He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:17
When I arrived in first grade, I was in for a rude and very disturbing awakening. I could not believe my eyes. I thought that I had sniffed too much airplane glue when I was putting together my latest model. Or that I had inhaled the fumes from one too many mimeograph copies.
There were these giant jars of white paste that we were given to smear some in between pieces of construction paper for our shoebox diorama. Being the “neat-freak” that I am, I used wooden tongue depressors to dig out the glue and wipe it where I needed. The less intelligent members of the class used their fingers to put the glue on. And then there were the downright weird kids. They licked their fingers clean of the glue. But there were a couple that dug a clump of that white paste and stuck it in their mouths! My stomach still churns when I think about it.
Eventually we not only graduated to second grade, but also made the leap forward for all mankind in the world of glue. Elmer’s glue became not only a household word but an important and indispensable part of our daily educational toolkit. We used it to glue together just about anything.
Now that we’re smarter, more sophisticated, and older, we’ve moved onto more specialized glues. There’re glues for wood. For plastics. For walls. For cloth. There are permanent glues who’s list of ingredients looks more like rocket fuel than anything else.
When I first read this verse, I thought that it said that Jesus was the Elmer’s glue of the universe. That he was in between all the different parts and held everything together. And while that’s true, Jesus is oh so much more than just the glue of the universe. It starts with the fact that Jesus not only created the universe, but that he keeps it going. Like an eternal Energizer Bunny[1], Jesus keeps every part of the universe going, and going, and going.
But more than just providing power, Jesus keeps the universe stable. Keeps it dependable. Keeps it going the way it is. That’s why you can predict sunrise and sunset. The phases of the moon. How you can use the stars to find out where you are and how to get where you want to go.
But more than just keeping things stable, Jesus holds all things together. He created and keeps gravity steady and secure. He’s the reason that you can judge how much you need to press on the accelerator of your car to go up a hill and how much you need to press the break to stop.
But more than just keeping things steady, he designed all the laws of the universe that keep it together. Planets and moons stay together, spinning around their axes while orbiting the sun. The universe runs like a finely tuned machine and not a bunch of accidents that just happened to come together at just the right time. In just the right way. But more than just making up the rules of the universe, he created and maintains life. He’s the author of life for every living thing. He’s the one who came up with all the different kinds of plants, birds, and trees. His creative powers are on full display in the oceans where we’re still discovering new lifeforms all the time.
You can study and study physics all you want. You can watch the planets and the stars till the cows come home. You can study and carefully watch nature in all its beauty and complexity. And there’s some important things you can learn about God. His eternal power and divine nature are on display[2].
And as great as that is, you’re missing the really great part. You’ll never see the love of God in and through the physical universe. You can learn a lot about God, but eventually you’ll get frustrated because it doesn’t tell you much about the person of God. What he’s like in his heart. What he thinks about you and me.
The only way to truly get to see God up close and personal is through looking at Jesus. Look at the fact that he came from eternal bliss to a dirty, stinky, sin filled world for people like you and me. Look at his miracles that clearly demonstrate who he is and where he comes from.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
John 14:11
Jesus says that the miracles, all of them, weren’t to draw a crowd, making him popular. No, they were to prove that he’s God. That God the Father and Jesus are equal. Both are God from eternity past. It was going to take more than just a good sermon to convince people that Jesus was God. So, the miracles were the proof positive of his claiming to be God
It’s one thing to know all the facts and more in our head. It’s altogether another thing to turn over the keys of our life to him. Asking him to forgive our sins and make him Lord of our life. Is Jesus the eternal glue that holds your life together?
Noodling Questions
Explain why it is important for God to hold all things together.
How is God shown through the created world?
Why doesn’t God’s control not make us want to obey him?
[2] Romans 1:20