The New Life in Creation

The first lesson of the Easter Vigil is the Creation account from Genesis 1:1-2:3.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-- the first day. 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning-- the second day. 9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning-- the third day. 14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights-- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning-- the fourth day. 20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning-- the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-- everything that has the breath of life in it-- I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-- the sixth day. 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Just as fingerprints and footprints tell something about you, so the creation record gives us some important information about God.

There were no eyewitnesses to the creation, no reporters, no TV cameras. But God was there because He is eternal. He is without beginning or end. He is the eternal instant. He creates life because He wants to spend the rest of His eternity with His creation.

With a Word from His lips, He calls planets and people into existence. With His voice He tosses the stars into the night sky. With a breath of His mouth He forms entire galaxies. He is almighty.

When you consider the orderly function of the universe or even of the human body, you are struck by the wisdom of the Creator and His boundless imagination. When you consider the astonishing concept of human sexuality and how men and women fit together physically and complement each other emotionally, you are struck by the wisdom of the one who that that up. You are amazed as you touch the softness of your baby’s cheeks or marvel at the brilliant oranges and reds of a summer’s sunset. You are excited by the strength of the gorillas, the ingenuity of ants, the cunning of squirrels, the intelligence of dolphins, etc.

When we finally gaze upon the beauty of God’s two highest creatures – man and woman – we see God’s boundless love. He designed us in His image, with a soul. He equipped us for useful service to Him. He gave us a meaningful life as children, parents, employers, employees – all coworkers of God. We see how God showed Himself to be a God of love. Long before we ever thought about God, He was thinking about us and making plans for us.

A major component of the Easter Vigil is the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. As it was in the beginning, so it is now. As God once created life out of nothing by the sheer power of His Word, so in Holy Baptism He re-creates us in His own image by the power of that same Word.

We are God’s creation. When God’s perfect creation was ruined by sin, then God gave His creation new life in His Son and through His Son’s Word and Sacraments.

Creation and God’s rescue of His creation tells something about us. It tells us even more about God.

Christian Worship Supplement #754 — “The Tree of Life”
1 The tree of life with ev’ry good In Eden’s holy orchard stood,
And of its fruit so pure and sweet God let the man and woman eat.
Yet in this garden also grew Another tree, of which they knew;
Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned Against whose eating God had warned.

2 The stillness of that sacred grove Was broken as the serpent strove
With tempting voice Eve to beguile And Adam to by sin defile.
Oh, day of sadness when the breath Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,
Its awful poison first displayed Within the world so newly made.

3 What mercy God showed to our race, A plan of rescue by his grace:
In sending One from woman’s seed, The One to fill our greatest need—
For on a tree uplifted high His only Son for sin would die,
Would drink the cup of scorn and dread To crush the ancient serpent’s head!

4 Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame Flows life eternal in his name;
For all who trust and will believe, Salvation’s living fruit receive.
And of this fruit so pure and sweet The Lord invites the world to eat,
To find within this cross of wood The tree of life with ev’ry good.

God’s first promise to send a Savior, offered in the shadow of Eden, finds its fulfillment on the tree of Calvary, Jesus’ cross.

Text: Stephen P. Starke, b. 1955 © 1993 Stephen P. Starke; admin. Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.