WHO IS JESUS? (PART 1)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

Colossians 1:15a NLT

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Who is Jesus?

It’s a question many people might have today.

Some people know nothing about Jesus at all. Many have never heard of Him. In fact, it’s estimated that there are as many as a billion people who are completely unreached when it comes to the Gospel. That number should trouble all believers.

There are people who think they know Jesus but they don’t. They know of Him but they have never really taken the time to know Him on a personal, saving level which is really akin to just rejecting Him.

And of course, there are people who do know who He is. They have professed their belief in Him and gained God’s promise of salvation. They have read the Gospels and listened to sermons which served to help them know Jesus better and live more as He did.

But here’s the thing. On every one of these levels, there is something to learn about the Savior of the world. No one will ever know Jesus perfectly because no one is perfect and therefore, there’s always room for growth.

That’s why the words of the Apostle Paul found in the first chapter of Colossians are of critical importance for they help us better answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”, the foundation for this series of messages. 

Let’s start Part 1 by looking at the first half of verse 15:

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

During the Festival of Dedication in Jerusalem, a group of Jews had gathered around Jesus, asking Him to tell them plainly if He was the Messiah (John 10:22-24). In His reply, Jesus proclaims this:

“I and the Father are one.” (v. 30)

Jesus was saying that at His core and character, He was identical to God. He was God incarnate or God embodied in human form by way of the flesh.

The Jews certainly knew He was likening Himself to the Father because they immediately prepared to stone Him for what they perceived as blasphemy (Vv. 31-33), an execution set forth by the law (Leviticus 24:16). .

Jesus goes onto to tell His accusers that they can validate His claim by observing His works for they would reveal the truth that the Father was in Him and He was in the Father (Vv. 37-38) but they refused to listen to what He told them and so He escaped their grasp (v. 39).

Jesus was no ordinary man because no ordinary man could have performed the miracles He did unless He possessed the very divine power of God Himself. Look at the works of Jesus and you will see that the blind received sight, the mute could once again speak, the paralyzed and lame regained their ability to walk, the diseased were healed, lepers were cleansed, the deaf regained their hearing, demons were driven out, and the dead were resurrected.

Indeed, He was one with the Father, the visible image of the invisible God.

This is the first thing we learn from Paul in Colossians, chapter 1. Tomorrow, we’ll look at Jesus’ origin and as we’ll see, it was well before Mary delivered Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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