Jesus spoke the words of today’s Bible passage, knowing the immense grief and guilt that was coming for his disciples over His death. Despite the disciples’ confusion over his words, Jesus knew that they needed to remember in the midst of the trouble, He offers peace.
All of creation groans (Romans 8:22-24), including humanity, as we await Christ’s return and the restoration of the world. Though our souls are redeemed through Jesus’ death and resurrection, all of creation waits to be made whole. What does it mean that all of creation is groaning? The world is not as it should be. We see the brokenness of creation every time we turn on the news and take in reports of wars and injustice. We can hear the sound of the earth groaning with every hurricane, forest fire, and earthquake that leaves behind devastation and destruction.
After six days of crafting a beautiful, perfect world, God declared His creation “very good.” However, not long after, Adam and Eve brought sin into the world and God’s good creation has been decaying and dying ever since. Humanity’s sin separated us not only from God but from creation and one another.
We see the remnants of this separation throughout the relationships on this broken earth. We see people fighting with other people, countries against countries, and humanity no longer caring for God’s world. Creation remembers the garden of Eden and longs to return to that balanced, perfect state. We feel the fractured state of our world in every aspect of life—from the deadly hurricane on the news to an estranged relationship with a loved one.
In this world you will have trouble, but take heart. Christ has overcome the decay and death of this world. And He has promised to restore all things and make them new again. Jesus offers us peace in this time of waiting between what was (brokenness) and what will be (restoration). He is the Word who spoke creation into being (John 1:1-3). He knows our current world is fractured and promises us that He is greater than any trouble in this world. And He offers us peace in the waiting.
Jesus is Creator and Redeemer of this world, and our peace is in Him alone. He is the bridge that reconnects us to God and to each other.
It’s hard to forgive things that you cannot forget. There is such peace and the verses we read today. Knowing that in the future you will not be able to remember what happened on this life and the things will pass away gives So much encouragement to me.