speaks for God. As he lives and speaks to people, he watches the hand of God reach out and touch them and bring about new life. God, through the message of reconciliation, brings people back into relationship with himself, and he brings them back into relationship with one another. Paul sees that reconciliation even though there is fighting among God’s people. Because it is the work of God, creating all things new among them. God has reached his hand into a fallen world and done it. “Behold! The work of God,” says Paul.
“Behold!” God is at work right here at the Church of Grand Marias. We look and see the wonderful creative work of God right here. He continues to reach out his hand and bring about a new creation. He continues to send his message of reconciliation through messengers. The world is full of all kinds of activity. Your heart can ache at the trouble you find in the papers. But it’s not only out there, some of the activity in the church can cause your heart to ache too. There’s plenty of activity that happens in the church… not all of it godly. There’s confusion over how to worship God, lack of unity in the practice of the Lord’s Supper, disagreement about the teachings of the church, petty arguments over unimportant things, arguments about money, and many more. Over time these kinds of problems can burden the hearts of God’s people. But that’s exactly why it is such a blessing to have Paul’s words today. His letter causes us to stop and say “Behold!” Paul intervenes and points us to Jesus and the wonderful Good News of how he has reconciled us to God.
It’s not some ceiling that you must crane your neck to see. It’s right here with God’s presence. He comes to us right here today with his message of reconciliation. He comes proclaiming his word of forgiveness. He comes in his body and blood at this altar. He comes as pastors that he has called and sent proclaim the message that is given to proclaim. God reaches out his hand in reconciliation, to touch us, and make us a new creation. The hand he does it with isn’t like the hand of God in the painting. This hand is pierced and bloody. There is no anger, dispute, harsh feeling, or hurt that can’t be forgiven when placed into the hand of God in Jesus Christ.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!Our hearts no longer ache but are filled with hope. And the message has been given to you to proclaim to those who you find around you. There are lots of ways to do it. You don’t have to leave your job, your home or your family to become a missionary or a pastor to do it. God performs his wonderful reconciliation anywhere his people are found. It happens wherever there are people who no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them.
On the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, you can see and image of God creating man. It’s a beautiful picture. You and I may never see it in person, because it’s too far away. Right here, right now you have something more beautiful that’s been created. It’s God’s new creation in you. It’s God hand reaching out to you to reconcile you to him. It removes separation and restores. Behold and see God’s new creation in you, that makes hearts ache less and hope more. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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