Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. … For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. - Colossians 1:15a, 19-20 NLT
So, if you’ve been reading along with me in Colossians 1, you might notice that we’re going backwards a little today, picking up the first part of verse 15. Most translations (at least the ones I usually refer to) put Colossians 1:15-20 together in one paragraph, which seemed a lot to think about as I was preparing last week’s Thursday Thoughts. And the first part of verse 15 pairs well with verse 19, since they both tell us something very important about who Jesus Christ is.
Jesus Christ is God, in all His fullness, in the body of a man. He had to grow up and learn things (Luke 2:40). He was tempted like we are, but never sinned (Hebrews 4:15). He got tired (Matthew 8:24, Matthew 28:13). These things make Jesus so relatable to me; I know He understands my struggles because He endured similar things and more. This brings a lot of comfort and encouragement. I’m not alone.
The reason He was born and lived as a man was so that we could be reconciled to God. Through His death, we can have forgiveness for our sin and rebellion against our Creator. We no longer have to fight against Him but can have peace.
Stop and ponder this for a moment. Jesus gave up His place in heaven (Philippians 2:7-8) knowing that would die in a horrible, brutal way, so that we could be reconciled to God.
How much He loves us!
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” - John 3:16-17 NLT
Think About: How does pondering Jesus’ humanity deepen your understanding of God?
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