Jesus certainly is a friend when you need one, but He's so much more!
Colossians 1:15–20 (NIV)
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 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 and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 10: The Deity of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ,
according to his divine nature,
is the only Son of God—
eternally begotten,
not made nor created,
for then he would be a creature.
He is one in essence with the Father;
coeternal;
the exact image of the person of the Father
and the “reflection of his glory,”
being in all things like him.
He is the Son of God
not only from the time he assumed our nature
but from all eternity,
as the following testimonies teach us
when they are taken together.
Moses says that God “created the world”;
and John says that “all things were created by the Word,”
which he calls God.
The apostle says that “God made the world by his Son.”
He also says that “God created all things by Jesus Christ.”
And so it must follow
that he who is called God, the Word, the Son, and Jesus Christ
already existed when all things were created by him.
Therefore the prophet Micah says
that his origin is “from ancient times,
from eternity.”
And the apostle says
that he has “neither beginning of days
nor end of life.”
So then,
he is the true eternal God,
the Almighty,
whom we invoke,
worship,
and serve
Summary
It's not a stretch to say that Jesus is the most popular man who's ever lived. Throughout all of the cultural, political and social shifts that have occured over the last two millennia, the majority of people have always had a positive view of Him. He's our friend when we need one, and He provided a beautiful example of how every ought to live sacrificially. Certainly society would be much better if we just do what Jesus did. After all, 'He gets us.'
But although Jesus certainly 'gets us,' very few people truly 'get Him.' While nearly everybody likes Jesus, most people have an extremely limited view of who (and what) He is. These verses in Colossians make some stunning claims about Jesus:
He is God: He's the very "image of the invisible God," and "all of God's fullness dwells in Him.
He is eternal: "He is before all things." As we've already read this week, Jesus has been an active member of the Trinity from the very first words of the Bible: "In Him all things were created," and not just in Him, but "all things have been created through Him and for Him."
He is sovereign: In other words, He has full control and power over all that happens. "Thrones and powers and rulers and authorities have been created through Him and for Him," and "in Him all things hold together."
He is our Savior: He's "reconciled to Himself all things... by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross."
He is the head of the Church: The Church is not just a human institution that Christians can take or leave, it is the body of which Christ is the head, and through which He rules all things.
Dig Deeper
Jesus certainly is the things society would like Him to be: a good example for people to follow, a friend of sinners, and the one whom you can count on when you're at the end of your rope.
But you've been given so much more insight and knowledge than most people. The Holy Spirit has opened your eyes to the truth of who Jesus really is through the reading and preaching of His Word, so it only makes sense that your relationship to Him should look far different than it does for those who simply think of Him as the man upstairs.
One of the best ways you can do that is by meditating on His Word all day long. Meditation often has a bad connotation, since to many it means sitting in a funny position contemplating your own navel or some other nonsense. But it simply means to think about and mentally chew on something substantial. Make times of silence and solitude throughout your day to meditate on who Jesus actually is as He's revealed to us in His Word.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is pleased to have all of His fullness dwell in Jesus Christ;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God He's made clear to you who Jesus is, and pray for the motivation and ability to stay focused on this truth as you go about your business;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Hebrews 9
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