Source of Life

In this episode of the Things Above podcast, James Bryan Smith talks about a time when he saw a bumper sticker that read, “Fishing is my life.” After giving this some thought, Jim surmised this man believed his source of existence is fishing itself. This was not hyperbole. It was a statement of being. The reality is, fishing did not bring him into existence, nor does it continue to make his heart beat and his lungs breathe. In Colossians 3:4, Paul uses the same phrasing as the bumper sticker: Christ is your life. Jesus is the true and genuine source of life, not just for Christians but for everyone. Earlier in Colossians, Paul also said, “For in him 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.” From this it’s clear: Jesus is not only the source of everything, but all things are held together by him. In addition to the giver of our biological life (bios), Jesus is the giver of our spiritual life (zoe). We receive zoe when we receive Jesus by faith: “But these are written that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31). The life we were designed to possess (true, eternal life) is a gift from Jesus for this life, not merely the next. Many Christians miss this and consequently miss out of the richness of life here on earth. So, what is the source of life? It’s Jesus. Key verses include Colossians 3:4, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17, John 20:31, John 10:10