Treasure Tree DNA: Jesus is at the center.
This is the foundation of who we are. Jesus is at the center of everything. Looking at Scripture and in nature, it is abundantly clear that there is order in the universe. And when we talk about order, we are talking both about structure and authority.
By structure, we mean that there is a distinct direction in creation, and it flows from beginning to end. Through Jesus, everything was made (Colossians 1:15-18). Nothing exists without Him. He is the Word of God that spoke all things into existence (John 1; Genesis 1). Functionally, this places Jesus at the starting point of creation. He is the beginning of all things, the One who exists outside of the definitions of start and finish, first and last, beginning and end. He is the uncreated Creator. He is the wisdom of God, the source of His affection towards us.
By authority, we mean that because Jesus is the source of all things, He has authority over all things. All things were created for Him (Colossians 1:15-18). All things are under His authority, and He is the head of His Church (Ephesians 1:22-23). As the maker of all things, He is entitled to power, honor, glory, and majesty. Every person on earth will eventually bow before His throne (Philippians 2:10-11). This is the purpose of His might, His sovereignty, and His care for us. But He does not merely wield this power to force us to bow. Instead, He invites us to come willingly, recognizing His preeminence and willfully assenting to His Kingship.
That is why we humbly and steadfastly declare that Jesus is at the center. He is at the core of all things because all things are through Him and for Him. He has the authority to rule and reign over the world–and over us. This is not merely an acknowledgment of His power. It is a realignment of our passions, our priorities and our purpose. We aren’t merely assenting to a fact; we are shaping our hearts to a new way of existing. Jesus becomes the treasure our lives are chasing. His voice becomes the one we listen to over every other. His love becomes the source of our joy, hope, and peace. His presence becomes our home. His Spirit transforms our desires.
This is the core of Scripture, the center of history, and the call of our lives. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and end (Revelation 22:13). He is all of these things whether we want Him to be or not. But the invitation of God is to joyfully give up the lies we have believed about the world and willingly submit ourselves to Jesus’ Kingship. Because the world is not about us. It is all about Him.
We think, teach, and write with this core truth at heart. We want everything we do to be about Jesus. We are united around His love and authority, and our hearts are bent toward His will and way. Everything that we do is inspired by His uniqueness, and we will seek to lift Him up as supremely worthy and valuable. Our one desire is to please and glorify Him. Our one passion is to worship Him, and to see His rule and reign come to earth, starting in our own hearts and working outward into His Church and the world.
