“”Cross Currents: It’s Just A Big Bang Theory”
Col. 1:15-17
Advertisers know that we think bigger is better - especially if it’s bigger at a lesser price. So we have 2 for 1 dinner coupons, double discount or double coupon days at the grocery store, and even encouragement to “Super-Size” our burger order. Paul, ever the advertiser, knew the Colossians needed to remember the greatness of Jesus Christ; so in his letter to them he super-sized Jesus Christ - he painted Him with broad strokes to show Him larger than life. He reminded them that in all things, in everything, Jesus Christ is preeminent.
First, Christ is preeminent because He has a unique relationship to God - He is the COPY OF GOD. Verse 15 - “The Son is the image of the invisible God…” God wanted to make himself known; He did not want to remain invisible. But in Himself God is inconceivable and unapproachable. So He eventually fully revealed himself by sending Jesus. Paul says that Jesus is the very substance of God, the manifestation of God. JESUS IS DERIVED FROM AND REPRESENTATIVE OF GOD. W. R. Nicholson explained it by saying that two eggs are like each other but since they are not derived from each other, neither is the image of each other; or two people can be like each other but not be the image of each other; but, he says, the head of a coin is not only a likeness, it is the image of the sovereign. “It is derived from the sovereign, and it is a representation of him.” (i) It is a copy of the sovereign. So Jesus Christ is a copy of God.
There’s an old story about two artists. Each was extremely talented and each had their own audiences of followers. Eventually, the decision was made to host a competition to determine which of the two was truly the best. A panel of experts was selected who would serve as the judges. Once and for all, the question of "best" would be put to rest. On the day of the judging, so many people had come to watch that it was decided to hold the contest outdoors. Because of the sun and wind, and perhaps to raise the suspense just a bit, both paintings were covered with draperies until each was revealed and judged, one at a time. The drapery was removed from the first painting. The judges and the audience gasped as they looked at the image that appeared on the canvas. It was a still life of flowers and fruit. And it looked so real. The colors and the shading were so authentic. In fact, after a few moments, some birds even flew down from the trees and tried to pick the grapes that were painted on the canvas. The crowd cheered as the artist smiled and nodded to the judges who were clearly shaken. All were overcome by the obvious talent of this artist. There was even some discussion as to whether it was even necessary to look at the second painting. But it was decided that they did have to be fair, even if it was a waste of time. The drapery was removed from the second painting. Or at least a judge tried to remove the drapery from the second painting. But as he looked closer, he found that he could not remove the drapery. The drapery covering the second painting was, in actual fact, the painting itself. As the judges and the audience began to realize what was happening, they grew silent. Then a cheer erupted that echoed through the courtyard. The best artist was selected. One painting looked real enough to fool birds, while the second was so real it had fooled everyone.(ii) Sometimes, we all have trouble picking out the real from the unreal, the true from the untrue, or only partially true. What is real? What is the truth? How do we know?
The New Testament declares Jesus is the real true representation, the authentic copy of God – even though many are fooled. “The Son is the image of the invisible God…” (Heb. 1:3) “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of his being...;” (Col. 2:9) “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form...;” (Jn. 1) “In the beginning was the Word ... and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” Even Jesus said (John 14:9) that whoever had seen Him had seen the Father.
Jesus is preeminent because He is the copy of God - therefore WE IGNORE JESUS AT OUR OWN PERIL. Romans chapter 1 shows the results of such ignorance. Jesus shows us God. The only question is whether or not you believe it.
It’s important to settle this belief question because of what Paul declares next. He states that Jesus is preeminent because He is CREATOR OF ALL. Creation belongs to Jesus. First, JESUS HEADS THE WORLD BY DIVINE RIGHT. (15) “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation.” Ps. 89:27 states, “I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.” As the Son of God, as the ‘copy’ of God, Jesus came, died, and rose from the grave and then said, “All authority has been given to me.” He alone is worthy, capable, deserving of authority. Active authority over the world has been given to Him.
Yet beyond that, JESUS HEADS THE WORLD AS SOVEREIGN CREATOR. (16) “ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities...” (Heb. 1:1-2 GNT) “In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one through whom God created the universe, the one whom God has chosen to possess all things at the end.” (Jn. 1:1-3) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
Far from just a big bang theory, Paul posits that EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS WAS CREATED BY JESUS AND FOR JESUS. Jesus once lived on a workshop greater than the one in Nazareth! What we call the laws of science are really divine laws. Whatever scientists discover and state as true is only something already in existence; it’s a principle established by God. Science, for example, didn’t create gravity, it only discovered it. Science cannot create out of nothing. John Haldone, a scientist, once suggested to Monsignor Knox that in a universe containing millions of planets it was inevitable that life would appear by chance on one of them. “Sir,” said Knox, “if Scotland Yard found a body in your trunk, would you tell them, ‘There are millions of trunks in the world - surely one of them must contain a body’? I think they would still want to know who put it there.” (iii)
Listen to the comments of some noted scientists about the creation of the world and life. Klaus Dose, a prominent scientist working on origin-of-life issues, stated, "At present all discussions on principal theories and experiments in the field either end in stalemate or in a confession of ignorance." Francis Crick, not known to be sympathetic to the miraculous, nevertheless wrote, "The origin of life seems almost to be a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going." Stuart Kauffman from the Santa Fe Institute claims, "Anyone who tells you that he or she knows how life started on the earth some 3.45 billion years ago is a fool or a knave. Nobody knows." (iv) Professor Edward Conklin perhaps summed it up best when he wrote that the probability of life originating from accident is comparable to the probability of the Unabridged Dictionary resulting from an explosion in a printing factory. Every aspect of life belongs to Christ; everything that exists was created by Jesus and for Jesus. That’s why, by the way, we believe life - ALL OF LIFE - IS SACRED!
But note as well that not only is the world and life created by Christ, it is also created for Him: (16) - “…all things have been created through him and for him.” JESUS HEADS THE WORLD BECAUSE HE IS ITS CENTRAL POINT. In other words, all creation and all history flows from and points to Jesus! The Bible calls Him the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Consider even the Old Testament name for God - Jehovah. Yeh means He will be; “Hove” means He is; “Yahah” means He was. And in Christ He was, is, and will be! Remember the old hymn: “Of the Father’s love begotten Ere the worlds began to be, He is Alpha, He is Omega, He’s the source, the ending He, Of the things that are, that have been, And that future years shall see, Evermore and evermore.”
As George Buttrick put it, Jesus is the one man who split history into before and after. Every time we write a letter or date a check we acknowledge the focal point of history - we write a year, meaning 2015 AD - Anno Domine - in the year of our Lord, in the period dominated by and controlled by our Lord. Many other men have, throughout history, tried to fix a date upon which to base calendars - and none have survived. History has acknowledged its own focal point - and it is Jesus Christ!
Jesus not only created all things, He is the goal of all things. Imagine that - the hands which hold history are nail scarred; the heart from which history beats is love-filled; the mind which plans history is grace-filled. All things, all history have been fashioned with Christ in mind, achieve their intended purpose through Him and exist for Him. Far from just a big bang theory, ALL OF LIFE AND CREATION DRAW MEANING ONLY FROM JESUS CHRIST. Every time the dilemmas of life confuse us, the happenings of our lives confound us, when life itself tends to undo us, remember Christ is the Creator, the center, the controller; the world and history are in His hands. Isn’t it awesome – the One who created the world is the One who loves us so much that he died to save us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Paul goes on to say that Jesus is preeminent because JESUS IS THE COHESION OF LIFE. (17) “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Without Jesus everything would fly apart. He is the glue, the magnet, the center of gravity. A guide took a group of people through an atomic laboratory and explained how all matter was composed of rapidly moving electric particles. The tourists studied models of molecules and were amazed to learn that matter is made up primarily of space. During the question period, one visitor asked, "If this is the way matter works, what holds it all together?" For that, the guide had no answer.)v) Paul does. JESUS HOLDS THE WORLD AND OUR LIVES TOGETHER. “The heavenly machinery moves with incredible mathematical precision. We can foretell years in advance the occasion of an eclipse of the visit of a comet. The tides rise and fall, the seasons come and go, moons wax and wane – all under submission to Christ. …All factors of time and space are under the Lord Jesus’ control.”(vi) In Acts Paul preached the “In Christ we live and move and have our being.”
The circumstances of our lives are like the spokes of a wheel and Christ is the Sprocket from which holds them all together. When life pitches back and forth, when we are ready to buckle under the stress and strain, when we’re jostled by the rock and roll remember it is Jesus Christ who holds it all together. Think of the last time you looked through a Kaleidoscope; it is made up of nothing but broken pieces of glass, yet when the light breaks through they form the most beautiful designs imaginable. It’s as if the light holds it together and makes something out of nothing, brings beauty out of ugliness, wholeness out of brokenness. As someone has written, IF CHRIST AS LORD IS THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES, THE CIRCUMFERENCE WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. Jesus holds our lives together, fits the pieces into his picture, makes something out of nothing, and brings beauty out of ugliness, wholeness out of brokenness.
We say, “It’s impossible.” Jesus says. “All things are possible.” We say, “I’m too tired.” Jesus says, “I will give you rest.” We say, “Nobody really loves me.” Jesus says, “I love you.” We say, “I can’t go on.” Jesus says, “My grace if sufficient.” We say, “I can’t do it.” Jesus says, “You can do all things through my strength.” We say, “I can’t forgive myself.” Jesus says, “I forgive you.” We say, “I can’t manage.” Jesus says, “I will supply all your needs.” We say, “I’m afraid.” Jesus says, “I have not given you a spirit of fear.” We say, “I’m worried.” Jesus says, “Cast all your cares on me.” We say, “I don’t’ have enough faith.” Jesus says, “I have given everyone a measure of faith.” We say, “I don’t know the way.” Jesus says, “I am the way.” We say, “I don’t know the truth.” Jesus says, “I am the truth.” We say, “I feel all alone.” Jesus says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” If Christ as Lord is the center of our lives, the circumference will take care of itself.
Passengers on a plane at Detroit Metropolitan Airport were waiting to take off for the Tri-City Airport, which serves Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland. Over the intercom, the flight attendant welcomed the passengers and stated that the destination would be Midland. Concerned remarks from passengers alerted her to her omission so she tried a second announcement, this time saying they would land in Tri-City and Bay City. People now began to chuckle, realizing her frustration. In her third attempt she mentioned only Saginaw; now laughter broke out. At that point a very authoritative voice came over the intercom: “I’m your pilot, folks. And don’t worry - I know where we’re going!” (vii) So our Sovereign Creator, JESUS CHRIST, HOLDS OUR DESTINY AND OUR LIVES IN HIS LOVING, NAIL-SCARRED HANDS! Our destiny does lie in a big bang – the big bang of a hammer on some nails on a hill called Calvary – bangs and nails that hung Jesus to a cross. Because of that cross current, what was once a mystery is no longer.
As Leonard Sweet, wrote, “The essence of the Mystery that the gospel reveals is that the Mystery is a PERSON, Jesus the Christ. Christ himself is the Mystery of God. The Mystery is not a principle. The Mystery is not a set of rules and regulations. The Mystery is not a new Law. The Mystery is not a problem to be solved. The Mystery is not a set of questions to be answered. The Mystery is an experience with a person who wants to live in us and through us. Your life can be so caught up in Christ's life that your story and God's story become One! Your life and Christ's life can be so united that the very energy of God is at work in you. The Mystery of God's secret plan is not some map, not some puzzle. The Mystery of God's secret plan is a priceless treasure-a relationship with Christ himself. In the words of 1 John 4:15: "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God, God abides in Him and he in God." (viii) Through the prophet Ezekiel God promised (36:26-27) “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a new heart.” We can only understand and experience the mystery through this heart transplant. May the cross current lead us to submit to the surgery.
(i) Oneness with Christ, Bishop W. R. Nicholson, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI 1951, © 1903 by A. B. Simpson, p.72
(ii) John B. Jamison, Be Real, www.Sermons.com
(iii) From Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Edited by Michael P. Green, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI © 1989 by Michael P. Green, #264
(iv) John Lennox, God's Undertaker (Lion, 2009), pp. 133-134, from www.preachingtoday.com
(v) (Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - New Testament - The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 2.)
(vi) John Phillips, Our Creator and Sustainer, Moody, March 1983, p. 113
(vii) From Life in These United States, Reader’s Digest, April 1985
(viii) Leonard Sweet, Experience the Mystery, www.sermons.com
