Opening the new year, the lesson recalls the Preacher’s words that there is nothing new under the sun. Against that stands the gospel: if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old has passed away and new things have come. The central theme of the gospel is the recreation of all things, and our salvation begins with regeneration, which recreates us back to God’s image. God has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Buried with Christ through baptism into death, believers are raised to walk in newness of life. So they must no longer walk in the futility of their old minds, but lay aside the old self and put on the new, created in righteousness and holiness. God unfolds the new creation in stages: it is already with us, yet we wait for new heavens and a new earth. Like the mustard seed, Christ’s kingdom grows little by little, so we set our minds on the things above.