Thank you for stopping by and taking to time to watch, listen, or read this week’s message, Jesus Is.
I hope you find encouragement in your faith in Jesus, and maybe even learn something new along the way 🙂
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Recap
Last week we began our look at the letter the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae. In this letter, he gives a greater vision, a greater description, of who Jesus is. His revelation came about through an encounter he had with Jesus. He speaks briefly about this in 2 Corinthians 12 1b-4…
Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.
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As Paul began his letter, he encouraged the believers in Colossae. He then begins giving a description of who Jesus is, a description of the greatness of our Lord.
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 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. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. —Colossians 1.15-18
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According to Paul’s description in this passage, Jesus is…
1. The Image of the Invisible God – 15a
“The Son is the image of the invisible God”
Back in Genesis, we learn that we were made in God’s image, in His likeness. Jesus took part in creation, but when He came to this world in the flesh, He literally became the physical image of the invisible God.
The apostle John spoke to this when he wrote in John 1.14, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” God took on human form in the person of Jesus. So, when the world looked upon Jesus, they were looking at God in the flesh.
2. The Firstborn over All Creation – 15b
“the firstborn over all creation”
In that culture, the firstborn signified priority. The firstborn was not necessarily the oldest child. It referred not to birth order but to rank. Ultimately, the firstborn possessed the inheritance and leadership of the family.
The story of Jacob and Esau is a great example of this. In Genesis 27 we read how Esau, the actual “firstborn,” sold his birthright to his younger brother, Jacob, for a bowl of soup. Because of this transaction, Jacob became the “firstborn” with all of its rights and duties.
In the same way, Jesus is the true “firstborn” over all creation. He was part of the creation story, performing the rights and duties of the firstborn, and is the One that will be the recipient of the inheritance of God at the end of time.
3. The Creator of All Things – 16
“For in him all things were created”
Again, the apostle John speaks to this in John 1.1 when he penned, “Through Him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
Jesus was involved in the creation process as part of the Godhead. However, as Paul explains, all creation was about Him. He says that “in Him” all things were created. He also says that all things were created “through Him,” or by Him. More than that, all things were created “for Him.”
In Him, through and by Him, and for Him. All of creation is in, through, and for Him. It is all for His pleasure and glory. The focus is upon Him, not us. As the firstborn, He will inherit all that He created and all will return to Him.
4. Before All Things – 17a
“He is before all things”
Being the firstborn, being the creator, points to the truth that He is eternal. It is a concept that is beyond our understanding. He has always been and will always be. There is no beginning or ending to Jesus. He is forever.
The point here is the fact that we live in a finite world. All we have, all we hope for, our entire lives is just a blip in time. Whether we live a few hours or over a hundred years, it is still nothing in view of eternity.
Jesus was before all things, has always been, and will be throughout eternity. He is the One in whom we can trust, for He never ends.
5. The One who Holds All Things Together – 17b
“and in him all things hold together”
The One who created all things is the same One who holds all things together. Without Him all things would fail. Throughout history, Jesus has been with us, even though we may not realize it. To this day, no one has experienced what it would be like without Jesus in this world.
The only One to experience the absence of God was Jesus when on the cross. As He neared death, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was experiencing God turning His back, separating Himself from His Son.
For us today, whether we are believers or not, God’s presence is here. He is holding everything together.
6. The Head of the Body, the Church – 18a
“And he is the head of the body, the church”
Jesus is the brains of this operation. Like our own minds that control every aspect of our lives, Jesus controls every aspect of the church. We don’t realize all that the mind does for our bodies, nor do we truly realize what Jesus does for His Body.
Our minds are always working, keeping us alive. We don’t have to tell our brains to keep our hearts beating, to keep breathing, to access all of our senses. The brain just does what is necessary for life, to keep us safe.
In the same way, as the church, we are to allow Jesus to guide us into what we do. We are His body: His hands, feet, eyes, ears, etc. Do we trust Him in this way?
7. The Beginning – 18b
“he is the beginning”
The apostle John began the book that bears his name with the words, “In the beginning was the Word.” Jesus was before creation and was involved in the creation of the heavens and earth as we discussed earlier. There was no beginning to Jesus, but He is the beginning of all things.
John also wrote in Revelation 22.13, the words that Jesus proclaimed to him to share with us, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” There is no beginning or end to Jesus, but He is the One who begins, and will bring an end to, all things.
8. The Firstborn from Among the Dead – 18c
“and the firstborn from among the dead”
Jesus was not the first to rise from the dead. There are several stories in the scriptures about such events. Some of the stories are…
- · Elijah and the widow of Zarephath’s son (1 Kings 17.17-24).
- · Elisha and the Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4.18-37).
- · Jesus raised a few people from the dead…
- · The son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7.11-17).
- · The daughter of Jairus (Luke 8.40-56).
- · Lazarus (John 11).
- · There were Various saints in Jerusalem that arose from their tombs at Jesus’ death and entered into the city (Matthew 27.50-53).
- · Paul and the young man Eutychus (Acts 20.7-12).
With these stories, however, each person had to experience death again. Because of this, Jesus was the first to rise from the grave and live forever. He was the firstborn, in that all who come after Him and believe in Him will live, even though we die.
9. The Supreme Authority in All Things – 18d
“so that in everything he might have the supremacy”
After His resurrection from the dead, and prior to His ascension into heaven, Jesus met with His followers. In that final meeting, Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28.18). He has complete control over all things. There is nothing outside of His reach.
In a world where we see so much chaos and evil, it can be hard to believe in the “supreme authority” of Jesus. In the end, though, at the name of Jesus, “every knee [will] bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2.10-11).
All things will be given to Jesus, who, in turn, will give all things to the Father. At that time, “the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15.28).
By His authority, we are being drawn into Him where we will all be one in God for all eternity. Do we accept Him as the supreme authority in all things?
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This is just a sampling of the greatness of our Lord.
There is none like Him. He is worthy of our praise. He is worthy of our lives.
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Have a Great Day!