Jesse Tree: Day 1              Creation (Gen.1:1-25)

In Christ 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.

…taken from Col. 1:15-18

One of the great insights that the Jesse Tree holds relentlessly before us throughout Advent is that all of Old Testament history is driving us towards Jesus, and His coming.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14).  But that history stretches back before the creation of history.  Christ was ‘in the beginning’, before all things, and all things were created through Him and for Him.  He was the Word which God spoke, and through whom all things were made.  Which is to say, reality is not secular.  Without Him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:3).   But He is not just the origin of all of creation, He is the purpose of all creation and the end for which it is created.  He is its destiny, and it is He who gives it meaning and significance. 

Everything then that doesn’t correlate to that great end is deeply out of step with God’s purpose and design in His work of creation.  For us as Christians this is a foundational insight.  Everything in our lives can be done for God’s glory in Christ (I Cor.10:31).  Later in Colossians Paul will say: ‘Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…’ (3:17).  He makes a similar point a few verses later: ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your hearts, as working for the Lord … since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward’ (3:24).  This practical application of discipleship is born out of Paul’s vision of the place of Jesus as the purpose of creation, and therefore as the purpose of our part of creation.   

In one way this is the measure of the authenticity of our discipleship.  To what extent is everything we do being done in a Christ-ward way?  So many have a tragically impoverished view of our faith as only affecting the religious or spiritual aspects of our lives.  I suppose that is OK, so long as we understand that everything is religious, everything is spiritual.  School, work, leisure, domestic chores, every relational transaction that fills my days throughout this Advent season (and every other season of my life) will either be in harmony with God’s purpose in creation, or it will be out of step.  It will either honour Christ’s place in relation to creation, or it won’t.  Christianity provides as much a vision for every moment of our lives, as it does for every moment of history. 

Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made (Jn.1:3)

Ideas for Family Devotions:

Why not plant some cress seeds, and as they grow over the next few days, pray that the Lord will help us grow spiritually as we think about different aspects of the person and work of Jesus.

Think through today.  What will you be doing?  How can you make sure it glorifies Christ, and so stays connected to God’s purpose for creation?

Draw a picture of the solar system.  The sun is at the centre.  What would happen if everything tried to orbit around one of the planets?  What happens if we centre our life on something other than Jesus?