Recently, much of the country was blessed with the opportunity to see the Northern Lights. Rhiannon and Brooklyn and I walked out to take pictures and give praise to God for the rare gift of seeing something so spectacular. The science of our solar system is awesome. Every star you see is in motion. Astronomers tell us that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is spinning at approximately half a million miles per hour. Yet, amazingly, the stars don’t drift away into chaos. They stay in their orbits because of gravity, an unseen force holding everything in place. Something is keeping them there. If that balance were to shift—even slightly—stars would collide, planets would spin out of orbit, and the universe as we know it would unravel into chaos.
Paul says something astonishing in Colossians 1: Jesus Christ Himself is the One who holds all things together. Not gravity alone. Not random chance. Not impersonal laws of nature—but Jesus, the One who created all things and sustains them by His power. Just as gravity keeps the stars in place, Christ’s presence and power keep our lives from flying apart. When Christ is at the center of our lives, there is order, peace, and purpose. When Christ isn’t at the center of our lives, things begin to unravel into chaos. So Paul lifts our eyes to see the cosmic Christ—the One who created the galaxies, who holds them together, and who also holds us together. That’s the supremacy of Christ—“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
As we enter the last Sunday of the Christian year, and before the Holidays kick into another gear with Thanksgiving and Christmas, I want to talk about how Christ holds us together: because He is in charge, and because He is a peacemaker.
Christ holds us together because He is in charge “He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.”-Colossians 1:18. Even before we read the book of Colossians, we read in scripture of many people who have benefited from Jesus being in charge. In Mark’s Gospel, chapter 4, Jesus calms the spirit of His disciples by calling for peace in the midst of a violent storm. In the book of Acts, servants and a soldier under the command of the Roman centurion Cornelius knock on the Apostle Peter’s door. When Peter is aware who has come to his home, the scripture tells us “The Spirit said to him, “Simon (Peter), three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”-Acts 10:19-20. This is the Holy Spirit, providing clear leadership to Perer. Therefore, we believe that the Spirit that is talking to Peter in this text is Jesus. Peter would have remembered well when Jesus restored him in John 21 asking 3 times “Simon, do you love me?” as a restoration of the 3 times Peter betrayed Jesus by denying he ever knew him. As the rest of the test tells us, Peter would invite the individuals in and listen to what they had to say, and eventually go back with them to baptize the Roman Cornelius. Peter was not about to say no to his Lord twice! Second, Jesus tells Peter “Do not be afraid to go with them, for I have sent them.” Peter was not just responding to his own feelings under the disguise of “God’s will”, it was a clear leadership from Jesus Himself. In Matthew’s Gospel chapter 4, the Jewish Matthew is working for the Roman State collecting taxes on the state’s behalf. That is, until Jesus comes along. Matthew reports that Jesus not only asked Him to follow Him, but invited Himself to Matthew’s house to eat, which was considered controversial! Why is Jesus taking charge in the life of a traitor to Israel? When Jesus resurrects from the dead, he triumphantly tells the disciples that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”-Matthew 28:18. The truth is, followers of Jesus have kept it together under Jesus’ leadership for a long time.
John Bunyan was a passionate preacher in 17th-century England, a tinker by trade. A tinker is someone who travels around mending utensils. He was also a man on fire for God. After his conversion, he became one of the most sought-after lay preachers in the region. His sermons drew large crowds, and God used him powerfully in ministry. In 1660, when new laws forbade preaching outside the Church of England, Bunyan refused to stop proclaiming the gospel. For that act of faithfulness, he was arrested and imprisoned — separated from his wife and children, including a blind daughter he deeply loved. At first, he was devastated. His fruitful ministry seemed over. He once wrote that sitting in that cold, dark cell felt like the end of everything he had lived for. Yet over time, God began to show him that the prison cell could become a pulpit of another kind. During those 12 long years in prison, Bunyan He studied the Word, prayed, and began to write. Out of that season of suffering came a book that is considered one of the greatest in Christian literature , entitled “The Pilgrim’s Progress” (first published in 1678). The main character of the story is a man named Christian. The story of Christian’s journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City was a reflection of Bunyan’s own walk with Christ — through hardship, temptation, and grace.
Within the first ten years after its release, the book went through eleven editions. By the 18th century, it was the most widely read book in the English language after the Bible.Today, historians estimate that The Pilgrim’s Progress has sold over 250 million copies and has been translated into more than 200 languages. What began as a moment of confinement became the means through which God multiplied Bunyan’s ministry beyond anything he could have imagined. Even when it seemed like everything was falling apart, Jesus was still in charge, and holding all things together!
Jesus holds all things together because He is a peacemaker: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”-Colossians 1:19-20. For a long time I never understood this part of Colossians. How does Jesus’ death on the cross provide peace for my life, for the life of a marriage on the rocks, a business that has to close, a dispute between neighbors and family? What kind of peace is Paul talking about? Has anyone looked at the news lately? It seems like things are never peaceful. I am reading a book titled “Christ Centered Conflict Resolution” by Pastor Tony Merida. He says the peace Paul is talking about: the peace is spiritual peace. “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—” Colossians 1:21-22. By providing spiritual peace, Christ holds things together despite the occasional chaos in your life and mine.
Merida writes, “This Christ cares about you. Though you were in conflict with God, Christian, he has reconciled you to the Father. He has made you a new creation. This Christ who rose from the dead and is the head of the church, the one who plummeted down into the most painful of circumstances, has come for you.” You know what this means? Thanksgiving and Christmas may be chaotic this year, but because of Jesus, your heart does not have to be! Let Jesus help you hold it together!
When I think of Christ being a peacemaker, I think of Sarah and Leana. Both were close coworkers at a Christian nonprofit. A project disagreement spiraled into harsh words, hurt feelings, and finally total silence. Lena transferred departments just to get away. The whole office felt the tension. Months later, both women—separately—felt the Holy Spirit convict them during a teaching on Jesus’ words: “Fix this, go and be reconciled.” They reluctantly agreed to meet with a Christian mediator. At first, they barely looked at each other. But after prayer, something changed. Sarah said, “I was wrong. I cared more about being right than being Christlike. Will you forgive me?” Lena began to cry and admitted her own bitterness and gossip, and had wondered for months on how to approach the situation. They forgave each other. Don’t get me wrong, their relationship wasn’t instantly perfect, but the wall between them came down and healing could begin. Peace returned to their workplace. When asked how in the world they returned to a mutual relationship, Both women later said: “We couldn’t fix this. Christ did.”
Who holds you together? Who is in charge of your life? Who is your spiritual peacemaker? This Holiday season, may the cosmic Christ take charge of your life and give you peace. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
