17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 

It is a rare triumph of fatherhood to assemble a gift late on Christmas Eve and have it perform correctly for the children the next morning. I have fond memories of the one or two times it happened for me. This passage is the best in Scripture at really getting close to who Jesus is and what he has done, not just on the cross, but before time began. He was with God and he was God. All we see was created through him. Despite what we see in the news and in our lives with health struggles and financial worries, he keeps everything moving in order. The universe is designed and operated by, through, and for the Lord Jesus Christ! And yet this preeminent God aligns himself with this ragtag bunch of sinners as the church, of which he is the head.

Come to Cape Community Church tomorrow to learn more about Jesus and ourselves. Then you will be even more amazed at how the church has stayed together for 2,000 years. You will not be surprised though. The God who keeps every molecule in working order moves through the church to make disciples, show the love of Christ to each other, our neighbors, and our enemies, and reconcile sinful people to each other and himself. Next time you can’t hold it together, remember…

In him all things hold together.