January 1, 2026

Revelation 21:5

God speaks “I am making everything new”!

Dear Readers,

The motto for 2026 is a word that offers courage! It radiates hope into a world where many people must live without hope. Wars, environmental disasters, hunger and drought, inhumane ideologies, or very personal problems cause many people to lose their complete hope.

Without hope for inner and outer freedom, many Germans had to live in the former so called East German “German Democratic Republic (GDR)”.  But on November 9, 1989, a dream came true for many. The Berlin Wall, which divided the city and the people, was opened. The peaceful revolution had triumphed. The end of a dictatorship happened suddenly.

The German postage stamp from 1990 commemorates what happened. It shows a large hole in a wall. The fall of the Berlin Wall is symbolically depicted. Like a rainbow, as a symbol of hope and God's faithfulness, the German national colors rise to the blue sky.

That is history now. Back then, there was an almost euphoric sense of optimism and new beginnings in the total country. Today, many years later, some people view the developments since then with a critical eye. Much has turned out well. But many hopes have not been fulfilled. And to some others their expectations have been disappointed.

Now, God's guiding principle for this year tells us that he will make all things new. God himself makes this promise in the concluding words of his salvation history. But God doesn't abolish the old, the way we replace old clothes with new ones. The old person is still inside the new clothes. Or when we replace our old car with a new one, the driver remains the same (and so does his driving style). The old person is still behind the wheel. New clothes or new cars don't make new people, nor do new ideologies.

With God, it's fundamentally different. God speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. The Book of Revelation, chapter 21, verses 3 and 4, describes this new reality: God himself will dwell among his people, and they will be his nations, and God himself will be with them. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; there will be no more mourning, crying, or pain. For what belonged to the first creation has passed away. - This is completely new altogether! This has never happened since the expulsion from Paradise! We are entering uncharted territory!

Now, no one knows when God will fulfill his promise. It could be tomorrow, or simply sometime in the future. But that´s not what matters. For God is already giving us a down payment on the new world he will one day create. In Jesus Christ, he has begun something entirely new. Jesus Christ conquered death through his resurrection. He has redeemed us from the power of sin, which separated us from God like a wall. Yes, even more! Since God poured out his Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we are already allowed to participate in God's new world. Where God's Spirit is at work, we enter the new territory of faith. The Apostle Paul describes it this way in 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!

I think the postage stamp is a perfect fit! God's Spirit tears a hole in the walls that exist in our minds. With his power, he breaks through old ways of thinking. The Lord Jesus Christ opens stony hearts and brings heaven very close to us. Those who have experienced this in their lives wait for God's new world full of hope and without stress. For the new has already begun in their own lives. The future will come, no matter when or how. I can confidently entrust that to God. Thus, this promise, "Behold, I make all things new!", is not only a sign above the coming year, but above every day on the path to God's future.

Thank you for visiting and listening. I would be delighted if you would join me again for my next short sermon on January 15, 2026. May God bless you and keep you in spirit, soul, and body.