ALL THINGS
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16, ESV
Theme: Remembering that Jesus isn’t just God’s manager but is God with us – Creator, Redeemer, and King on the throne.
CORRECTED VISION
My husband is an optometrist, so I’ve heard many heartwarming stories about people experiencing vision corrections for the first time. They arrive at his office thinking they see “well enough,” but they leave realizing that they had never truly seen clearly until that very day. Sure, they knew trees were full of leaves, but now each leaf on each branch is crisp and distinct. Their life before vision correction seemed normal when it was, in fact, actually blurry. Their life after vision correction brings all things into a brand new and much more accurate focus.
Before Saul of Tarsus, known to us as “Paul,” had his Damascus Road experience, he too thought he “saw” clearly. He was a highly educated textual scholar and a devout Pharisee with deep knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures, traditions, and Jewish law. A student of one of the most respected Rabbis of his time, Saul knew the Text better than most of us could ever imagine. Yet it was only after his encounter with the risen Christ that Saul/Paul could correctly interpret the Scriptures he had devoted his life to studying.
NOT “PLAN B”
Growing up, I assumed Jesus was God’s Plan B (or perhaps even His Plan C or D). I imagined humanity was even more broken than God had expected, so He had to continuously come up with newer, better rescue strategies. After enduring millennia of human failure, He finally had an “aha” moment and sent Jesus as His once-and-for-all emergency plan of salvation. My Sunday School teachers probably didn’t teach me this outright, but that’s the impression that settled in my mind.
I wish someone had taught me this, instead:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, ESV). The Logos—the divine Word—Who spoke the universe into being was Jesus. The breath that called all creation into existence was the breath of Jesus. Jesus has always been humanity’s salvation. He wasn’t sent to clean up a mess; He came to reveal the eternal, unchanging love of God and to show humanity how to become true citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
THE ETERNAL WORD
After Paul encountered Christ, he recognized God’s intention from the beginning of time. The Scriptures he had memorized and tried to live by suddenly became as clear to him as if God had given him a pair of spiritual glasses. According to Bible scholars, there is a poem or hymn embedded in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. It is a sweeping, worshipful declaration about “all things” and the eternal Son who holds them together:
“The Son is the image of the invisible God,
The firstborn over all creation.
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.
He is before all things,
And in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning
And the firstborn from among the dead,
So that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
And through him to reconcile himself to all things,
Whether things on earth or things in heaven,
By making peace through his blood shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20, NIV
Go back and re-read Paul’s hymn, this time paying attention to how often the phrase “all things” appears.
- In Jesus, all things were created.
- All things were created through Him.
- All things were created for Him.
- He existed before all things.
- And in Jesus Christ, all things hold together.
The fullness of God dwelt in Him. Why? So that God might reconcile Himself to all things.
From beginning to end, the story has always been about Jesus. There has never been a moment when He was not God’s plan for salvation. Jesus is not Plan B, He is the Eternal Word, the One through whom and for whom all things exist, the One who holds all things together even now. On that first Christmas morning, the Creator entered His own creation so we could experience Emmanuel—God with us, God with all things, including you and me.
Make it Personal: Many of us have, at some point, thought of the Old Testament as God’s original plan and the New Testament as God’s backup plan, the one that finally worked. But when Jesus, the Prince of Peace, entered the world in the most vulnerable, human way, He revealed that God’s eternal plan has always been a Kingdom of Peace, standing in stark contrast to empires of domination like Herod’s. How does knowing God’s eternal “plot line” help you see more clearly how Jesus redeems all things and is holding them together even now?
Pray: Lord, You are Creator, Redeemer, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace. You are the Alpha and Omega. In the beginning, You were. Thank You for entering into our brokenness to show Your great love for Your Creation…including me. Show me how to love like You love and how to live as an heir of Your promises. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: 1 Peter 1:18-21; Ephesians 1:7-10; Hebrews 13:8
Weekly Memory Verse: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14, ESV