Captivated by Christ

I love the word captivate. It means to be fascinated with something. We are fascinated or captivated by all sorts of things in this world. Amusement parks, scenic mountains, tranquil lakes, breathtaking ocean sunsets, and awesome athletic feats. We are fascinated by celebrities and political personalities. Yet, one person you rarely hear anyone say they are fascinated by is Jesus Christ.
Does He captivate your heart, your mind, your imagination, and the deepest affections of your soul? He is absolutely captivating. If we were to choose to look at several different facets of Him today He would be mind boggling.
Take for instance that He has always been. He was not only present during creation but actually involved in creation. There has never been a time when Jesus did not exist. That is why Paul writes in Colossians, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers of authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him.” [Col 1:15-16]
Jesus was the master architect behind the most moving scenic locations on this earth. You name a memorable place and Jesus created it. Not only that, He also created the heavens meaning the stars, planets, and galaxies. What a creative genius He is to think about the deep orange red of a sunset falling below the plains of Africa. How soothing to look up into a cloudless blue sky or to plunge beneath the beautiful blue waters off the Atlantic or Pacific oceans. What a creative stroke it was to put the black stripes on the body of the zebra and to splash pink over the body of the flamingo. He really out did Himself with all the panoramic colors of the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. It is captivating to take in the many and various colors of flowers not to mention their different shapes and sizes.
Ponder a little deeper and you see the creativity of Christ in different landscapes. You can drive in one direction and see the barren wastelands of desert plains with cactuses and mound on top of mound of dirt. Go in a different direction and you could find yourselves on the sandy beaches of some ocean with the waves pushing in around your toes before being tugged back out to sea. Leave that place and you could find yourself deep embedded in the green jungle of a rain forest with tropical plants and animals all about. Leave that place and you might find yourself in the foothills of some mountains with towering peaks and lofty trees surrounding you. We have only just begun. I have not mentioned the dense pine forests so thick in places only a few rays of sunshine are able to breakthrough the pine straw canopy, the wetlands with water foul and fish in places few human beings have ever seen with their eyes, nor the icy glaciers of frozen tundra of regions located in subzero temperatures. We have failed to mention the prairie lands overflowing with grazing beasts and grass as thick as plush carpet , or the rolling hills that stretch up and down for miles as far as the eye can see. Beyond that we still have to consider the redwood forests with gigantic trees so large cars can actually drive through the middle of them, or the cascade of waterfalls over mountain gorges several stories high falling onto moss covered rocks below which splash the waters creating rainbows in their mist. What about the great lakes that seem to be as a big as an ocean or the endless ribbon of rivers that stretch for thousands and thousands of miles around this world twisting and turning. Christ did all of that! He made all of it.
We have only looked at His creative works and already my heart is pounding and my mind is overwhelmed. I have not mentioned anything about the different climates with the scorching heat of desert regions, the relentless winds of Antarctica, the oppressive humidity of the Brazilian rainforests, the frigid temperatures of Canada, or the balmy breezes of tropical beaches.
This is only one small dimension about the King Immortal and the Savior Eternal. We did not even pursue the creative genius of Christ to it end conclusion. This is only one dimension of Christ. What about other dimensions? I have failed to mention one thing about His omniscience, His holiness, His omnipotent power, His flawless character, His perfect will, His redemptive nature, His lavish grace, and I could go on and on.
How could any true believer or serious Bible student not be captivated by Christ? How could we be mesmerized by the things of this world and bored with the things of Christ? It is a travesty.
Though there is so much more that could be said, and I will say it in one of my upcoming books entitled Captivated By Christ, let me say that [Col 3:1-2] pretty well sums up the problem. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
We spend most of our days with our minds, our eyes, our imaginations, and our deepest desires set on the things of earth. We have our gaze in the wrong place and the object of our fascination and affections on the wrong things. Christ is captivating. We just don’t take the time to look long enough or think deeply enough about Him. We glance instead of gaze and we think peruse over the surface rather than pondering the deep realities of who Christ is. We are content to give our hearts and minds to the fleeting things of this world rather than to press on to know the surpassing value of knowing Christ. I say it again. He is captivating.
If you find yourself in the awful position of not being captivated by Christ, I urge you to set aside some time to think deeply on any aspect of the life of Christ you want. Pursue pondering that one aspect of Christ until you think you have exhausted it. Don’t rush through this exercise. Dig in the scriptures and follow each logical conclusion and answer the questions that surface and the implications of each answer to each question. When you have finished contemplating that one aspect of Christ then move on to another and complete the same exercise. You will be captivated and you and I will spend all of eternity getting fresh revelation after fresh revelation and being captivated, mesmerized, enchanted, and enthralled with knowing and communing with Christ.