HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER
HOLDING THINGS 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.” (Col. 1:15-17)
When I was a boy there were virtually no restrictions on the purchase and use of firecrackers. Several sizes were common. First, the “Lady Fingers” which were so tiny that all they did was make a little noise. Next came what we called “Chinese Firecrackers”. These were about an inch long but only a fraction of an inch in diameter. They were loud but didn’t have much power. Then came the “Two Inchers”. They were powerful enough to shoot a tin can 10 or 15 feet into the air. Finally were the “INT Bombs” and “Cherry Bombs” that would actually tear a tin can to pieces.
It goes without saying that the more powerful the explosion, the more energy it takes to hold it together.
The following quotation is attributed to Albert Einstein: “It's true. If you could harness its power—that is, turn every one of its atoms into pure energy—the paper clip would yield about 18 kilotons of TNT. That's roughly the size of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945. In the Hiroshima explosion, countless atoms of uranium were split apart in a nuclear chain reaction. Each time an atom split, the total mass of the fragments speeding apart was less than that of the original atom. The bomb, in essence, transformed three-hundredths of an ounce of mass into a cataclysmic burst of heat and light.”
If there is that much atomic energy in a paper clip, just think how much atomic energy there is in the universe. If the explosive power of a “Cherry Bomb” can turn a tin can into shrapnel, how strong of a can would it take to hold the power of a Cherry Bomb together? These leads us to ask a much larger and more significant question. What holds the atoms in the universe together?
The answer is in our text. Jesus is the “image” of the Invisible God. FYI the Greek word translated as “image” is “eikon” from which we get our English word “icon”. When you click on the icon on your computer screen you open up the program it represents. This means that when you “click on Jesus” you open up God.
Our text teaches that Jesus created everything in heaven and on earth, whether it is visible or invisible. This includes various levels of authority represented by “thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities”.
We are further told that Jesus is “before all things”. Mind came before matter, not the other way around. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1).
Finally we are informed that in Jesus “all things hold together”. Obviously, Jesus has to be more powerful than the combined power of all the atoms in the universe or He could not “hold them together”.
As incredible as it sounds, this power is actually available to us. Please note: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” (Eph. 1:18-21). I have taken the liberty of underlining 3 things Paul wanted you to “see”. First is the hope to which you have been called. Second is the riches of His glorious inheritance. Finally, “His incomparably great power”. This “power” is available to everyone in the world through Christ. This is “Good News”. It means that no matter what problems you are facing, Jesus can “hold you together” if you will let Him.