Firstborn

September 19

Isaiah 30-31

Psalm 105:23-36

Proverbs 23:6-8

Colossians 1:15-29

Firstborn

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  And He is the head of the body, the church.  Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him—whether things on earth or things in heaven.” 

Colossians 1:15-20 LSB

Paul clearly laid out the deity of Christ in these verses.  Anyone who says that Jesus was just a prophet, a great teacher or a good man does not understand who Jesus is.  In John 10:30, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” LSB  John 1:1-3 explains, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” LSB  The Bible could not be clearer.  Jesus is God.  If it is not true then He was either lying or delusional in which case He is not a good man or a great teacher.  If He is not God then we should not be following Him because  He isn’t worthy of our attention.  But if He is God then He deserves our complete and total submission and worship.  He is the “firstborn of all creation.  In Him all things were created in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible.”  All power and authority belong to Him.  “He was before all things and in Him all things hold together.”  Not only did He create everything that has been created, but He also sustains and holds it all  together by the power of His mighty hand.   He is actively working in the world today to preserve and maintain His creation. 

Jesus is the firstborn from the dead.  Through His death, burial and resurrection, He conquered death to provide eternal life to those who believe in Him.  The fullness of God dwells in Him and through His sacrifice we are reconciled to Him and can experience peace with God.  You cannot be reconciled to God if you do not believe that Jesus was fully God, came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life, willingly died as a sacrifice taking punishment for our sins, and rose Himself from the dead.  If He is not God, His death would not have been sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of the world.  A sinful, created being could die for his own sins, but could not pay for anyone else’s sin.  Only the blood of the unblemished Lamb of God was  worthy to satisfy the requirement.  (I Peter 1:17-19, John 1:29, Revelation 5:12)  Either Jesus was who He said He was or He wasn’t.  There is no middle ground.  We can believe and follow Him or choose to reject Him.  In the last chapter of the Bible, Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to his work.  I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:12-13 LSB   Do you believe He is who He said He is?