Colossians: It’s All About Jesus (Creation)

Hello Friends,

Weather-wise, this week…has…been…AMAZING!!!! (except for the storms and cooler temperatures). I’m grateful that I was able to spend a few hours outside last weekend and this past weekend doing some yard work. I’m grateful that I was able to open the window in my office while I worked. I’m grateful that spring has finally arrived! Were you able to spend some time outside this past week? If you did, what did you do?

Creation is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? The sun shines without us having to plug it in. The stars twinkle without needing batteries. The flowers, trees, and grass grow because of the rain that falls from the sky. The birds sing and fly without us having to wind them up. Creation is truly wonderful! But sometimes, creation can be a little scary. It gets dark, thunder rumbles our windows, flashes of lightning create eerie shadows on the walls, the wind makes some terrifying noises, and sometimes we see things outside that bring us fear and cause us to shiver.

Whether wonderful or scary, we must remember that Jesus is in creation: that Jesus is watching over what he helped God create. How do I know this? Because our friend, the Apostle Paul, told me so. Paul has been helping me understand who Jesus is. And so today, I want to help you understand who Jesus is. But first, let me remind you what Paul told us last week.

Colossians 1:15b: Paul wrote something that has caused some to believe that Jesus was created: “[Jesus] is the firstborn over all creation.” But it’s important to see that “firstborn” is not a reference to Jesus being created but to his position over creation. The key word is “over,” that he is “firstborn over all creation” means that he is supreme over all things. Jesus outranks all things. In fact, the point of this phrase is to distinguish him from creation, not tie him to creation. Combined with the context of the following verse, we see that Jesus was before all things and is King over all things. Even though Jesus humbled himself and took on flesh, He is still the God who is worthy of all praise, adoration, and glory (Philippians 2:5–11). Simply put, Jesus is over all things because he is the Son of God. Jesus is powerful. Jesus has authority. Jesus is Wonderful, the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Nothing compares to Jesus, not even the angels. Jesus is above all things!

To underline the point that Jesus is over all of creation, Paul teaches us that Jesus created all of it. Not only that, but all of it exists for him.

Colossians 1:16: “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” (1:16). This blows us away. That’s how we know Jesus isn’t just another creature like us. Jesus is actually Creator, not creature. Everything that exists does so because he made it. When we read in Genesis 1 that God created the heavens and the earth, Paul is telling us to understand that it was God the Son, Jesus Christ, who helped create the heavens and earth.

The Colossians held some funky views about angels. When Paul writes about “thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities,” he is actually talking about angels; and in Chapter Two of Colossians, Paul points out that the people were actually worshipping angels instead of Jesus. So Paul tells them that Jesus actually created them too. In Judaism, they understood there were four classes of angelic beings. Here, Paul says that Jesus created them all. Even supernatural powers were made by him. He’s over them. We have nothing to fear.

Jesus is the firstborn over all creation. And Jesus is in, for, and through creation because all things have been created in his presence, and nothing is above him. Through this description of Jesus, we learn not only who Jesus is but what he is telling us, providing us, and teaching us. Jesus is telling us that he is the sovereign Lord who rules over all creation today, tomorrow, and every day. Jesus is providing us with the encouragement that even in a world filled with darkness, hatred, deceit, destruction, and war, we can still find a Jesus that is loving, kind, grace-filled, and understanding. It may not seem like Jesus is in his creation sometimes, but he is; and he has never left. And Jesus teaches us that we are living within God’s creation and that we should be willing to be used by Jesus and for Jesus to maintain the creation that God called “good.” Paul is telling us that Jesus is over all creation, and that creation is in Jesus, works through Jesus, and is for Jesus–meaning it has a purpose and plan.

Jesus is the one who all things have been created: in him all things in heaven and on earth were created; by him all things, invisible and visible, have a purpose; and through him, we have the wonderful opportunity to heal this broken world and to make it a better place. The question becomes, how will you do that? How will you find Jesus in all of creation so that we can say, “It is good”?

Jesus created everything from the most glorious angel, to the farthest galaxy, to the smallest insect. He’s created it all. And he’s the goal of it all. All of it exists for his glory. Everything that’s been created exists for one reason alone: to bring Jesus glory. When you look at creation the next time you get the chance to be outside, tell yourself that Jesus is there. Jesus is in his creation with you. I wonder what this crazy world would be like if Jesus wasn’t in his creation?

Have a great week!

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!

Borrowed from: https://www.dashhouse.com/renewing-our-vision-of-jesus-colossians-115-23