In Colossians 1:15-17, we learn that Jesus Christ is Lord over creation. In Colossians 1:18-20, He is lord over His recreation. Today, we will only consider Colossians 1:15.
The Apostle Paul is teaching the Colossian believers on the subject of spiritual maturity. Most think spiritual maturity is measured by how moral we are, NOT! Spiritual maturity brings a certain measure of comfort with the discomforts that God allows in our lives. The discomforts in our lives drive us to cry out to the Lord and He is the one who brings about wisdom and spiritual understanding as we have seen previously in this chapter.
The problem the Apostle Paul was addressing in this epistle was the attacks that were being levied on the person of Jesus. The believers in Colossae were in danger of losing a sense of the profound power and ongoing presence of Jesus Christ in their lives. They were losing sight of the fact that Jesus is in control of all things in our lives, even the discomforts!
C.S. Lewis wrote, "A man can't be always defending the truth; there must be a time to feed on it." This was the case for the church at Colossae.
In today's text the Apostle tells us Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The Greek word "eikon" is used for the English word "image". Someone once said, "Jesus is God with a face."
Paul likely had in mind Psalm 89:27: "I will make Him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth." Jesus is not a created being. He is the Creator who reigns over all creation!
I love the story of the little girl who when put to bed asked to her mommy, "mommy, I want you to stay with me." Her mommy responded with, "honey, Jesus is with you." The little girl then said, "I know that mommy, but I want someone with skin on."
Some say that "firstborn over all creation" means that Jesus is the first one to be created. Even though, it is true that the Greek word translated here "firstborn" is used of Jesus in the Bethlehem story. Here in Colossians 1:15 it is used in the sense of the heir, the owner, the possessor of creation. The context bares this out.
Jesus could not be part of God's creation, for all created things were created by Him.
Ancient Colossae was located in the Lycus Valley, about one hundred miles inland from Ephesus. This was an area that was the center of earthquakes. We know that a major, devastating earthquake hit this area in A.D. 60. Much of the city was destroyed and numerous lives were lost. Since the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome during A.D. 60. he wrote this letter to a group of believers who had been seriously shaken!
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation", was significant to the believers in Colossae, because their world had been shaken and they needed an anchor. And, when we come to know Jesus for who He is, we discover that He is what we need.
"Jesus will never be all that we need until He is all that we have."
