Colossians 1:15-29
In the materialistic world we live in these days with all the cynicism and anger we seem to be neck deep in, when I say, “No matter what, Jesus is still better than anything!” You can almost picture the collective eye rolls and hear the “Yeah, whatever” groans.
I don’t think that negativity is directed solely at the prospect of giving Jesus His due props but I do think that Christian believers do look at the world and struggle to imagine how Jesus could possibly overcome the litany of issues, social, financial, political, and moral that we face today. Sometimes even the most abiding faith can wrestle with that one.
It occurs to me that maybe what we need to do in that situation is cast a smaller net. Instead of wondering how Jesus is going to save the world, let’s take a closer look at how He’s saved me and you.
In his letter to the church in Colossae, located in what is modern dayTurkey, Paul has once again set aside the burden of being locked up in a Roman prison to share with a select group of believers just how supreme and better than anything Jesus really is. This letter is particularly interesting because Paul never actually visits this church in person. In fact, not too long after this communication not only does Paul not write to the Colossians again, but the city, already in a steep economic decline is destroyed by an earthquake.
That aside, while sitting in prison Paul’s inclined to write a letter to this church to both encourage and a warn them. At the time, a large segment of the population in Colossae was dedicated to a heresy involving mysticism and the worshipping of angels, weird stuff. Paul means to protect the Christian flock there from this craziness by reminding them of the goodness of Christ and how it impacts each and every one of them.
In verses 15-20 of this chapter, Paul has written out what is believed to be the words to a popular hymn or poem that was making the rounds at the time. The first few verses speak to the supremacy of God, focusing on the miracle of creation. But it’s verses 19-20 that really bring the blessing…
For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in Heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Making peace with everything includes you and me by the way as evidenced in verses 21 and 22…
This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.
Our sin life, before coming to know Jesus made us His enemy. That sounds kind of harsh, but how could it be any other way? Your opposition to Him made you a foe. But even as His enemy, Jesus still loved you. That’s proven by the fact that you are now part of His flock, and nothing can change that. And if you’re reading this and don’t know Jesus, it’s not too late. Invite Him into your heart and you instantly become blameless and holy, without a single fault.
And as often as you need to experience that, Jesus is faithful to remind you of your status with Him.
Listen, in His perfect timing, Jesus will come back and heal this world but, in the meantime, why not take a minute and reflect on the miracle He’s accomplished in you and let that be the source of comfort He intends for it to be.