Ministry brings all sorts of interesting conversations to light. During the first years of parish work, I went for a walk with one of the newer members of the church. She had indicated that she had some questions about the church and about her faith.
As we walked, she turned to me and said, “So, you’re really into Jesus, aren’t you?” To this day, I’m not sure if that statement was a question or an accusation. For what it’s worth, my answer all those years ago was a resounding “yes!” That hasn’t changed.
The heart of her comment was about what it meant to believe in Jesus. For her, the language of belief didn’t make sense. She had no problems believing that Jesus was a teacher…but to believe that Jesus could be a present reality in her life seemed far too radical.
And it is. Belief in Jesus is not about ascribing to some quaint set of religious thoughts; it is radical and bold.
In fact, the early Christians were charged with “turning the world upside down” due to their faith in Jesus’ risen presence (Acts 17:6). The fact is, believing in Jesus dramatically re-orients our understanding of the world, the church, and ourselves.
What, then, does belief in Jesus really entail? In his letter to the Colossians, Paul quotes a liturgical text sometimes referred to as “The Colossian hymn.” This text puts forward the truth of Jesus' identity, a truth to which all Christians ascribe.
Jesus is not merely a sage who lived centuries ago. He is not a moral teacher whose words the church has blown out of proportion.
Jesus is the person through whom all of creation is referenced. He is the one whom the church is centered upon. He is the author and inaugurator of our salvation. In short, all of life is inexplicably tied to the truth of Jesus.
Jesus Is Lord of All Creation
The Colossians hymn asserts that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). In today’s language, the word “image” often means “copy” or “pale imitation.”
If someone stands in front of a mirror, the image is an exact replica, the likeness of the person reflected. Importantly, we assert that an image is always separate from that which it represents. No one would ever assert that the mirror image of a person is the person.
Yet this is exactly what is meant in the Colossians hymn! Stating that Jesus is God’s image is to state that Jesus is the visible presence of the unseen God.
The hymn continues to state that “in him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (1:19). That which we believe about God Almighty is what we believe about Jesus.
To make the unity between Jesus and God Almighty clear, the hymn states, “For by him, all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible” (1:16).
Jesus is the one through whom all creation is centered on. He is the creator of heaven and earth, and all things are sustained by his power.
Just think about the audacity of this statement, particularly from a first-century Jewish perspective. Genesis 1 makes that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Later, this God entered covenant relationship with the people and revealed God’s name as Yahweh (Exodus 3:14). This is the foundation of Jewish identity and belief. To claim otherwise is sacrilegious. It is the definition of heresy.
For Christians to attribute the creation of the world to Jesus, therefore, is either heresy in the most blatant fashion, or it is equating Jesus with the identity of God Almighty. As the presence of Yahweh on earth, Jesus holds lordship over all things in heaven and earth.
Nothing in existence, no dominion, ruler, or authority, visible or invisible, has more power or authority than Jesus. “He is before all things, and in him do all things hold together,” says the hymn (1:17). Jesus is the center point of all of creation.
Jesus Is the Lord of the Church
As creator and sustainer, Jesus interacts with this world. Jesus is not like the gods of Greek and Roman mythology, who come to earth for a spell and disappear afterward. Jesus continues to be present and active in the world.
When Scripture states that “He is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18), it means that the primary location through which Jesus is present is through the local gathering of faithful worshipers, the church.
Again, have you ever thought about how bold it is to believe this? The very miracle-working, gospel-teaching, empire-challenging, sin-destroying, and life-raising person we read about in Scripture is truly present whenever the community of faith gathers.
Christ is present, not in memory or imagination, but in truth and reality. This means that the church does not simply sing hymns and praise songs; they sing to Jesus.
The church does not merely recite prayers or listen to intercessions; the church communicates with the Risen Lord.
Whenever the church receives communion, in whatever way it does so, the members do not merely reach out for bread and wine; they reach out for the presence of Jesus.
Jesus is the one in whom everything in the church points to. To remove the presence of Jesus from the Church is to destroy the church’s own identity and mission. It would be like a body existing without a head; it simply has no life.
Jesus Is the Lord of Our Lives
The Colossians hymn may seem like dense theology, but at its heart, it is a call for people to experience the love and grace of Jesus.
Jesus is the one in whom our redemption is found. Paul writes, “Through him, God reconciled all things to himself making peace through the cross” (Colossians 1:120).
On the cross, Jesus united our life with his. The cross destroyed anything that could possibly stand between us and the one who created us, sustains us, and loves us.
These aren’t just things that we say, and they are realities that enfold us. We need not fear that Jesus will ever turn his back on us or deem us unacceptable, unlovable, or not worth his time and attention. The peace we receive from Jesus is assured.
Any spirituality or system of beliefs that put the onus of salvation onto our shoulders will eventually crush us.
It will produce nothing but fear and condemnation because we will never know where we stand. If salvation is about being good enough, or nice enough, or kind enough, or having enough Karma to our credit, how do we ever know we’ve done enough?
Salvation and redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life are not about us; they are about Jesus. Salvation isn’t something we bring to Jesus; it is something we receive from him. Jesus invites us to himself.
Come to me, he says, all who are weak and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Our redemption isn’t about how well we can live or whether we think rightly about a host of theological or moral arguments. Salvation is about knowing Jesus as the Savior and Lord of our lives.
What Does This Mean?
Recognizing Jesus as the Lord of creation, the head of the church, and the author of our salvation, does not limit God. Belief in Jesus does not put God in a box.
In fact, the opposite is true. Jesus becomes the reference point for everything we experience in life. We know who to cry out to when we have struggles, questions, or discouragements.
So, the very question posed to me I now pose to you: Are you into Jesus?
For further reading:
Why Should I Believe the Bible?
How Do We Know Whom We Believe?
What Does it Mean to Really Believe in God?
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