The Center of the Universe Colossians 1:15-20, by CountrySlicker

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. ¹⁸And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. ¹⁹For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1:16-20)
There are three things that we need to see here about Jesus. First is Jesus’ Relation to God (verse 15). We are told that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The work “image” (English word is Icon) means “an impression made by a die or a stamp in the wax”. Jesus was the perfect personal imprint of God in time and space. Jesus revealed the personal character of God. The perfect manifestation of God to man… verse 19 …it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.

Jesus represented…

-divine wisdom in a human brain

-divine love in a human heart

-divine compassion in a human eye

-divine grace through human lips.

We are told in John 1:16(NKJV) And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. This is the Jesus who is in you and wants to live His life through you. Jesus’ relationship to God allows God to work through us.

The second thing we need to see is Jesus’ relation to Creation (verse 16-17). We can study galaxies, planets, human anatomy. The light from the sun (93 million miles from earth) takes about 8 minutes to reach us. One planet closer to the sun we find Venus with a temperature of 875 degrees. One planet farther away from the sun we find Mars with a temperature of -200 degrees. Jesus created Earth just right. Everything works great just as He created it. It was perfect as He created it (in Genesis). All things were created by Him and for Him.

All things were made by Him and for Him. All things revolve around Jesus, not around us. We find our sense of being by realizing that we were made for Him. We find joy in doing what we were made for. In our pride, we often begin to think that the world revolves around us. This is not so in design nor in practice. The world, in its perfect design, revolves around the Lord. Jesus is the center of the universe.

The third thing that we need to see is Jesus’ relation to the Church. Jesus is the head of the church— the church is a living organism composed of those that have accepted Jesus as their savior and dedicated their lives to following Him.

Each member of the church must stay focused on the head – looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV)

Each member of the church must stay connected to the head – Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. We are dead if we are without our head. (Colossians 2:8-10 NKJV)

Each member of the church must grow into our head – that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16 NKJV)

We look to Jesus in all things because Jesus has been placed over all things. Jesus’ preeminence is visible in creation… in that all things were created by Him and for Him. In order to live a full and productive life, we are dependent upon our relationship with Christ and the work that her performed on the cross. Look at verses 19 & 20 again… ¹⁹For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

The word “fullness” translates from the ancient Greek word “pleroma” and was really just another way to say that Jesus is truly God. Lightfood commented that rhe word “fullness” was “a recognized technical term in theology, denoting the totality of the Divine powers and attributes.” Robertson writes… “The Gnostics distributed the divine powers among various aeons. Paul gathers them all up in Christ, a full and flat statement of the deity of Christ.”
Jesus’ atoning work is full and broad. It is sufficient for anyone that is willing to accept it. Again we notice where the peace was made. We don’t make our own peace with God, but Jesus made peace for us through His work on the cross. Salvation is a work of God.

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

I pray that you experience the fullness of an intimate relationship with Christ.
God Bless,
CountrySlicker