Created in Christ

^“God has made us what we are. He created us in Christ Jesus for living the way he prepared ahead of time” (Ephesians 2:10).

“Create” means making something new. It implies doing something valuable, something purposeful, something people take initiative on, something they want to do

So it is appropriate for Paul to call it “creating” what God accomplished for us through the Messiah. The sacrifices that were offered before were shadows and pictures of the new reality Christ established. God valued us enough to have his own Son do his work while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8b). Jesus did not die in defeat. In Gethsemane the attackers “fell back” (John 18:6) at first when he identified himself, so their subsequently arresting him happened because he let them. Jesus did it on purpose. God took the initiative because he cared (Romans 5:8a).

These points relate to Jesus’ instituting an observance tay highlights the core event he carried out in God’s creative work. We find it appropriate as well to set aside time here to focus on the Person pictured in the bread and fruit of the vine—his body broken and his blood shed.

Creative work is always unique so we cannot anywhere else to get the benefit that comes from Christ. We respond to this blessing with the good works God has “created” us for in Christ.