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 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.
This passage is packed with theology! It is impossible to cover the depths of Paul’s words. But take a moment to reflect on the person of Jesus Christ. Who is He? Was He just a man who lived in Palestine 2000 years ago? A great teacher? A prophet? An enlightened guru? Or someone else? Paul paints this portrait of Jesus…
Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus is the very manifestation of God in the flesh, able to be seen and touched.
Jesus is the firstborn over all creation. Jehovah’s Witnesses make a point of this phrase to say that Jesus was the first creature created. Of course, they miss the following verses which say Jesus created all things so He Himself could not have been created. Instead, the Jewish mindset would clearly understand that as “firstborn” Jesus has pre-eminence over all things. In Psalm 89:17, God says of the Messiah, “I will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” God gave Jesus the title of “firstborn” as a title of honor and superiority. All things in creation are the inheritance and dominion of the Pre-Eminent Son of God.
Jesus is the creator of all things. All creatures, all powers, all angelic beings, all things were created by Jesus and for His glory. Whoa. The One who walked the roads of Palestine was the very creator of the earth on which He walked, the people in which He interacted with, and the cross on which He hung. Let that blow your mind for awhile.
Jesus is the sustainer of all things. All things are held together by Him. The atomic force that holds the atom together is only a small representation of His power. In Him, we live and move and have our very being.
Jesus is the head of the church. No man heads the church. Every pastor, bishop, preacher, priest, or elder ministers under the authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and we are the under-shepherds. Thus there is no room for pride, domination, superiority, or selfish agendas in the church of Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the conqueror of death. No person on earth can stop death…no matter how much earthly power, influence, or wealth he/she has. This in itself should keep us humble and sober. Only Jesus has power over death. If you can find another Savior who has physically conquered death, then follow them. I will stick with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the reconciler of mankind to God. Though Jesus has all power and supremacy, He did not come to earth to exert His power or force submission. He came to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. He did not come to condemn but to save. He came to reconcile each person back to God through His sacrificial death on the cross. He took our sin and our death in order to give us His righteousness and His life. HALLELUJAH! AMEN!
And I love how Paul ends this passage…This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. This is not just a nice story for a particular people in a particular culture. This is the story of redemption for all mankind of all ages of all cultures. This is the story of history, the story in which all of us are a part. And the good news has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. Commentators disagree on how to interpret this. Most believe that Paul is either exaggerating to some extent or saying that the gospel has reached every representative person in the known world at that time. I take it at face value. Yes, we are to take the gospel to every nation and every person but we must also remember that the Holy Spirit has already gone before us. We do not share the gospel with anyone who does not already have a sense of God’s existence (Romans 1:18-21), a sense of right and wrong (Romans 2:14-16), a sense of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:5-11), and a light pointing to their need for a Savior (John 1:9). God has never left Himself without a witness (Acts 14:16-17). And we have the awesome privilege of partnering with God as His ambassadors and His ministers of reconciliation in His great redemptive story (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
Lord, thank You for Jesus Christ. Thank You for reconciliation and forgiveness. Thank You for the privilege of being a representative of Your grace. May I shine Your light and share Your love with someone today.
