The resurrection of Christ holds the key to human destiny.
The universe began with a big bang. All matter was contained within a dense black hole – a cosmic egg. Suddenly the cosmic egg exploded and sent matter racing through the void of space.
Over time gravity began pulling various parts of cosmic debris together to form the diverse structures – asteroids, comets, planetoids, planets, stars, galaxies, and the like. For billions of years the universe continues to expand throughout space. On some select planets, various chemicals form the first seeds of life. Microorganisms begin to multiply and eventually more complex forms of life evolve. On our planet, over millions of years life develops into diverse phyla, orders, genus, and species. But the earth is a dangerous place. Mega volcanos threaten to destroy the atmosphere. Asteroids and comets crash into the earth. We are told that the earth has suffered from five extinction level events which can be determined by various layers within the earth’s crust – each layer a geological graveyard.
After each extinction event life re-emerges. In the course of evolution humans began to walk the earth, to develop civilizations, to explore the mysteries of the cosmos. But then, there are those extinction level events that threaten all we know. It really doesn’t matter though. Eventually our sun will darken. The earth will die. The expansion of the universe will slow, eventually ceasing. When that happens gravity will do its thing and all the matter of the universe will begin to collapse into a densely packed dark hole. After billions of years all will be as it was – darkness, nothingness. This is a world without God. In this godless world the future of humanity is reduced to a layer of geological sediment in the earth’s crust which awaits the cosmic collapse.
But why do we care? Could it be that the evolutionary paradigm is faulty? Maybe the existence of God changes the paradigm. What evolutionary mechanism necessitated that humans seek out the mysteries of the cosmos? Why do we look up into the stars and seek answers? What evolutionary process determined that human survival necessitated thinking about God?
Maybe, we think about God because humans intuitively know that God is here. And, if God is here how does that affect the destiny of humanity? The first words of the Gospel give profound insight to a Christian worldview:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).
The physics of creation are not the concern of Holy Scripture. The Divine presence and purpose is the concern of the Gospel. God’s very presence changes the destiny of humanity and the entire cosmos. The cosmos will not collapse for Christ holds all things together (Colossians 1:17). The resurrection of Christ holds the key to human destiny. The resurrection of Christ demonstrates that the cosmos is not held captive by the physics of cosmic collapse. In the resurrection, Christ has defeated death. He has also demonstrated that the mysteries of the cosmos transcend the law of physics. The resurrection of Jesus is the seed of new creation.
In the beginning God created the cosmos by the power of his eternal Word. Humans were created in God’s image. In Christ, the Word became flesh. In other words, in Christ the human essence and the divine essence are united. Jesus is “a descendant of David according to the flesh” (Romans 1:3) and “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), the “exact representation of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus is the “firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). The word “firstborn” is a translation of the Greek word prōtotokos which does not imply that Christ was created, but that he mediates creation. In fact, Paul defines prōtotokos in the next verse – “by Him all things were created” (Colossians 1:16). This present cosmos is not an accident of physics, but represents God’s invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:20). The destiny of humanity is determined by the foreknowledge of God and God’s predestined purpose.
Jesus is the “first fruits” of the resurrection. Jesus was the first to be raised who would never die again. Jesus was raised by the Holy Spirit who groans for and effects the redemption of the cosmos. In the resurrection of Jesus “the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption” (Romans 8:21). In Christ, the old cosmos that is subject to decay, death, and collapse has passed away, there is a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because Jesus is the first fruits of resurrection others will follow. God’s predestined purpose is that all humans in Christ will “become conformed to the image of His Son,” that is, to be glorified (Romans 8:29). The resurrection of Jesus means that mortals “must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53). Jesus is the Lord of life – eternal life, abundant life.
This present cosmos will die. Death must precede resurrection and New Creation (1 Corinthians 15:35ff). But, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. . . the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). The present cosmos will be changed. The same Spirit that moved over the waters of primeval creation, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will likewise bring forth New Creation in which God’s purpose for humanity will be fulfilled. Just as the first humans were created to have dominion over creation, glorified humans will “be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign” over New Creation (Revelation 5:10).
