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Colossians is the letter where the Apostle Paul paints a most glorious portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ. He did this to refute some false teachers in the early Church who taught that all flesh was evil. Hence, if Jesus was fully human, how could He be perfect, let alone God? Paul presents his argument by explaining Jesus’ supremacy in Creation.

Firstly, he uses the word “image” to show that Jesus is “an exact representation and revelation of God.” This is also affirmed by the writer of Hebrews (Heb. 1:3), as well as Jesus Himself (Jn. 14:9). In addition, Paul says that Jesus is the “firstborn” amongst Creation. This has two implications: firstly, that Jesus existed with God before Creation. Secondly, and more pointedly, that He is of “first importance, or priority to all Creation”. When put together, Paul is saying that Jesus is not a created being – He is Eternal God.

Next, Paul builds the case by stating that all things are created by Jesus and everything exists in Him, for Him and through Him. This use of these last three different prepositions was another way for Paul to refute the teachings of Greek philosophers. For them, everything needed a primary cause (the plan), an instrumental cause (the power) and the final cause (the purpose). When it comes to Creation and God, Jesus is the primary cause (He planned it), the instrumental cause (He produced it) and the final cause (He did it for His own pleasure.)

Finally, Paul declares that “in Him, all things hold together.” At a tour of an atomic laboratory where the guide explained how all matter was composed of rapidly moving electronic particles. A young boy was studying all the models of atoms and molecules and was amazed to find that matter was made up primarily of space. As such, he piped up and asked the question, “If this is really how matter works, then what holds it all together?” We Christians have the answer: Jesus Christ! He holds it all together because of His love for us, as shown by the death He suffered on our behalf on the cross. He gave us the Holy Spirit so that we can always be reminded of that incredible love for us. Indeed, Jesus Christ created us and it is in Him that “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).