Colossians 1:15
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”
The heart of man cries out for God. From the small child, to the individual who has faced a devastating loss, or grueling pain, their hearts cry out to know God. In an attempt to answer the heart’s cry, men create God in their own image. Some have invented a vast, complicated religious system, while others have checked out. They have decided, with all the different religions, no one can know for sure. To this Paul has a simple answer,
“He is the image of the invisible God, . . .”
While we cannot see God with the natural eye, we do not have to live our lives as though He is hidden from us. In order to answer the cry of the heart, God sent His Son, so we would forever know who God is, and what He is like. There is no need to use our imaginations or experiences in an attempt to create a God who fits our liking. We just need to open the pages of the Bible and see for ourselves who God is. As we watch Jesus walk the streets of Israel, encountering people in their real life situations, we learn how God feels about us, and what He desires to do in our lives. We see Him reaching out to the hurting, with a hand of compassion, and we learn that He cares about our needs, concerns and pain. We watch as He interacts with sinners, and we find, in all our sin, He still loves us. He desires to forgive our sins and bring us to Himself. We know He spent time, daily, with those who chose to follow Him, revealing the secrets of eternity to them. We learn, as we walk with Him daily, He will speak to us. He even takes common men, whose lives would have gone unnoticed by the world, and uses them to make a mark on the world. Their service will outlast their lives, and they will store up treasures in heaven that will last forever.
Jesus is the image of the invisible God. We no longer have to guess who God is, or what He is like. We just need to know Jesus. Instead of listening to all the voices screaming out of confusion, attempting to explain a God they have never seen, let’s go to the pages of the Bible and meet Jesus face-to-face. What an amazing God we have, that He would take on the form of man to reveal Himself to us.
Why not pray right now and ask God to reveal Himself to you?
Pastor Jim
Questions for Colossians 1
1. Faith, hope, and love are mentioned in verses 4 and 5. These are three foundations of the Christian faith. Who was their faith in? Who was their love for? What was their hope?
2. In verse 9-12, Paul prays for the Colossians. List the things that he prays for them. If you have ever had a difficult time praying for anyone, this is a great model for us to follow as we seek to pray for God to work in people’s lives.
3. Consider verses 13-14. What things does this verse say Jesus did for us?
4. Read verses 15-17. Now read Genesis 1. What do these verses teach us about Jesus’ role in the creation of the universe?
5. In verses 15-20, we read that in everything, Jesus should have the preeminence, that He should be first priority. Make a list of each time the word “all” is used in these verses and what it is describing each time. What does this tell us about Jesus’ rightful place in His creation and in our lives?
6. In verses 20-23, we read that Jesus reconciled us to God even though we were once enemies in our mind toward Him. Outwardly, we may seem very different, but inwardly, we are very much the same: we are rebels, and want to do things our way, not God’s. Before Jesus, this was the rule, but now He remakes us from the inside out. How has God changed you since you received His Son into your life?
7. When the bible speaks of a mystery, it speaks of a thing once hidden, but now revealed. The great mystery of the Scripture is the great salvation we have in Jesus. One of the amazing things about this salvation that distinguishes it from all other religion is that the creator of the universe, Jesus, comes to live in our hearts and to work inside of us. Take time to consider and think upon this. Thank God that He lives and works in us, not that we have to work it all out ourselves!
8. In verse 28, notice that the main theme of Paul’s preaching is not a “what”, but a “who”: “Him we preach.” As you seek to be used by God to reach others, do you keep Jesus central? Politics, economics, world religion, current events, or any number of other things threatens to take the focus off of Him. Ask God to help you to continually bring things back to Jesus with others.
Old Testament:
Isaiah 15- Wrong Number
Isaiah 16- Count Down
Jim Gallagher 