new creation

N.T. Wright on Christ's resurrection:

"The deepest meanings of the resurrection have to do with new creation. If the stories are metaphors for anything, they are metaphors for the belief that God's new world had been brought to birth. When Jesus emerged, transformed, from the tomb on Easter morning, the event was heavy with symbolic significance, to which the evangelists drew attention, without wishing to detract from the historical nature of what they were talking about. It was the first day of God's new week, the moment of sunrise after the long night, the time of new meetings, new meals, of reconciliation and new commissioning. It was the beginning of the new creation. It was, therefore, the sign of hope for the future, not only for individuals but for the whole world....The resurrection thus opens the door to a new world: a new mode of life for the whole cosmos and for all who dwell in it here and hereafter."

Keep in mind that he is not speaking of the meaning of Christ's death or atonement, but rather the significance of the resurrection in light of theologies that locate Christ's redemptive work in the atonement. That is to say, if Christ conquered sin and death through his death, then what purpose does the resurrection serve? Wright's explanation is attractive to me in this way. I'll post my own thoughts about it later.

Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?