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Pastor Bob's Two Minute Devotion
August 18, 2008
In His Image
People will often say of a child, "He's the spitting image of his father." The Apostle Paul said that about Jesus, but he wasn't talking about physical characteristics, since no one knows what God looks like, but rather the other, more important characteristics. In the first chapter of Colossians he says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
Colossians 1:15-20 (the verses are reprinted below)
The 15th verse begins, "He is the image of the invisible God."
The meaning here is, that the being and perfections of God are accurately and fully represented by Christ. The verses following explain that Jesus was the image of God in these things:
In his creative power,
In his eternal existence,
In his position over the universe,
In the fullness that dwelt in him.
God was pleased to have His characteristics fulfilled in His son, Jesus.
God gave Jesus the task of making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
What then do we learn about God? When we see Jesus we see, through his life, a loving and caring Father. We can be reassured that we have an all-powerful, ever-present God of love and mercy in whom we can entrust our lives.
We, as Christians, find a similar challenge in Ephesians 5:1-2:
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
What an awesome responsibility! Although we may fall short, we can strive to imitate Christ - to learn from his life and words. When we are in doubt about what to say or how to act, we can ask ourselves the question, "What would Jesus do?"
Learning from Him,
Pastor Bob and Marion Rieth
"He is the image of the invisible God," the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
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.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
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.
Colossians 1:15-20
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