Dec 14 - Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of all creation;

Colossians 1:15

Today's verse -- in fact it whole Colossians 1 paragraph (vss 15-22) -- fits very beautifully for this holy Christmas season.

Listen to some of these themes -- Paul's words are scripture and are the bold ones (they're scripture), mine are not bold and not scripture.

• 15 He is the image of the invisible God ... If you want to see what God looks like, look at Jesus
  
• 15 [He is] the firstborn of all creation ... In the beginning was the Word, and this "Word," we are told in John 1:1-5, is Jesus himself.
  
• 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created ... In Genesis 1 when the Father says, "Let us make humankind in our image," he's talking to Jesus (and the Holy Spirit). Therefore, in him all things were created.
  
• 17 In him all things hold together. I love that! When we're trying to make sense of this broken world, Jesus is the lens that focuses our vision. In him all things begin to make sense.
  
• 18 He is the head of the body, the church ... I'm not the head of any church! Jesus is.
  
• 18 So that he might come to have first place in everything. This is my favorite line. Does he have first place in everything in your life? Or do you yourself or things of this world have first place for you.
  
• 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell ... This is the reason that we said in verse 15, that if you want to see what God looks like, look at Jesus. But Jesus doesn't just look and act like God; He is God! Fully.
  
• 20 And through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things ... by making peace through the blood of his cross. Sin separates us from God. Jesus -- through the costly shedding of his blood -- draws us back (reconciles us) to God.
  
• 21 so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him ... This is what reconciliation is. It's washing our sinful rags and presenting us holy and blameless before God.

Isn't that a beautiful picture of Christ in the midst of this beautiful, holy season? The question -- inspired by verse 18 -- is: Does Jesus have first place in everything? In your life? Or even just in your Christmas? Is Jesus really first?

In Christ's Love,

a guy who was reminded recently

of the biography of football great Gale Sayers.

He called it "I am Third."

(Jesus first, others second, ourselves third.)