Colossians 1:15-22 

^“15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see, such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. ¹⁸ Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. ¹⁹ For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, ²⁰ and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. ²¹ This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. ²² Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

Last time Paul said we would grow as we learned to know God better and better, now he gives us the opportunity to deepen our understanding and relationship with Jesus. Paul moves from Praise and Prayer to the pinnacle of Christianity the preeminence of Jesus and as he does he moves from the big picture to personal. He confronts us with the big question “Who is the boss?” Much of the false teaching taking place in Colosse had to do with the minimizing of Jesus. People thought Jesus was important but not essential. They had given Him a place in their lives, without recognizing that He demands first place. Jesus was prominent to them but not preeminent. Paul starts by Reminding us that He is not Just the Savior of our lives He is Supreme, He is the sustainer of our lives. 

• HE IS GOD

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” – My wedding band represents the fact that Angel said “yes” to me! When we see the Statue of Liberty, something unexplainable takes place deep inside. And today, the image of the American Flag flying over Ground Zero ignites feelings of patriotism, sadness, and maybe even anger in our hearts. As powerful as these symbols are, they are simply representations of far deeper realities. My ring doesn’t make me married, it’s a symbol that I am married. The Statue of Liberty doesn’t in and of itself do anything. It stands for a nation that honors freedom. The American flag is a powerful national symbol but it only represents what our country is all about. Jesus is not just a symbol of God; He is God. The word “image” in Greek is “eikon” and refers to “likeness, manifestation, or replica.” In that culture the “image” was a die or stamp that was able to make exact reproductions. Jesus is the revealer of God, God came to earth and showed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Just as a mirror gives a reflection of its image, the Son gives a revelation of the Father. The Image manifests and reveals what is hidden – it makes the invisible, visible. It is not a copy but is a projection of the real thing – Jesus expresses the reality of God. John 14:9 Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”  Previously Paul believed that it was the Tabernacle and Temple that displayed the glory of God. He says it is Jesus the One he witnessed on the road to Damascus. Heb. 1:3 “The Son (Jesus) is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.” Jesus is not like God, He is not close to God, He is not almost God, Jesus is God. He was the us in the “Let us make man” If there ever was a son who imitated his father in every way, it was Jesus. There is a dangerous and deadly disease running rampant through the Christian community today. It may seem pretty harmless but its spores can infect an entire community. Its the virus of practicality, instead of calling people to faith, repentance and submission to the supremacy of Christ, we tell people that Jesus wants to give them a happy stress-free life. While Jesus will certainly change our lives, and our stress levels when we bow before His preeminence, we must move away from “What Jesus can do for me” to “Am I living in light of His lordship?” We don’t simply “add” Jesus to our lives; we adore Him with our lives through obedience. Today we talk about good Jesus instead of GOD Jesus. Paul establishing Jesus’ Position,  He has the supremacy in both Time and Rank – Pre-existence and Pre-eminence. Paul now reminds us of His Power.