Read Colossians 1:15-23
1. "He..." (vs.15-20). Jesus Christ is the true "image" of God (vs.15, 19); that is one reason for taking our Bible reading very seriously, since it is in the Bible that we meet Jesus. But Christ is not just some kind of carved and painted figure, like an idol or icon. See how many different things He is described as being and doing in verses 16 to 18. The most important is put last, for emphasis (v.20). It mattered more to Jesus, and it cost Him more, to "make peace" between you and God than it did to fling the stars into space and to build the universe.
2. "And you..." (vs.21-23). Christian doctrine has to do with real people in real-life situations - "you" in Colossae, in London, in New York, in Lake Jackson. The paragraph has two parts: (a) What Christ has done (vs.21,22). Again, try to pick out the highlights. There is no one else like Jesus. To be the Church is to proclaim the fulness of the Godhead in Christ. No less will do. (b) What we have to do (v.23). Our part is straight-forward - holding on to what we have been given. "Every creature under heaven" - this is obviously a figure of speech. Paul means "far and wide across the Roman Empire." The Gospel has been proclaimed far and wide. It is beginning to bear rich fruit. That is a process that continues to this day. What kind of fruit are you bearing?
Prayer: For all that Jesus is and for all that He has done, I thank You, heavenly Father. Amen.
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