Colossians 1:15-17
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
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He is the Image of the Invisible God
Although we cannot see God because God is not a physical being, when he entered his creation as Jesus he became visible to us. This is why when Phillip says show us the Father, Jesus says if you have seen me you have seen the Father (John 14:8-9).
Not only that but because he is the very same God as the one we cannot see, we know know that God’s heart and attitude toward us and creation by looking at what Jesus says about these things.
When we see Jesus being compassionate, we are also seeing the heart of the Father as compassionate.
In Him All Things Were Created
Here’s something cool to think about, when God created, He created everything! This is not limited to only the things we can see but also the things we cannot such as the spiritual beings or the air.
But, it doesn’t stop there, according to the Bible, even the rulers and government systems that are in place were designed and or designated by God (Romans 13:1). (This is something we should keep in mind when talking about politics).
People, plants, governments, things we can see, things we can’t see, emotions, the stars, the ground beneath our feet – all of it was created through Jesus and for God’s glory.
He is Before All Things & All Things are Created for Him
Jesus is an interesting person because as God, he existed before anything (John 1:1). It’s precisely because of this nature that he is before all things.
But this is not necessarily talking about chronological order only, I believe it’s also referring to rank.
So when the next line says all things are created for him, Paul is not being arrogant or expressing undue praise here.
As God, All of creation exists to share His goodness with his creation and to bring Him renown/praise
In Him All Things Hold Together
As simply expressed by Angela Perritt in her Love God Greatly article:
Because of who Jesus is, we can take comfort in the promise that He holds all things together, even our broken and crazy lives.
From the beginning of time, Jesus has been at work in our world and in our lives. Nothing is a coincidence as He continues to write the most amazing redemption story of all time through His redemptive work in our lives.
Jesus is literally the glue that holds reality together. Because everything was made through him, everything is also sustained by him.
These are things we tend to take for granted in our modern materialistic worldview.
As Al Mohlar said in one of his sermons:
What holds the atom together? How are all these irreconcilable forces held together in an atom and then in a molecule and then in stuff? How do you trust that pew on which you are sitting? That it doesn’t just fly apart into nonexistence, or you for that matter fly apart into nonexistence. Something’s holding everything together. And that something is someone, Jesus Christ, preeminent in the entire cosmos, preeminent in creation, but secondly preeminent in the Church.
Another thing that Jesus brings together is people!
Before coming to Christ we often find ourselves at odds with others who are not like us. Be it a different cultural background, a different ethnicity, or any number of things.
However, Jesus has opened up the door for those who are in him to have unity even while we may come from different places in life or have different careers or colors of our skin. In Jesus, we are all united as brothers and sisters and are bound by our mutual love for the Lord and for each other. (At least we should be) (Ephesians 2:11-18)
One of the most interesting things that Jesus brings together is God’s space and our space.
Way back when at the beginning, before sin entered our hearts and lives making us distrust God, God’s space came to Eden. We read how He would even walk with us in the cool of the day and we see instances of him talking directly with us (Genesis 3:8).
But, because of sin, we cannot be in the presence of a holy God. His very essence won’t allow sin in. But because of his love for us, He sent Jesus and by His grace, Jesus brought back a way for God’s space and our space to be reunited!
I mean, can you even fathom that?!?
So today, as we go about our busy days let’s remember to Praise God not just for what He has done, but for who He is. And if things in your life begin to come unglued, just remember, the one who holds your soul holds the entire universe together…and He cares!!
For more from Tom, check out his first book Logic Sanctity Deity
Is it rational to believe in God? Do we even need a God? If so, who is that God and where does Jesus fit into the picture?
It’s no use in denying that we as people are broken and that’s a problem we can’t fix on our own. However, a man named Jesus said He was God, claimed he came here to make things right again between us and Him; thus, mending what was broken inside us.
