Making All Things New: A 2026 Easter Devotional
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In the swampy villages of South Sudan or in overcrowded health and nutrition facilities filled with the cries of sick infants, hope can fade — even for the most experienced humanitarian worker. The sound of a surveillance drone or rumors of an imminent air bombardment demand split-second decisions: either dash for safety, or stay to save the life of a cholera-stricken child. When a recently rehabilitated well collapses or a flood-resistant borehole is abandoned, humanitarian intervention can feel like chasing the wind.
Yet, for the Christ-centered humanitarian worker, these realities are not merely social projects or acts of philanthropy. They are tangible expressions of the Good News: that Jesus Christ is risen, and because He lives, the “old order of things” is already beginning to pass away.
A Theology of “Making All Things New”
The empty tomb offers both encouragement and a call to deep reflection. Our busy work schedules rarely allow us to listen to the quiet whispers of God. Even our places of worship — once spaces of solemn introspection and heartsearching before God — often feel pressured to compete for attention with song and spectacle, lest they seem dull.
Yet the story of the empty tomb teaches us otherwise. It reminds us that the resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as the cornerstone of our hope — the moment when God declared that death, poverty and injustice do not have the final word.
When we engage in development work, we participate as “first fruits” of this new creation. We live into the promise that God is already at work renewing the world.
Scripture reminds us that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). If we proclaim a risen Savior while ignoring the suffering of the “least of these,” our message loses its credibility. Resurrection is not only a promise for life after death; it is a power meant for life before death. It is a theology of change — one that compels us to enter broken spaces, labor for restoration, give generously and serve compassionately.
Development as an Act of Resurrection
How, then, does digging a well or providing a microloan connect to the empty tomb?
1. Restoring Human Dignity.
Every person is created in the image of God. Poverty erodes dignity, leaving people feeling unseen and forgotten. By investing in long-term flourishing, we reflect the heart of a God who sees the marginalized and calls them into “abundant life” (John 10:10).
2. Defeating the Power of Decay.
The resurrection was God’s ultimate victory over the decay of sin and death. Development work — whether reforestation, healthcare or access to clean water — pushes back against the physical and social decay that plagues our world.
3. Demonstrating Future Hope.
When communities move from dependency to sustainability, they offer a small but powerful preview of the coming Kingdom of God — where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
Living as People of the Resurrection
The word compassion literally means “to suffer with.” Our work is not a distant charity. It is embodied solidarity. It follows in the footsteps of a Savior who entered fully into human suffering in order to redeem it.
At World Relief, our Integral Mission philosophy emphasizes this holistic approach. We care for the body because God created the body — and in the resurrection, He affirmed and redeemed it.
As we serve, we remember that we are not the heroes of this story — Jesus is. Our work is a response to grace already received. We labor with urgency because the world is wounded, but we labor with peace because the outcome of the battle has already been decided at the empty tomb.
Each time we help a family break the cycle of poverty, we echo the message spoken by the angels: “He is not here; He has risen.” We invite the world to look beyond the rubble of present suffering and glimpse the light of a new day breaking through.
Lihanda Jairus serves as the Interim Country Director for World Relief South Sudan.