Only
when you step back do you see that the rock of the cave is formed by two
gigantic hands cradling her. The hands have nail marks in them.
We
don’t always see things the way they are. Jesus is nearer to us than we
realize. There are times when He cradles us and carries us without our ever
knowing.
The
first verses of Hebrews 1 describe Christ in ways we would not know apart from
God’s own revelation. So far we have looked at four of seven wonderful
descriptions: Christ is Heir of All Things, the Creator, the Radiance of God’sglory, and fully God.
A fifth description, today’s focus, is that JESUS CHRIST UPHOLDS THE UNIVERSE: he upholds the universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3).
These
descriptions, as breathtaking as they are, would never have been discovered by
human understanding. But because the Father is determined to bring glory to the
Son, He has revealed them.
What
does it mean that Christ, heir and creator of all things, also “upholds” all
things? First, a few other questions: How is
it that there is any regularity in the universe? Scientists depend on the fact that the universe can be studied, that there is predictability, that we can posit scientific theorems in physics
and mathematics. But why isn’t it all random? What if gravity worked today –
you drop your keys, and there they are on the ground – but tomorrow you drop
your keys and they shoot off into the space?
The
Bible’s answer is that the Son of God upholds all
things by the word of His power. Or Colossians 1:17 says the same thing in different words: in him
all things hold together.
Dionne
and I have a friend who is a Christian counselor. But he reads widely and is
especially interested in quantum physics. He recently told about a conference he
attended where the discussion was not just physics but the meaning of the universe. Some of the
participants were talking about a “quantum field of intelligence” - a universal
consciousness from which all things come and which holds all things together.
And our
friend spoke up. “Hey, we Christians
have a name for that. It’s Jesus Christ.”
Twenty
centuries ago the book of Hebrews revealed that Christ upholds the entire universe. Literally, He “carries” all things. And it’s not like He just keeps the universe running, like you might with an old car. Jesus is not only keeping the
car running, He’s also driving it.
In
other words, He carries the universe - He’s taking it somewhere. All of
creation serves His purposes. All things will be remade and will, in the end,
celebrate the joy and victory of Christ Himself.
And in
addition to the mind-blowing truth of Christ’s universal control over all
things, it is also true that He upholds each of His children - in our loneliest moments when
we might wonder where He is.
