He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Col 1:15). Jesus the Christ. Christ (literally the ‘anointed one’) has always been the Son of the Father. He has always been part of the very fabric of creation, because everything was made through him, and is being drawn to completion in him. This world has never been totally lost or totally evil and meaningless. At the very heart of it is the love of Christ. It is the matrix that supports us all. 2000 years ago that was revealed in a new way, in the very human Jesus from Nazareth. Paul and John, looking back after Easter and Pentecost, realized that the Christ was always part of creation.
Paul was very realistic about sin. He describes us as once being estranged from God, hostile in our attitude. But now, through the blood of Christ shed on the cross, we have peace with God. We are reconciled, blameless, and we experience the mystery of Christ living in us.
The love of Christ continues to come alive in us, who are part of the church. We all share in the God-given gift of making what is invisible visible. OK, I’m a besotted first-time grandparent. I’m assured I won’t lose that. I’m delighted to hold this visible form of the love between our daughter and her husband. But it’s not just babies. You have all created things that have never been seen or done before. You’ve all come up with solutions to problems. You’ve all developed your way of doing something that has never been done that way before. Those are simple ways in which the love of Christ becomes visible. Treasure that, enjoy it and trust it.
