Colossians 1:15

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation.

Most people have good things to say about Jesus. They like that he welcomed every kind of person; they admire that he was willing to stand up to the religious rulers of his time; they enjoy that he told compelling, down-to-earth stories and went out of his way to get alongside people; and they value how full of love he was. The apostle Paul, however, goes far beyond these kind comments. For Paul, Jesus showed the world exactly what God was like. Just as we can look at a coin and see what the sovereign looks like, so too by looking at Jesus we can see precisely what God is like.

We don’t know exactly what Paul’s opponents were teaching, but it seems to have been a combination of Jewish and Greek thought. Paul’s answer was to give them the most magnificent and clear description of Jesus: he is not only the one who existed before anything was created, but is now the one who holds all creation together. Jesus is intimately involved in our world right now, and is the head of the Church, the community of people who love him.

In every age there are people who will attack Christian teaching, and we shouldn’t be surprised that many people seek to challenge us today. It is always good to engage in conversation with our opponents. We need to do so graciously, clearly and thoughtfully, but our supreme task is not so much to win arguments as to point to Jesus. We are most likely to bless people by helping them to see how magnificent Jesus is, and to share with them how he has transformed and blessed our lives.

Question

In what way would you speak about Jesus to someone who felt that he was merely a really good man?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I worship you because you are supreme over all creation. Thank you for loving me and for giving me new life. Amen