Our New Testament reading for this week, the final week before the beginning of Advent, brings us to St. Paul’s letter to the Colossian church. This portion of Scripture dives deep into a study of the person, nature, and works of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the supremacy of Jesus in creation, in redemption, and the believer’s daily walk. There are some denominations that preach false and heretical teachings that Jesus was a created being, some saying that He only achieved deity after the Resurrection. They don’t like verses like what is in our Scripture passage. Some heretical denominations even go so far as to publish their own Bibles, manipulating verses by mistranslation or omission that speak of Jesus as part of the Trinity. Let’s look at what God has to say here.
As we begin, the Apostle informs us that the Lord gives us strength and might (vs. 11-12). Any strength we have, whether it is physical, or especially spiritual, comes not from ourselves, but from God’s power. The Holy Spirit imparts that to us, as patience and longsuffering are some of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit’s presence we have all that we need for carrying out our Father’s will.
Paul continued on by describing how we were once a part of Satan’s kingdom, the kingdom of darkness, but are now part of God’s kingdom (vs. 13-14). We were once held as prisoners by Satan and his kingdom. We were held, bound in darkness. However, Jesus paid for our redemption with His Blood, shed on Calvary’s cross. When we accepted Jesus as our Savior, our sins were forgiven and we were transferred into His Kingdom. Satan may not have wanted to release us, but we are now no longer under bondage to him or to sin.
Now we come to some verses that people who deny the doctrine of the Trinity, who deny the pre-existence of the Lord Jesus or His deity, do not like to read (vs. 15-17). Jesus Christ is the visible manifestation of the invisible God (John 1:1-3, 18). The term “firstborn” here means preeminence, not referring to His creation status. Jesus was not created. He was present at creation, as He is the Creator. Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of everything that has been created. Every aspect of life is held together by Him. This should produce reverence and confidence in the Lord Jesus. Our world is not random. It is all upheld by Him. The fact that Jesus was physically born is part of His choice to become a man and die for our sins. It does not negate His infinite role in the Trinity.
In verse 18 we see that as the pre-existing Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, the source of resurrection life, and the One who must be supreme in all things. Jesus is to have preeminence or supremacy in all things (Ephesians 1:20-23). He is to have first place in our hearts and lives. That is before our family, our job, our house, car, hobbies, etc. This includes within the church itself. Church life must center on Jesus, not on personalities or programs. We need to be giving Jesus first place in everything. Jesus stands alone. No one or no thing is like Him.
In the final two verses of this Scripture passage, we see again the deity of Christ, and how He has reconciled us to the Father (vs. 19-20). Jesus possesses the fullness of deity (Colossians 2:9). The deep love that Jesus demonstrated through His death on the cross frees us from the debt for our sins, and opens the way for our reconciliation with God (Romans 5:1, 10). His cross brings peace and reconciliation, not only for believers, but ultimately for all of creation. As believers, once we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, we can now enjoy peace with God, and look forward to the restoration of all things in His Kingdom.
As we look back through this Scripture, we see that Jesus is more than the One who forgives us our sins and helps us with our daily problems. He is the image of the invisible God. He takes the invisible and makes it plain to us. He is the One by whom all things were created. He is the Head of the entire Christian Church, which is His Body. Jesus leads us and protects us. He is the One who went first into death and out the other side into everlasting life. Jesus reconciled all things to Himself through His death on the Cross, cleansing us from sin and setting us free from evil.
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