Thursday, April 27, 2023 Some material taken from We Proclaim Him
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Colossians 1:13-15
Everything We Need
Evangelism is sharing the "good news" that Jesus Christ has made provision for the sins of men. This is the responsibility of every believer. As we have been transformed by our Heavenly Father, we live changed lives that change other’s lives. Our changed life is a living testimony to those around us.
Utilizing each spiritual gift, God mobilizes the church to share the gospel of Christ with the world. We are proclaiming Jesus and His message. Salvation is found in Him and in Him alone. There are many different things that Jesus is and represents. It is good for us to understand that well so we can share it well with others.
Jesus is…
Our source of redemption - v.14a He is our Redeemer. He bought us by His blood.
Our source of forgiveness - v.14b I have no source of forgiveness other than that which He provided through His sacrifice on the cross.
The Image of the Invisible God - v.15a He is God. Paul doesn’t mince any words here. Jesus “is the image of the invisible God.” Images convey meaning way beyond what words can describe. A wedding band represents the fact that your spouse said yes to marrying you. Our American flag stands for freedom. As powerful as these symbols are, they are simply representations of far deeper realities. A ring doesn’t make you married, but it’s a symbol that you are married. The American flag is a powerful national symbol, but it only represents what our country is all about.
Jesus is not just a symbol of God; He is God Himself. The word “image” in Greek is “eikon” and refers to “likeness, manifestation, or replica.” In that culture the “image” was a die or stamp that was able to make exact reproductions. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. He is the precise copy because He is God Himself. He both represents and manifests God to the world.
“No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” John 1:18 That phrase “made him known,” means Jesus literally “exegetes,” to the world what God the Father is really like.
John 14:9 says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being…” 2 Corinthians 4:4 also refers to Christ as the “image of God.”
The first-born of all creation - v.15b The phrase “firstborn” is most frequently translated as “heir or owner.” In ancient time it meant the “ranking one, or supreme one.” Jacob was not born first but he was the heir. This is strongly supported in Psalm 89:27 where we read that God appointed King David as his “firstborn,” even though he was the youngest of eight brothers. This verse concludes by saying that David will be the “most exalted of the kings of the earth.” “Firstborn” therefore is a title of honor or position, not chronological order. This is not reflective of the order of created things but the relationship to the Father as a prince would be to a king. There can be no doubt that the apostle here has reference to the usual distinctions and honors conferred on the first-born, and means to say that, among all the creatures of God, Christ occupied a preeminence similar to that.
This is just the beginning of who Jesus is and all He represents for us. He is completely and wholly everything we ever need and the only thing that will ever fill the never-ending well of dissatisfaction we are always trying to fill on our own. He is the answer to every problem and the balm to every broken heart. He is the greatest gift we could ever give to another human being.
Tomorrow we will hear a little bit more of who He is and our job of proclaiming Him.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. Colossians 1: 28-29
