January 4, 2023

Colossians 1:15-18 (HCSB)
The Centrality of Christ
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.

Kim Ivey
False teachers had come to Colossae spreading confusion among believers about Jesus deity. It’s so easy to get distracted by other people’s opinions and beliefs. It’s easy to integrate what other people say is right or wrong into our own belief system. There are “Christian” churches in our community that encourage being open to differing beliefs about who Jesus is. When we lose sight of who Jesus is, though, all hell breaks loose. The Ten Commandments are thrown out the window. New rules are made up. Morality is redefined. Paul addresses this emphatically in vs 15-18. This passage cannot be read in a hum-drum sort of way. It requires some James Earl-Jones intensity! Vs 17 states, “He is before all things,and by Him all things hold together.” Nothing can exist without Jesus Christ! He is the beginning! Supreme! He is God! Do you know who Jesus is? Really? Read through this passage again, a bit more slowly than you did the first time. Take a moment after each phrase, and let the meaning soak in. Pray to God and ask Him for a fresh perspective on the deity, the divine nature, of Jesus Christ; a fresh perspective on who He is. Then thank Him for giving us such a Savior.