#3 Colossians 1:15-20 "Jesus Is..."
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
16 For everything was created by Him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities —
all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things,
and by Him all things hold together.
18 He is also the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that He might come to have
first place in everything.
19 For God was pleased to have
all His fullness dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile
everything to Himself
by making peace
through the blood of His cross —
whether things on earth or things in heaven. HCSB
Did your mind just drift as you read? If so, try reading the passage one more time and focus on each phrase of this majestic description of Jesus. The passage is written in poetic form because it is believed to have been used as a song of praise. Notice how the passage describes who Jesus is rather than what he did. Remember, your faith is in who Jesus is, the Lord, the Son of God. Your salvation, that you belong to his kingdom, was made possible by what he did.
Spend these next few minutes thinking about the One in whom you have placed your faith and entrusted your life and eternity. He is the invisible God made visible. God revealed a lot about himself in the Old Testament. But he is seen in Ultra vivid HD clarity in Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Everything we couldn’t comprehend about God is made clear to us in the man, Jesus Christ. That’s why Hebrews 1:3 declares: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature…
The word “firstborn” (v15) means that Jesus holds the place of highest honor and dignity, not that he was the first person created. Jesus has always existed and because he created all things, he is to have first place in everything (v18). Your objective today is to live like Jesus is first in everything you do. Remind yourself of that truth throughout your waking hours.
In v16, the word “For” that begins the verse, carries the idea “because”. Jesus is head over all of creation because he is the Creator of all things, seen and unseen. Everything that exists was created - check out these next words - through Jesus and for Jesus. The visible and invisible worlds weren’t only created by him, they were created for him. That is why he loves you so much. You were created by him and you were created for him. The God of the cosmos treasures his relationship with you. Living your life for God will bring you the greatest fulfillment and pleasure possible. This is what Jesus meant when he said that he came to give you an abundant life (John 10:10).
After creating the cosmos, Jesus didn’t kick back to watch the show. He is constantly sustaining his creation. In v17 we learn that he holds it all together. That’s why nations haven’t nuked each other out of existence. A giant meteor hasn’t crashed into planet earth because Jesus is keeping all of the galaxies in order, controlling every planet’s orbit and rotation. He orders the orbit of planets and protons! He is in absolute control even though evil seems to run rampant throughout our world. But evil’s influence is only to the degree that Jesus allows.
The domain of darkness (v13) is on a leash that is firmly held by Christ so you don’t have to be afraid of Satan and his demonic forces. They are very real but they are under Jesus' absolute authority. You don’t have to worry if some rogue nation is going to launch a nuclear missile, if there will be another school shooting today or a terrorist attack tomorrow. Do not be afraid! Jesus is in firm control of both worlds. When news stories make you fearful or anxious, remind yourself of this passage. Yes, terrible things happen every day. But the Lord Jesus Christ is in absolute control. Our world is broken beyond repair, but he reigns over it for his purposes and he will right every wrong when he returns. When you can't understand why he would allow such awful things to happen, remember that his ways are infinitely higher than your ways. You are incapable of understanding all that Jesus is doing.
But what about your life? Is Jesus really in full control of your world too? Yes, yes, yes! It doesn’t feel like it at times, we all experience that. But you must believe that Jesus is exactly who this passage says he is, the head of his Church, which means he is the head of every person who belongs to him. Jesus’ resurrection began an entirely new age that was foretold in the Old Testament and will come to complete fruition when he returns. Until that day, Jesus is holding together the lives of every one of his followers. Even though it may feel like things are falling apart, they are not. He holds it all together for his purposes.
You are a new creation in Christ because he has made you to be his very own and he is holding your life together by his limitless power. As you think more and more about who Jesus is, it will be easier for you to give him first place in every area of your life.
The fullness of God dwells in Jesus. Through the blood of his cross, he reconciled you to his Father. You now have peace with God through your faith in his Son. He is preeminent in everything. You are a new creation in Christ because he has made you to be his very own and he is holding your life together by his limitless power. As you think more and more about who Jesus is, it will become easier for you to give him first place in every area of your life.
Your rebellious choices that were opposed to God were reconciled by God himself. Since you chose to sin against him, he was the only one who could secure your forgiveness. Think about that today and tonight, each time you have a jealous urge, an angry thought, whenever you struggle forgiving someone and when your Me Monster shows up. Confess those self-centered acts and rest in the fact of who Jesus is, God the Son, your Savior and your Lord.
Take Action:
- Continue using the prayer in vs9-12, both during your reading/prayer time and as flare prayers throughout the day.
- Look for ways that you can recognize Jesus’ control over your life’s circumstances, in the news locally and globally, and in nature.