May 23, 2014
HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS. REALLY, HE DOES.
Colossians 1:15-20
Rick Smith
Central Truth
Even when it looks like Jesus isn't in control of everything, He is, and we can trust Him.
Key Verse | Colossians 1:17
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17)
Colossians 1:15-20
The Preeminence of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by 1 1:16 That is, by means of; or in 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Dive Deeper | Colossians 1:15-20
He's got the whole world in His hands.
Many of us are familiar with that verse from a simple children's song, but the truth of that song is anything but simple. In fact, it's one of the deepest theological thoughts one can think.
In Colossians 1 Paul is writing to the church of Colossae and explaining to them who Christ is. In verses 15-20 Paul specifically talks about the sovereignty of Jesus. Paul wants his friends in Colossae to know that no matter what sort of chaos is going on around them, Jesus is aware. Randomness doesn't rule. Jesus does.
About three years ago, we were surprised to learn that our first son, Noah, was born with Down syndrome. As you can imagine, we were scared, nervous, fearful, sad, and anxious. Noah's Down syndrome diagnosis completely blindsided us. We didn't see it coming. But Jesus did. Noah's Down syndrome diagnosis may have been a surprise to us, but it wasn't to Jesus.
Although it seemed for a second that our world was falling apart, it was quite the opposite. Jesus was not only holding it together, He was writing a story for our lives far better than we could have ever written for ourselves. Jesus gave us peace in the midst of our deepest fear. Whenever fear started to win in our lives, we looked to Jesus, and our fear faded. Not because we thought Jesus was some sort of lucky rabbit's foot, but because He knew what was going on even when we didn't. We knew that in Him all things made sense. And so we trusted.
I'm not sure where you find yourself today. But no matter where you find yourself, Jesus is there. He knows. He cares. And He wants to remind you that even though it may look like randomness and chaos rule, they don't. He does. He wins. And if you know Him, you win, too.
Look to Jesus and let your fear fade as you trust Him with the unknown. He is running the show.
Discussion Questions
1. What is an area of your life that seems like it makes no sense that Jesus could be wanting you to trust Him with?
2. How would you feel if you were confident that Jesus knew what you were going through, that He cared, and that He was in control?
3. What are some specific things you can do to help yourself remember that Jesus is in control when it seems like the world doesn't make sense? (Hint, memorize Colossians 1:15-20.)