Colossians 1:15-17 - To Know Your Purpose, Ask Your Creator.
Colossians 1:15-17 (NLT) Christ is the
visible image of the invisible God. He existed
before anything was created and is supreme over all
creation, 16 for through him God created everything in
the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the
things we can see and the things we cant 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.
INTRODUCTION
This is one of the strongest statements
about the divine nature of Christ found anywhere
in the Bible. Jesus is not only equal to God
(Philip. 2:6), he 'is' God (John 10:30, 38; 12:45;
14:1-11); as the image of the invisible God, he is the
exact representation of God. He not only reflects
God, but he reveals God to us (John 1:18; 14:9);
as the firstborn over all creation, he has all
the priority and authority of the firstborn
prince in a king's household. He came from heaven,
not from the dust of the earth (1 Cor. 15:47),
and he is Lord of all (Romans 9:5; 10:11-13;
Rev. 1:5; 17:14). He is completely holy (Hebrews
7:26-28; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:22; 1 John 3:5), and he has
authority to judge the world (Romans 2:16; 2 Cor.
5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1). Therefore, Christ is supreme
over all creation, including the spirit world.
We, like the Colossian believers, must believe
in the deity of Jesus Christ (that Jesus is
God) or our Christian faith is hollow,
misdirected, and meaningless. This is a central truth of
Christianity. We must oppose those who say that Jesus was
merely a prophet or a good teacher. [Life
Application SB]
Because the false teachers believed that the
physical world was evil, they thought that God
himself could not have created it. If Christ were
God, they reasoned, he would be in charge only of
the spiritual world. But Paul explained that all
the rulers, powers, thrones, and authorities of
both the spiritual and physical worlds were
created by and are under the authority of Christ
himself. This includes not only the government but
also the spiritual world that the heretics were
so concerned about. Christ has no equal and no
rival. He is the Lord of all. [Life Application
SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
To Know Your Purpose, Ask Your Creator
When you put your trust in Jesus Christ,
you learn Gods purpose for your life.
Most people dont know the purpose of
their lives. They think they know what they want
or what is best for them. But if you havent
surrendered to Christ, then you cant know why you
were created and what youre here on earth for.
And if you dont know your purpose, you end up
drifting through life. You get bounced around. You
dont control anything, really, because your
circumstances end up controlling you.
No one wants to live like that.
Theres only one way youre going to
learn the purpose of your life. Youve got to
talk to your Creator.
Sometimes people will say that if you
want to know your purpose, look within. People do
that every day - and it never works! You cant
tell you what your purpose is because you
didnt create you.
Only the Creator can tell you what you
were created for. You will never, ever know the
purpose of your life until you believe in Jesus
Christ, because he is your Creator. You will never
know that you were made for more than this life
until you commit your life to Jesus.
The Bible says, Everything got started
in him and finds its purpose in him
(Colossians 1:16 MSG).
Today so many people are confused about
their identity and their purpose. They say, I
dont know who I am, and I dont know what Im
supposed to be doing with my life. Thats
because theyre looking in the wrong places.
Theyre not going to find their purpose in their
career, their accomplishments, their relationships,
or their possessions.
There is only one place to find your
identity and purpose in life, and thats through a
relationship with your Creator, Jesus Christ.
Its in Christ that we find out who
we are and what we are living for part of
the overall purpose he is working out in
everything and everyone (Ephesians 1:11 MSG).
Get to know your Creator. He wants to
show you how to make your life count! [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
His Birth Was Not The Beginning
Who is God's Son, Jesus Christ? He is
coequal with God the Father. He was not a Son of God
but the Son of God. He is the Eternal Son of God
- the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, God
manifested in the flesh.
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ had
no beginning. He was never created. The Bible
teaches that the heavens were created by Him (John
1:13). All the myriads of stars and flaming suns
were created by Him. The earth was flung from His
flaming fingertip. The birth of Jesus Christ that we
celebrate at Christmastime was not His beginning. His
origin is shrouded in the same mystery that baffles
us when we inquire into the beginning of God.
The Bible only tells us, "In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God" (John 1:1).
The entire universe would smash into
billions of atoms were it not for the cohesive power
of Jesus Christ. Let us remember His great
power when we celebrate His birth.
Why is it hard for us to comprehend Jesus
was there in the beginning? [Peace for Each Day
by Billy Graham]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Question: What do Zacchaeus and the woman
with the bleeding disorder have in common? They
both got more of Jesus than they bargained for.
Curious Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree just to
get a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by. Jesus
called to him and announced that He would be
Zacchaeus' houseguest. That visit transformed the tax
collector (Luke 19:1-10).
The desperate woman who had bled for
twelve years simply wanted to touch Jesus's robe to
be physically healed. But Jesus had more in
mind. After she got what she thought she wanted
most, Jesus drew her out of the crowd for a
face-to-face conversation. She left that personal
encounter spiritually healed as well (Luke 8:42-48).
Sometimes, I act like I only want a
little bit of Jesus in my day too. Maybe a glimpse
of Him in the background so I know He's got my
back. Or I touch base with a quick prayer to start
my day before running off to pursue my own
agenda. Thankfully, Jesus gives me, too, more than I
bargained for.
He knows what I truly need - not a chance
encounter but an intentional relationship. I want Him
to be in my thoughts every moment of every day,
present in every conversation, decision, and
interaction. That kind of closeness transforms my life.
Since Jesus knows me intimately, I want to get to
know Him better every day. Dianne Neal Matthews
Faith Step: Read through Psalm 139 slowly
and prayerfully, thinking about how intimately
Jesus knows and loves you. [Mornings With Jesus
2023 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan re
Psalm 139]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Colossians 1:15-17 - MERRY CHRISTMAS and
LIVE FOR JESUS!!!
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20231225-0732.html
Colossians 1:15-17 - JESUS the GOD-MAN.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20201224-0907.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
