Being “in Christ” is everything, for He is the Source of all that is and the Sustainer of everyone and everything. As Ronald Rolheiser puts it, “Anything else is merely a branch. Jesus is the vine, the blood, the pulse, and the heart.”
“In Christ” is central in Paul’s thinking – scholars note that the term “in Christ” or “in Christ Jesus” is used in Paul’s letters 169 times. The term is not found prior to Paul and is rare outside his writings. So, what does it mean for us?