Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

–Luke 7:11-17 (TNIV)

In today’s passage we get a preview of coming attractions of the Day of Resurrection. In this passage, Jesus only resuscitates the widow’s son. The son comes back to life but would eventually die again. On the Day of Resurrection, our Lord will raise our mortal bodies and transform them into bodies like his, bodies that are fitted to live forever in God’s direct presence in his New Creation. It is a glorious vision and provides Christians with a wonderful hope and promise.

The Christian hope of resurrection, glorious as it is, also means we have work to do here and now in God’s fallen creation. We are to be at work helping our Lord bring about his Kingdom here on earth because the New Creation reminds us that God’s creation is important and worth redeeming. If God promises to redeem it by bringing about the New Creation, surely we too must be at work, busy helping God bring about his redemptive plan. To be sure, it is God and God alone who will bring about fully the redemption of his fallen creation and creatures. But we who claim to love the Lord have a part to play and we dare not take that lightly.

How is God calling you to be a part of his redemptive plan for his fallen creation?