Variety: Colossians 1v15–20
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 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 1:15–20
What is the Easter story? The bare bones of the narrative in the gospel accounts tell us Jesus Christ was arrested and executed by crucifixion, buried in a tomb, and three days later rose again to life. When it comes to the meaning of these events, I’m sure I’m not alone in having heard various versions along these lines: ‘Jesus died and rose again for my sins so I could have an eternal, forgiven relationship with God.’
While that is part of the story it is not the full picture the Bible paints. The Bible puts Jesus at the centre of the story, not us. Jesus is God made visible, the originator of everything that is, the one who holds it all together. All things, Colossians says, were created ‘through him and for him’ (v16 – emphasis mine).
In our era and part of the planet, there is a myopic focus on the individual human self. What is my identity? What can I do to maximise my own fulfilment and well-being? The greater the macro issues of geo-political instability, biodiversity collapse, and climate change, societal and family breakdown, the more tempting it is to shorten the horizon to our own navels.
As disciples of Jesus swimming in these cultural waters, we can absorb a warped perspective that sees the death of Christ relating first and only to me, my sin, my future. Yes, God sees, knows, and loves each of us and we as humans have a special place in creation as divine image-bearers. But the hero of this drama is God in Jesus. Our redemption is for his glory and this world is his.
These verses in Colossians widen the scope of redemption beyond us. The blood shed by Jesus on the cross was for ‘all things’ (v20), not just human things. That means the wider creation is drawn into the sacrificial love – the faithful and enduring commitment of its creator. It means God cares for all of it. How can I then think it doesn’t matter to him if I overconsume, pollute, degrade, or neglect what he made and reconciled to himself at great cost?
It turns out the Easter story is as deep and wide, expansive and inviting, transformative and radical as any ever told. It is good news for us, and it is good news for the whole creation.
A Rocha International