From him, through him and to him

Romans 11:36
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.


I'm reading Karl Barth's book, God Here and Now, and as Barth describes the church he connects its life and reality to a living relationship with Jesus Christ.  I've known this truth, but leave it to a German theologian to put it in different words that capture my attention.  In his writing he doesn't refer to the verse in Romans specifically, but it's clear he's talking about this idea.


As I read, my mind wandered to the implications of this simple verse.  It's clear from the bible that all things come from Jesus.  He made it all.  All that is, all that exists, is here because he made it.  That very thought should change the way you read the gospels, the way you see Jesus living in the land of Israel.  The very creator of everything became part of the creation he made.  All that exists is from him....from Jesus.  To think about creation you have to think about Jesus, to know there is an intelligent designer you must know it's him, Jesus Christ.


And then he finishes with this- to him, to Jesus, are all things.  Everything will return to him.  Everyone will see him face to face.  Everything came from his creative hands and will finally return to him.  This also speaks of his eternity.  On either end of creation, the beginning and the end, is Jesus.....making it all and then finally receiving it all back into the hands that made it.


But in the middle is this amazing phrase, through Him are all things.  Through him, it's all sustained by Jesus, it all holds together and was meant to flow through and because of his power and life.  The great rebellion of the human race is the desire to not allow him to be part of our lives.  But Jesus is the beginning, the middle and the end of all things.  We cannot live rightly without him.  We are only pleasing God when we live through Christ.  The great rebellion says, "I will live my own life, I don't need you to be part of my life."  


This is the only portion of the rule of Christ in all of creation where our choice can be contrary to the very purpose we were made for.  We were designed to live through Jesus and when we refuse we deny the very design of Jesus for our lives.  We forfeit our specific purpose and design and declare we are gods of our own lives. In that declaration we deny the will of God for us because everything was meant to glorify Christ.  When we deny Christ's rule through us, we deny him the glory he is due and forsake the very purpose we were made for.


Jesus is the beginning, the middle and the end of all things.  The Lord of heaven and earth.  King of kings, Lord of lords.  Every knee will bow to him and confess he is Lord of all....forever and ever.