The Emphasis of Christ

GETTING STARTED

What makes Christianity different than any other religion in the world is the emphasis of Jesus Christ as sovereign savior. If I had two minutes to convince someone of why Jesus is great and why he or she should follow him, the following passage in Colossians is what I would quote verbatim. Paul delivers the core of the gospel and redemptive story of Jesus in these six doctrinal verses. It’s like reading a biography, curriculum vitae, commendation, and a thesis for the preeminence of Jesus, all written into the body of one letter to the Colossian church.

  • What do you know or believe about the supremacy of Jesus?

READ THE WORD: COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 (ESV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. Who is Jesus Christ in relation to God the Father (vs. 15)? (Keep in mind that “firstborn” here does not indicate that Christ was the first created being. Instead, it signifies authority over creation and existence before the creation of all things.)
  2. How is Christ supreme over all creation (vss. 15-16)?
  3. What descriptors of Jesus are given in verses 17-19?
  4. Jesus was not the first person to have been raised by God from the dead. However, he was the first resurrected person never to die again. Why does being firstborn from the dead give Jesus preeminence over all things (vs. 18)?
  5. Interpret the role of Jesus as a reconciler (vss.19-20). How, what, and whom did he reconcile? What does this mean to you personally?

RESPOND TO GOD

Paul emphasized Christ’s preeminence because without him we do not exist. If there were no Christ before creation, there would not have been a creation. If there were no death on the cross, then there would be no life in the presence of God. A tomb without Christ is hope, but a church without Christ is futility. Paul’s exposition of who Jesus is leaves no question as to why no other being or deity could ever compare to the supremacy of Christ.

  • Praise God for allowing us to see who he is through the supreme image of Jesus Christ.
  • Ask God to help you experience the fullness of who he is through a relationship with his Son.