I have a sense of anticipation coming into the new year more than I have had in the past. Some of my anticipation is a concern for where people are at. We are living in tough times, though some have been able to pretend that life is normal. It isn't. It doesn't take much to look around and see that evil abounds, suffering is everywhere and we are living in a world and age without purpose. Yes there are glimmers of light, the promise of hope, generosity and kindness. There are still vestiges of our Christian heritage. But these are being challenged all the time.
Lets take a test to see if I am right. Lets focus on who Jesus Christ is according to our society:
- A philosopher
- A teacher
- A Jew
- A religious person
- The founder of Christianity
- A man
- Someone to be mocked - See Best Church of God (this is not an endorsement for this site). I could have filled up this blog with internet references to sites dedicated to the demeaning of Jesus Christ.
- Someone to hate
- Someone to ignore
- irrelevant
- A name to be used when your mad
Now lets look at the truth from God's Word as we continue our study of Colossians:
Col 1: 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.
What a contrast in these verses where we see:
- Jesus is the image of God. We can't see God since He is Spirit. He is not created. But Jesus is the manifestation of God in the flesh.
- Before creation, Jesus existed.
- All things were created through Jesus. Apologizes to those who believe that stuff just happened. It didn't. Including things we see and can't see. Interesting that the Bible acknowledges that there is an unseen creation, even before microscopes, telescopes and shows like Cosmos.
- Rulers were created by Him
- Jesus is what holds all things together. No matter how clever we become with scientific investigation, there are given forces that just exist that hold all things together.
- Christ is the head of the church of true believers
- Jesus Christ is the first born of the dead, we refer to this as the resurection.
- Jesus Christ is fully God. Not a god, not a little god, not one of many gods, but the only true God.
- Jesus Christ is the savior for reconciling our lost relationship with God. We can have peace with God because Jesus died on the cross for our sins.