Creator and Sustainer
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory . . . sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Hebrews 1:3
Working with a magnifying glass and tweezers, Swiss watchmaker Phillipe meticulously explained to me how he takes apart, cleans, and reassembles the tiny parts of specialty mechanical watches. Looking at all the intricate pieces, Phillipe showed me the essential component of the timepiece, the mainspring. The mainspring is the component that moves all the gears to allow the watch to keep time. Without it, even the most expertly designed watch will not function.
In a beautiful New Testament passage found in the book of Hebrews, the writer eloquently praises Jesus for being the one through whom God created the heavens and the earth. Like the intricacy of a specialty watch, every detail of our universe was created by Jesus (Hebrews 1:2). From the vastness of the solar system to the uniqueness of our fingerprints, all things were made by Him.
But more than the Creator, Jesus, like a clock’s mainspring, is essential for the function and flourishing of creation. His presence continually “[sustains] all things by his powerful word” (v. 3), keeping all that He has created working together in all its amazing complexity.
As you have opportunity to experience the beauty of creation today, remember that “in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). May the recognition of Jesus’s central role in both creating and sustaining the universe result in a joyful heart and a response of praise as we acknowledge His ongoing provision for us.
By Lisa Samra
REFLECT & PRAY
Jesus, thank You for the ways You care for and sustain Your creation.
What in God’s creation has caused you to worship Him? Why?
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INSIGHT
The New Testament letter to the Hebrews urges first-century readers to see the prophets, laws, and temple worship as a prelude to Someone far greater (1:1-4). According to the letter’s anonymous author, God’s own Son (vv. 5-14) has suffered and “[tasted] death for everyone” (2:9) to provide a relationship with God that has replaced and made obsolete the law and covenant of Moses (3:1-6; 8:13). In layer after layer of detail, the letter describes how Jesus came to personify the Sabbath rest, high priest, sacrifice, and temple that foreshadowed Him.
For these reasons, the thirteen chapters of Hebrews urge readers not to give in to fears, distraction, or discouragement (3:8). The message is clear: don’t stop believing (10:19-11:40); don’t stop loving (10:24-25; 13:1-3); don’t stop following and relying on the Good and Great Shepherd (13:20) who gives us reason to believe that the best is yet ahead (9:28). Mart DeHaan
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