Christ’s resurrection and the new creation

Today, it seems to be generally accepted that Christ’s resurrection provides the pattern for both our resurrection and the new creation. Christians recognize continuity between Christ’s pre- and post-resurrection body and, rightly, recognize that there will be some sort of physical continuity in the new creation.

One problem I’ve observed, though, is that we frequently forget that Christ’s resurrection and ascension in glory were separated in time. Therefore, when we look to Christ’s resurrection appearances in the Gospels as our pattern, we end up forgetting that His glorification was not yet complete. His being crowned with glory and honour (Heb. 2) was not finished until He was exalted to the right hand of the Father in heaven. There, Christ dwells in splendour and majesty. His appearance would cause us to cry out “Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips!” (cf. Isa. 6). This glory was even foreshadowed in the Gospels in the transfiguration event.

Donald MacLeod writes this about Christ’s glory in the transfiguration:

The resurrection did not, by itself, lead directly to such a transformation of Jesus’ body as is indicated here. The risen Christ could be mistaken for a gardener (Jn. 20:15) or for an ordinary traveller (Lk. 24:16ff.). It is better to say that the transfiguration is proleptic of the entire exaltation of Jesus, including resurrection, ascension and heavenly session; and including also the parousia. [The Person of Christ, 105]

One implication of this is that, if we recognize the true height Christ’s glorification, we will also recognize that there is also a significant degree of discontinuity between this creation and the new creation. Life will not be exactly the same as it is right now.

Again, Dr. MacLeod:

The transfiguration showed not only what he would become but what we would become. The New Testament makes this connection explicitly. We are to be where he is (Jn. 17:24). Our bodies are to be conformed exactly to his (Phil. 3:21). We, in him, are to become sharers in the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). For Jesus on the Mount, this vision of what lay beyond the cross, not only for himself but for his people, would have been an immeasurable encouragement. [The Person of Christ, 107]

Recognizing that there will be both significant continuity and significant discontinuity should guard us from over-speculation about exactly what the new creation will be like, something I find to be problematic in the neo-Calvinist camp, which says that all of our cultural products will be present in the new creation. The important thing is that we will have communion with our Triune God and will enjoy and glorify Him completely.