“He’s got the whole world in His hands.” This anonymously written African American spiritual hymn has existed for many years in several versions. Since its first known publication in 1927, it has been covered by numerous artists. With each successive stanza, we could very well keep going and list everything that He has in His hands. Of course, the “He” in “He’s got the whole world in His hands” is our Lord Himself. This hymn is a hymn of trust in the Lord’s hand, even when the circumstances of this fallen world are set against God’s people.

How well Psalm 95 states what this hymn proclaims! “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”

Indeed, everything in all of creation is in the Lord’s hands. Our very lives are in His hands—including our past, our present, and even our future. From the beginning of creation to the end is in His hands. “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

But oh, how we try to grasp control from God’s hands and put it into our own. We sometimes experience delusion that things are in our control. An article from 2018 called “Illusion of Control: Why the World Is Full of Buttons That Don’t Work” makes this point. The author illustrates the human desire to have everything in our own control, and describes the way we can be given the illusion of control every day. For example, the article states many crosswalk buttons don’t work and there may be no desire to fix them. The article explains that there are buttons around us that are “placebo buttons,” which give us the illusion of control—like the “close elevator door” button? It’s often designed not to do anything except in certain contexts. Most elevator doors close through a programmed timer. So, pressing the button makes people feel like they control the elevator.

However, this article and others like it are disputed, with some people saying the buttons do work as users expect, others saying they don’t work, and still others giving lots of reason why they do or don’t work. Ironically, even this discussion about the illusion of control lacks any actual control. 

So often we surround ourselves with things that give us the illusion that we are in control. We can easily be consumed by the constant dings, buzzes, and alarms of little devices in our pockets that tell us “new message,” “new reminder,” or “breaking news.” It all collectively adds up to task after task. You feel like you should be getting somewhere, responding to important matters, and acquiring information to understand the world. But it often feels more like our hands are tied at the end of each day.

Now add on top of this the things that we know that we have no control over (such as everything the happenings across the world, the things that happen in Washington, the things that happen with the economy, or even the things happening inside our own bodies), and it may make us want to throw our hands up in the air. Maybe, just maybe, we start to wonder, “Does He have the whole world in His hands?” Because there are many times when our attempts at explanations just won’t do.

The truth is proclaimed in tonight’s Gospel Reading. John the Baptist knew the Messiah was coming and is now here. He provides testimony. Jesus provides testimony. The apostle John provides testimony. Therefore, it is written, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Just as we heard in our midweek service last week, Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is before all, and all things have been created through Him. Now, John echoes that truth. If you want to know God, look to Christ Jesus. To hear the words of Christ is to hear the words of God. The Father has sent the Son and loves the Son. All things are given into His hand.

In fact, an artistic tradition depicting Christ as holding the globe of the earth beautifully makes this point. Christ does have the whole world in His hands. He is King. He has authority over all things, but He first descended in humility. The world looked at Him, laughing and jeering, as they mocked, spat on, and crucified Him. “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” That’s what our sinful hands have done. By appearance alone, it didn’t look like Jesus had the whole world in His hands.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the altarpiece, which shows Jesus’ crucifixion. Through a bit of artistic license John the Baptist is also shown in that scene, because he states the truth. John is shown with an abnormally long and extended finger pointing to Jesus on the cross with the words “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John knows his place; he is to be that finger pointing to Jesus. Like Moses pointing to the bronze serpent lifted on the pole, John is shown pointing to Christ—the one who brings eternal salvation from our sins—as He is lifted on the cross.

The “Hand of the Lord” was in control the whole time. The whole world was in Jesus’ hands as He was enacting salvation for the sake of the whole world. He has healed us through His suffering. He brought salvation through His crucifixion. He offered forgiveness through His death. He gifted justification to us as He was raised on the third day. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now reigns. And one day, the whole world will know that He has the world in His hands.

Jesus’ hand is still at work through His Church today, baptizing and teaching. Jesus’ hand is at work when young and old alike have the promises of Baptism poured out upon their heads. Jesus’ hand is at work when His body and blood are delivered into our mouths to eat and to drink. Jesus’ hand is at work when He opens the Scriptures to us to teach us the words of God. Our whole lives are in His hands.

This also means something for the use of our hands in this world. We certainly don’t have ultimate control over this life. Yet, at the same time, the Lord uses our hands in our daily vocations at home, at work, in society, and in the Church to love and serve our neighbors. Knowing that our eternal lives are in His hands gives us the freedom to reach out and deliver His many gifts to those in need.

Everything is in Jesus’ hands. All of history is in His hands. Our lives are in His hands. Your future is in His hands. Your salvation is in His hands. Jesus has the whole world in His hands. Amen.