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“He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 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. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” (Colossians 1:13-20 ESV)
For most of us, Jesus is a familiar person. We talk to Him when we are in trouble. We wear His cross around our necks, or on a ring or tie pin. We celebrate His birth at Christmas, and His resurrection at Easter.
This is fine, this is good—and yet, it happens sometimes that we forget the other side of who He is—the awesome, incredible and, let's be honest, sort of scary part. Who is Jesus? Well, first of all, He's the image of the invisible God. That means that, if you want to know what God is like, you can just look at Jesus. Whoa!
More than that, He is the One we were created through—and not just us, but all things, the highest angel to the lowliest germ. He was there before anything else was, from all eternity, and the Father created all things for Him. Even today, Jesus holds everything together and keeps it going, day by day and minute by minute. And all the fullness of God lives in Him—this Man from Nazareth, this Man hanging on a cross.
That comes down with a thud, doesn't it? The God who is everywhere and holds everything together, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful—making peace by the blood of His cross. That should jar us awake. Because it is this God, no one less, who has chosen you to be His own—who has called you to trust in Him—who has laid down His life to make you His own child. This God, nobody smaller. His blood on His cross has saved you. His resurrection from the dead gives you life.
How can we possibly take this in? I don't know that we can. But it is good for us, every so often, to remember the less familiar side of our Savior. To remember, once again, who He is—the glorious God who loved us and gave Himself for us.
Prayer: Dear holy Lord, bring me to know You better and to trust You with all my heart. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on November 16, 2022
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you have a friend or relative that others consider great or important?
2. If so, what are the differences in how you see this person and in how others see him or her?
3. When you think of Jesus' glory, what awes you the most?
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