Before All Things

“He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17 CSB)

Jesus is pre-eminent in everything. He is “before all things,” in at least two ways. He pre-existed all creation, and, in fact, he was the One who created all things. All of it was created by Him and for Him. He is One with the Father and the Spirit in Holy Trinity, God for all eternity, with no beginning and no end.

Jesus is also “before” all things in terms of priority. He is the Head of everything, in charge of everything, and He rules. He has pre-eminence in all realities, whether physical or spiritual.

Jesus is the One who holds everything in the universe together. His sovereignty over the universe keeps it together and operating. All physical laws exist and operate according to the ways He created them to operate. Anything that science “discovers” Jesus already knows, since He is the One who created it. He is sovereign even over man’s science, in spite of the fact that man thinks he is in control. These discoveries all point to a Master Hand, a Creator as the only explanation that makes any real sense. The complexity and the vastness of the universe cause us to understand that it could not have just “happened.” It was all created, and Jesus is the Author of that creation. Further, He is the Sustainer of the creation. In Him, all things hold together.

This awareness increases our understanding of the great significance of God’s grace. The One who is pre-eminent in all things reconciled us to Himself, the Father, and the Spirit by the blood of His cross. The giving of His life opened the door for us to enter into life. And the power of His resurrection points to His pre-eminence over the creation.

Father, We bow before You this day and acknowledge Your sovereignty and pre-eminence over anything that exists in any and all realities. We thank You for Your grace, and we give ourselves to You now in worship. Amen.