Christ the Image of the Invisible God

Jesus the Christ
courtesy photobucket.com

Today being Christ the King Sunday, our Pastor Jerry read from Colossians 1:15-20

Saint Paul was always stepping on the toes of someone, and he was placed in prison and bound by chains.  While there he was allowed visitors, and wrote letters to the churches.  One such letter was to the church at Colossi, although he did not found that church.

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.

We are fascinated by the monarchy and by kings and queens with all their news and scandals.  There are different ways that nations are ruled, and for us we have a democracy and not a king, and gender is not noticed.  There are both men and women in various jobs including politics and the church.

We talk about Christ the King and cannot think of God without thinking of Jesus.  God equals Jesus and Jesus equals God.  This is difficult to explain and we use illustrations to help us understand.

Pastor Jerry asked us to notice that God is Honorable, Humble, Loving and Gracious:

Even today we often do not know how to respond, for He left obedience up to the free will of the people.

 

1.  He is Honorable because God came unannounced when no one was looking.  God entered into history in the form of flesh, arriving among strangers, in a time of political controversy.   He began to teach at around age 30 and ministered for three years, and was then subjected to cruel crucifixion.

2.     God is Humble as he does his work.  As a child he escaped into Egypt on a donkey.  He lived in poverty as most everyone did.  Thirty years later he humbly rode a donkey into Jerusalem where crowds shouted Hosanna to the King.

3.     God is Loving and is not willing that any should perish.  He provided a way to reach His throne, by receiving Jesus as our Lord.  The Gospel is based on Love. God so loved the world that He gave us Jesus.

4.     Graceful God is FULL of Grace.  He approaches us with Love even when we do not deserve it.  That is why we like to sing the old hymn, “Amazing Grace”

Jesus points us to God and to know Jesus is to know God.

Jesus is the image of the invisible God.  Thanks be to God.

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This post is shared with Charlotte’s Spiritual Sundays

 

This post is also Linked with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday

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