It’s easy to let our view of Jesus become smaller than it should be. We know He saved us, forgave us, and secured our eternity, but somewhere between the demands of daily life, the pressures of ministry, and the distractions of this world, we can lose sight of just how great He truly is. When that happens, our problems seem bigger, our burdens feel heavier, and our service becomes more about striving than surrender. One of the greatest needs of every believer is not a better strategy, more motivation, or greater strength, it is a clearer vision of Christ. The more clearly we see Him, the more confidently we trust Him and the more faithfully we serve Him.
Colossians 1:15-20, “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.”
In Colossians 1:15-20, Paul reminds the believers who Christ is. This was important for the believers back then and it’s important for us today because sometimes things become disordered in our life when we diminish Christ in our minds. Paul didn’t want the believers to see Jesus only as Savior, but as Supreme over all of life. The believers in Colossae were being pressured by outside, cultural influences. False teaching was creeping in and Paul’s answer was for these believers to know with confidence who Christ is so they won’t believe the lies.
Paul tells the church in verses 13-14 how thankful he is for them and their faith and how they are blessing and encouraging Paul because of their genuine faith. He gives thanks to God for Jesus, who rescued us, redeemed us, and forgave us. As he comes to verse 15, Paul shifts gear to expressing his deep and urgent desire for the believers to really get to know who Jesus is even more. Paul is wanting the church to be discipled and to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Take some time and write out these eleven character traits of Christ. These attributes help us to know who Jesus really is. They help us put Christ back at the center of our life and to trust Him more completely. When we realize this and put it to action, we can serve Him more faithfully, worship Him more deeply, and find our security in Him. This encourages us to live with confidence and understand our purpose.
- He is the image of the invisible God.
Jesus is the visible representation of God. He isn’t “God-like”, but rather He reveals God. This is an important reminder that we don’t need to imagine God’s personality. We need only to look at Jesus. Jesus says in John 14:9 says, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father…” Because Jesus perfectly reveals the Father, we should constantly point people to Christ instead of drawing the focus and attention on ourselves.
2. He is the first-born of all creation.
You may read that characteristic of Christ and immediately think, “Wait. What about Adam?” That’s a valid question, but this phrase “first-born” is not used in that same sense you may be thinking of. The Greek meaning of this phrase implies first in rank or preeminence. Paul is implying that Jesus is supreme over all creation. Colossians 1:16 backs this up saying, “For by him all things were created…” Jesus is Creator, not a created being.
In the Old Testament, the first-born son held the highest status, received special inheritance rights, and was given authority and leadership. Jesus holds the place of highest authority over all creation. Adam was the first human created, but Jesus is eternal. Adam was part of creation, but Jesus existed before creation and is the Creator of creation. Adam came from dust, but Jesus made the dust!
When we get prideful and self-righteous, we act like we hold the place of highest authority over all creation. But since Jesus holds the highest authority, we can stop striving and rest in His Supremacy.
3. By Him all things were created: in the heavens, on the earth, visible, invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities.
All things means literally everything. John 1:1-3 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
It’s hard to wrap our minds around the fact that the One who made the womb, entered a womb. But what an encouraging reminder that the same Christ who created the universe is fully capable of sustaining the calling He placed on your life.
4. For Him all things were created.
All things were created for Jesus? Yes. Why? Does He need them? The preposition “for”, in the Greek, means into or towards. It indicates the point reached or entered. The idea points toward belonging, purpose, goal, or direction. Everything ultimately finds its meaning in relation to Christ.
Creation exists to:
- Display His glory
- Reveal His character
- Reflect His wisdom
- Enjoy His presence
- Participate in His purposes
And if all things were created for Christ, then life is not ultimately centered on self. We were made to orbit Him. So then, what happens when we exist disconnected from our purpose? It’s like a lamp unplugged from power, or a branch disconnected from the vine, or a planet pulled from orbit. Disorder follows. Many of us have experienced this spiritually. That’s why people can achieve success, pleasure, recognition, or accomplishment and still feel restless. Because we were made for Christ!
Romans 12:1 tells us to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice…” and 1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds us, “you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.” Your life is not ultimately about building your success; it exists for Christ’s glory.
5. He is before all things.
Christ is eternal. Jesus said in John 8:58, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Christ was already there before you were born. He already knew what would happen in your life; therefore, nothing catches Him off guard. Jesus was sustaining the universe long before we arrived.
Before your burdens, disappointments, or struggles ever appeared, Christ was already reigning in authority and wisdom.
6. In Him all things hold together.
Did you catch those first two words? In Him. Not in you, and not in anyone or anything else. Not in your power. Not in your ability. Definitely not in your strength. Not in your spouse or kids or parents. Not even in your finances. Why? Because we are not the ones sustaining our lives.
Sometimes we are tempted to believe that everything depends on us”
- My strength
- My planning
- My performance
- My ability to keep everyone okay
- My income
- My marriage
- My ministry
- My control
But the Apostle Paul says no, not in you, but in Christ. In Him. That changes everything because if all things hold together in Christ, then your family is not held together by your striving. Your ministry is not sustained by your perfection. Your future is not secured by your ability to predict outcomes. And your peace is not dependent on circumstances staying stable.
Christ is the sustaining center. You are not holding the universe together. Jesus is! When you are tempted to feel like you are the sustainer, remind yourself that you’re not responsible for holding together anything in your life. Christ already carries what you can’t.
7. He is head of the body (the church).
The word “head” implies supreme, chief, prominent, master, or Lord. Do you wonder why Paul felt the need to tell this to the believers in Colossae? He did it because the church was being pressured by false teachers, human philosophies, and legalism, among other things. Perhaps the people struggled with the question: Who actually has authority over the church?
Who is the head? Who is the source, authority, leader, or governing head of the body of Christ? The church doesn’t belong to itself. The church takes direction from Jesus. The church is not the Savior, Jesus is. The church exists for His glory; therefore, it is not self-created, self-sustained, or self-directed. Christ founded the church and He rules it, nourishes it, sustains it, protects it, and leads it.
This is great news because that means the future of the church does not ultimately rest on fragile human shoulders. It rests on Christ! The church, the body of Christ, belongs to Jesus. Praise God! We can serve faithfully without carrying pressure that only He was meant to bear.
8. He is the beginning.
Christ is the origin. This goes back to what we said in #3, that “By Him all things were created: in the heavens, on the earth, visible, invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities.” We are not the beginning. We are not the origin of the universe or life. Jesus is the starting point of everything. Everything starts with Him. Not only did He create all things, but all things exist because of Him. If Christ is the beginning, then life isn’t ultimately about us. We didn’t start the story, He did. This should humble us because it shows the universe doesn’t revolve around us. It revolves around Christ.
How encouraging to know that Christ is still bringing new life, fresh beginnings, and resurrection hope into places that feel worn down and exhausted.
9. He’s the first-born from the dead.
Why? So that He would have first place in everything. That phrase “born from the dead” implies resurrection. This is the climax! Yet, you may be thinking, “Wait. What about Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, or even the widow’s son?” Well, those people all eventually died again. Christ rose to never die again. Christ rose victorious over death. He rose as the beginning of new resurrected life.
No wonder, then, that Paul says Christ is first-born from the dead. Christ is preeminent. He holds first place, He is Supreme, and surpassing all others. This is so important because the resurrection of Christ proves:
- Sin failed to defeat Him
- Death failed to hold Him
- Satan failed to overcome Him
- The grave failed to keep Him
The resurrection of Jesus Christ publicly declares Jesus is Lord over all powers! But I don’t want to miss the great hope of this particular attribute of Christ. For Him to be first-born from the dead means it’s the beginning of our future too! Because Jesus conquered death, no season of suffering or loss or hardship gets the final word over your life.
10. All the fullness dwells in Him.
And it’s the Father’s good pleasure that it does! Fullness means there is nothing lacking. Jesus is completely God. When you look up the Greek meaning of the word “fullness”, it implies, in the New Testament, the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence and power and riches of God and Christ. The word “dwell” implies permanent dwelling.
Sometimes, the Apostle Paul uses “fullness” in connection with believers or the church. For example, in Ephesians 1:23, he says, “…the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him.” And in Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays, “…that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” This fullness in Colossians 3:19 is the fullness of deity dwelling in Christ. This makes sense for Paul because the Colossian believers had to combat false teaching that diminished Jesus. The false teachers said that Jesus was less than fully divine, that He was one among many, and that He wasn’t enough. The false teachers taught that people needed Jesus plus works. So, Paul had to hammer in the point that all the fullness of God dwells in Christ. He says it again, actually, in Colossians 2:9, “For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”
So, the fullness that is referenced in Colossians 1:19 is the total fullness of God Himself. Why is this crucial to understand? Because it means Christ is sufficient. You don’t need anything beyond Jesus. The church is not the source of fullness; Christ is. Everything you need spiritually is found fully and perfectly in Christ; therefore, you don’t need to search elsewhere for fulfillment.
11. All things are reconciled to Himself through Him.
Who is “Himself” referring to? God. Then who is “Him” referring to? Jesus. How are all things reconciled to God through Jesus? Having made peace through the blood of the cross, Jesus brings peace through His sacrificial death. Whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Paul moves from who Christ is to what Christ accomplished. Reconciliation with God is only through Christ! What is reconciliation? It is to restore relationships fully, to bring back into harmony. We needed to be reconciled to God and to be restored to Him so we could be in a right relationship with Him. Why? Because we were alienated from God. The good news of the cross means the barrier separating humanity from God is dealt with through Christ. That’s why the cross matters.
This is not a case for universal salvation. Peace with God is possible and salvation rests on Christ’s work, not yours. But you have to exercise faith in order to receive the gift of salvation. You must put your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Because Christ made peace through the cross, you can live from acceptance and reconciliation instead of striving to prove your worth.
Ultimately, Paul’s aim in Colossians 1:15-20 was to give the believers a bigger view of Jesus. The same question Paul was answering for the Colossians is one we must answer for ourselves: Who is Jesus to me? Is He simply my Savior, or is He truly supreme over every area of my life? The clearer we see Christ, the more naturally we trust Him, worship Him, and follow Him. If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, today is the day. The One who created all things, holds all things together, and reconciles sinners to God through His cross invites you into a relationship with Him. Turn from your sin, place your faith in Christ alone, and receive the forgiveness and new life only He can give. And if you already belong to Him, ask God to enlarge your view of Jesus. A bigger view of Christ leads to deeper worship, greater trust, and more faithful service. May we never settle for a small view of the One who is before all things, above all things, and worthy of all things.