Debbie Swindell

Colossians 1:15-17 reads, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

As humans, we all have the ability to adapt. On the first day of a new job, we might feel uncertain, but by the second day, we start to settle in. We enter into marriage with excitement, but it quickly becomes a comfortable routine. When we buy a new home, we may feel apprehensive, but the monthly mortgage soon becomes a regular part of our lives. We adapt to challenging circumstances, but on the downside, even the most amazing experiences can sometimes lose their initial allure.

In context, the Colossians passage  highlights the exact visible representation of something or someone. Jesus the Son represented the invisible God of the Old Testament (John 1:18) and sinless humanity (Genesis 1:26-27).

Some of us need to take a fresh look at Jesus because we’ve become complacent. We need to consider exactly who he is and see him in all His glory. We need to see him and to marvel at Jesus (1:15). Jesus is the image of the invisible God. By looking at Jesus, we get a clear picture of who God is. Jesus Christ made the invisible visible as the radiance of the glory of God (Hebrews 1:3). 

When we marvel at the handiwork of creation, we underline the point that Jesus is over all of creation. Paul teaches us that that all of Christ was there for all of creation. This truth is how we know that Jesus is uncreated, not creature. When we read in Genesis chapter one that God created the heavens and the earth, Paul is telling us in Colossians chapter one that he believes God the Son, Jesus Christ was there. He writes in chapter three that Christ’s death and resurrection exalted Him more than anything else to a position of supremacy and infinite prominence in the universe.

In these verses, Colossians 1:15-17, the apostle Paul’s writing pulls back the curtain on the most fundamental reality of all: God himself. In 3:1, we learn that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. The eternal, most loved Son, later referred to in verse 13. Once he was dead and now he is alive. God raised him from the dead. Colossians 3:1 reads, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

The vastness of God’s being is an extraordinary and a profound wonder that eludes human understanding. The scriptures illuminate His incomparable qualities, underscoring the chasm between the Creator and His creation. He is not partially above creation. God is absolutely above created order. And everything exists for the glory of the Father and the most loved Son, Jesus.

How do we respond to the vastness of God? God’s attributes demand reverence and admiration and emblems of respect, a constant reminder of our place in the grand scheme of things and nurturing a profound sense of awe. Reflection on God’s limitless nature is both humbling and awe-inspiring with the potential to transform your thinking. 

Reflect on God’s incommunicable attributes (those characteristics that belong solely to Him), as revealed in Scripture, and the supremacy of Christ. God is absolutely above all created order. Consider how these truths can shape your thinking. Have you set Christ in his proper place? Do you have theological adjustments that need to be made?