Daily Bread Colossians 1
Daily Bread Colossians 1
The Supremacy of Christ
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And 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. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[f] your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Observation:
In this book, Paul is writing to the church in Colossae. It was known as an area where there were lots of cultic religious practices. Deities were summoned for their power and people worshipped things comparable to New Age movement today (In that day it was called “Gnosticism”). As Paul, writes this letter to the church there, he first of all stresses the Deity of Christ. In one of the clearest statements of Jesus’ divinity, Paul states, “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God.”
Paul reiterates what the 4th Gospel writer (John) says, in stating that Jesus was part of creating all things, both in the visible realm and also invisible (spiritual). He rules over the world and also the church. Not only was Jesus powerful as all of God resided in Him, he also was strategically used to reconcile all things back to God. Paul stresses that Jesus’ physical death and his literal blood brought us back into a relationship with God. This was to show that this was a literal reality, not just spiritual. This truth was a direct counter to the Gnostic heresy that sought peace with God through spiritual knowledge and becoming like a god through such knowledge.
Application:
Sometimes we forget how powerful Jesus was/is. Most of the pictures of Jesus make him look passive, sweet and very “chaplain” like. But we forget he is the most powerful person on the earth. Jesus, when he was on earth, was a perfect representation of what God is like.
That is why it makes so much sense to study Jesus life and his teachings. Paul became a servant of this Gospel (the Good News that Jesus came to show us exactly what God is like!) And the Good News is that God wants to transform us day by day to look more like Him. The first step is being reconciled “or made right” with God through what Jesus did on the cross, but that is only the first step.
Paul says in Colossians 1:28, his job was not just to bring people into a personal relationship with God through Christ, but also to present them perfect or mature in Christ. We cannot make ourselves perfect, but we can allow Christ’s power to continue to mold us into maturity (ie. what we were created to be in the beginning!). We were created to be Christ-bearers, or to represent to the world what the Good News is in word and deed.
The Good News is that as we are reconciled to God, we begin a journey of being made “complete” or “perfect”. One day that journey will end, and we will be with our maker and the author of our salvation. Until that day, we walk by faith trusting that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it!
Prayer: God thank you for sending Jesus to show us what you are like. We thank you that He has reconciled us to you, so that we can begin this process of becoming who we were intended to be. Thanks for people like Paul, who has given his life to make sure this Good News is known to all. May we also be representatives of who you are and your great purpose for all people struggling with the your energy which works in and through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The Supremacy of Christ
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And 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. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[f] your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Observation:
In this book, Paul is writing to the church in Colossae. It was known as an area where there were lots of cultic religious practices. Deities were summoned for their power and people worshipped things comparable to New Age movement today (In that day it was called “Gnosticism”). As Paul, writes this letter to the church there, he first of all stresses the Deity of Christ. In one of the clearest statements of Jesus’ divinity, Paul states, “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God.”
Paul reiterates what the 4th Gospel writer (John) says, in stating that Jesus was part of creating all things, both in the visible realm and also invisible (spiritual). He rules over the world and also the church. Not only was Jesus powerful as all of God resided in Him, he also was strategically used to reconcile all things back to God. Paul stresses that Jesus’ physical death and his literal blood brought us back into a relationship with God. This was to show that this was a literal reality, not just spiritual. This truth was a direct counter to the Gnostic heresy that sought peace with God through spiritual knowledge and becoming like a god through such knowledge.
Application:
Sometimes we forget how powerful Jesus was/is. Most of the pictures of Jesus make him look passive, sweet and very “chaplain” like. But we forget he is the most powerful person on the earth. Jesus, when he was on earth, was a perfect representation of what God is like.
That is why it makes so much sense to study Jesus life and his teachings. Paul became a servant of this Gospel (the Good News that Jesus came to show us exactly what God is like!) And the Good News is that God wants to transform us day by day to look more like Him. The first step is being reconciled “or made right” with God through what Jesus did on the cross, but that is only the first step.
Paul says in Colossians 1:28, his job was not just to bring people into a personal relationship with God through Christ, but also to present them perfect or mature in Christ. We cannot make ourselves perfect, but we can allow Christ’s power to continue to mold us into maturity (ie. what we were created to be in the beginning!). We were created to be Christ-bearers, or to represent to the world what the Good News is in word and deed.
The Good News is that as we are reconciled to God, we begin a journey of being made “complete” or “perfect”. One day that journey will end, and we will be with our maker and the author of our salvation. Until that day, we walk by faith trusting that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it!
Prayer: God thank you for sending Jesus to show us what you are like. We thank you that He has reconciled us to you, so that we can begin this process of becoming who we were intended to be. Thanks for people like Paul, who has given his life to make sure this Good News is known to all. May we also be representatives of who you are and your great purpose for all people struggling with the your energy which works in and through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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