This week we are going to dive deeply into Colossians 1:15-18 and take apart the whole passage to identify exactly what is being said. This powerful passage is packed full of so many things that are vital for us to understand about Jesus Christ as the Image of the Invisible God.
What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God? The best way to begin answering this question is by diving into the original Greek and exploring exactly what each piece means.
Jesus is the likeness of God’s divine nature and moral excellence. Jesus Christ is the one through whom God lets His absolute goodness, righteousness, and holiness be seen. God is all good, and all goodness comes from God. There is no good or holiness apart from God. God is the only one holy, just and good, and He chose to show us His absolute goodness, holiness, and righteousness through the person of His Son.
9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily[a] in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe[a] through him. 3 The Son is the radiance[b] of God’s glory and the exact expression[c] of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins,[d] he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only[a] God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Jesus Christ, as the image of the invisible God, is also the firstborn of all creation. This does not mean that Jesus was created, though. In Hebrew culture, the heir of the family was referred to as the firstborn. This did not necessarily mean literally the firstborn, just that the one who was heir to tha family was given the title of Firstborn. Referring to Jesus as the firstborn means that Jesus Christ is the heir of God, and that He has priority of rank. Jesus is superior to, sufficient for the salvation of, and has authority over all of creation. Christ is before and above all of creation, has always been and will always be.
20 But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Christ is the heir of God, and also is the first to experience trueresurrection. His perfect life, death, and resurrection made the way for those who believe in Him to be saved from the penalty of our sins, which is eternal separation from God and therefore all that is good and holy, and makes it possible for those who believe in Him to be coheirs with Him and receive the promise of our own resurrections and eternal life with Him one day.
5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.[a] 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus Christ is the redeemer of the world, the firstborn of all creation, the image of the invisible God. He humbled Himself and took on the sins of the world because He knew we could never pay the debt we owe for our sins, and therefore can never be made right with God on our own. In order that we may be made right with God and enter into a personal relationship with Him, Christ who is above all things paid our debts in full with His precious life.
All Things Created Through, By, For Him
16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him.
Not only did He pay for the sin debt of the whole world with His life, but we were created by Him, through Him, and for Him as well. This means that by Christ’s means, all things were created to answer to His purposes. All of creation was made by Him and for Him. We were made by the power, design, and work of Jesus, we were created to do the works of Jesus, and we are saved by faith in the works of Jesus so that we can live according to His purposes. We were made by Him and saved by Him to live for Him and with Him.
Colossians 1:16 tells us that everything was created by Him, through Him and for Him.
leaders, rulers, authorities of angels and demons (G746 – archē)
authorities:
spiritual rulers, leading and powerful angels (G1849 – exousia)
19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.[a]
Christ created all things that exist which includes everything on earth and in heaven, and all levels of rulers and authorities on earth and in heaven. As we are made to answer to Christ’s purposes, and He created all things for His purposes, we are made to live by His design and plan.
28 We know that all things work together[a] for the good[b] of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
His purposes are good, and all things work together for the good of those who have faith in Christ, love God, and live according to His purposes. We are called to live by the purposes of Jesus, live as Christ, and know in faith that God is working it all out for our good. We will struggle, we will suffer along the way, it will be difficult, but God’s plan is bigger and better than anything we could ask, think or imagine and He wants us to be a part of the big picture plan, and be with Him for eternity.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
We will be tempted by unseen spiritual forces that wage war around and within us, being led astray from the purposes for which we have been made. Only faith in Christ can lead us to truly live in His purposes and plans, which is what helps us to combat this warfare. When we have faith in Jesus Christ as the image of the invisible God we are given new life, made spiritually alive by the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, and go through the process of sanctification, which is the process of being made holy.
20 But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For God has put everything under his feet.[a] Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. 28 When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
In All Things He is Preeminent, the Firstborn from the Dead
17 He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
Christ is the only way of salvation.Salvation through faith in Jesus as the image of the invisible God is the only way to be made right with God and be made holy for and by Him. He is before and above all things. He is preeminent, which means He is first, He has priority. We are designed to put Him first in all things, all areas of our lives, every relationship, every desire, everything. We were created by, for, and through the image of the invisible God – we were made by Christ, to live according to His will and purposes, which brings God glory and honor.He knew we in our sinful state could not accomplish this so He became the sacrifice for our sake so that through faith in Him as the sacrifice for our sin debt, we could fulfill His desires and purposes, and draw others to Him for the same purpose.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has[a] come!
Faith in Jesus opens the door to a personal relationship with God and the indwelling of His Spirit, and by this, we are made new in Him. Our old sinful self dies and we are spiritually born by His Spirit. When we choose to live surrendered to the will of God in love and faith in Jesus, His Spirit transforms us to become more like the image of the invisible God. We are called to bear the likeness of God’s holiness and nature through faith. He wants us to be made holy so we can be with Him for eternity and Christ makes this possible by washing us, His creation, clean by His blood.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last, 18 and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.
18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh[a] but made alive by the Spirit,[b] 19 in which[c] he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people[d]—were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge[e] of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.
42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead: Sown in corruption, raised in incorruption; 43 sown in dishonor, raised in glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; 44 sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
Faith in Jesus is the only way of salvation.By faith, we are saved, and then God’s Holy Spirit leads us and transforms us to be more like Christ, the image of the invisible God, and less like the world and our own sinful selves. This is all possible by the beautiful and precious grace of God, and can never be accomplished by our own doings. By faith, we grow and change by the power of Christ in us, and we will begin to produce works as evidence of our faith and begin also to accomplish the works which the Lord has prepared for each of us within His beautiful plan for His glorious purposes.
Have you accepted the grace of God?
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
Understanding who Christ is as the Only Begotten Son of God helps us to know more about who we are in relationship to God the Father as well as to Jesus the Son of God. In one of the most quoted passages of the Bible, John 3:16, we find Jesus named as God’s only begotten Son, but what does this mean and what does it have to do with us?
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. Jesus Christ is the only one conceived of a human woman and God’s Holy Spirit. God sent His Son in His own likeness to dwell on earth being fully God and fully man and to live a sinless human life in order to fulfill His plan for the redemption of mankind. Jesus was the spotless Lamb offered as a perfect sacrifice for the salvation of those who believe in Him as the Only Begotten Son of God.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
The same Jesus who the world was created through, by, and for is the same Jesus who came down to live with us and save all who would believe in Him in faith. God sent Jesus to be both human and divine all at once, and to be the Way of salvation for all people. As the Only Begotten Son of God He is the only one qualified to accomplish the works necessary for the redemption of sinners.
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
As the only Son born of God by His Spirit, Jesus is the heir of everything. Jesus Christ will reign over and judge the earth (Revelation 20:4-6), will open the scroll (Revelation 5:2-5), and everyone will one day bow to Him and confess He is Lord (Philippians 2:8-11). Those who believe in Him as the only Begotten Son of God will be with Him into eternity, and we will worship and serve Him gratefully.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open [a]and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and [b]to loose its seven seals.”
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
He is the firstborn, yet He is not a created being. He is one with God, is the image of God, and came down in the flesh so that mankind would dwell with God in the flesh for a little while, but He has always been and will always remain fully God. He experienced temptation, pain, and suffering as a man, but in His holiness and divinity He resisted all temptation, never once sinned, and obediently submitted to being the perfect sacrifice for all past, present, and future sins of the human race.
12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Those who believe in Jesus as the only Begotten Son of God through faith are adopted and grafted into the family of God and become brothers and sisters of Christ and to one another. We become children of God, and with this, we become coheirs with Christ, and will one day share in the promised inheritance of eternal life. We will be participants during judgment and will reign alongside Jesus, then be taken to dwell with God for eternity.
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[a] is the [b]guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world,[a] when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made [a]us kings[b] and priests to our God; And [c]we shall reign on the earth.”
Those who trust in Jesus Christ are in fellowship with God through and because of the blood of Jesus’s sacrifice. His blood washes our sin away when we repent and believe in Christ by faith. Our names will be written in the book of life and we will be forgiven and blessed.
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of [a]God! Therefore the world does not know [b]us, because it did not know Him.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, [a]“Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir [b]of God [c]through Christ.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Jesus became the sacrifice for all the sins of the world because the love of God for His people is so great and He knew we would never be able to redeem ourselves, but we must be made holy in order to be with God. When we believe in faith that Jesus is the only Begotten Son of God, Christ makes us holy by the washing of His blood and allows us to come into a personal relationship with God as sons and daughters. God’s love for and desire to be with His creation is so great that He sent His Only Begotten Son to die in our place so that we may have eternal life with God if we believe in His Son.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [a]made us accepted in the Beloved.
By becoming children of God and coheirs with Christ we are given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit to be a guide and a comfort on our way to our eternal inheritance. He will teach, correct, convict, guide and remind us as we seek to live a life that pleases God in faith and obedient love. We will bear the fruits of the Spirit as evidence of true faith in Christ, and we will be blessed by the measure of our faith and fruits.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons[a] of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
15 “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
As children of God saved by His grace through faith in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God, we are called to follow Christ, live a life worthy of the gospel, repent and turn from sin, strive toward holy living, and bring God glory in the ways we live. This should be done in gratitude, love, and faith. It should come naturally as the Holy Spirit works to transform us to become more like Jesus and less like our old sinful selves. None of this is done by us or in our own wisdom or strength, but only by the grace and power of God. God saves us, redeems us, and transforms us for His good pleasure and glory, out of love for His creation, when we choose to accept Christ as our personal Savior in faith.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, lean into the Lord and seek a close and personal relationship with Him. Spend time with Him daily, make God a priority, and Christ-like living through faith and a desire to glorify God alone your heart’s desire.
If you have never trusted in Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, I encourage you to invite Jesus into your life, repent of your sins, seek forgivenes from God, and accept Jesus as your Savior. It is a tough journey, but you are not alone!
If you once professed faith in Jesus and have strayed from His path, I encourage you to come to Him and repent, seek His forgiveness, and trust Him in faith again. Come back and continue to run the race with Jesus.
Those who earnestly seek His face and turn from their sin with a repentant heart will be forgiven. We would love for you to join us in the community for fellowship and encouragement. This life is meant to be lived alongside God as well as fellow believers. We are here for you! Join the community on Discord.
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 [a]Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, [b]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
As we explore and study the names of Jesus throughout the Bible, we get to become more intimately familiar with His character, nature, power, and sovereignty. This is such a beautiful blessing for those who truly desire to know Christ and to know Him better over time and throughout life. The Lord of All reveals Himself to us through His Word and wants us to spend time growing in our knowledge of and relationship with Him.
36 He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.
Acts 10 tells us about a Centurion named Cornelius who was a God-fearing man. God gave Cornelius a vision and told him to send for Peter, which he did. Peter also had a vision, then men came to invite him to the home of Cornelius, and he went. There was a law that Jewish people were not allowed to visit or associate with foreigners, but Peter obeyed the Lord in visiting Cornelius.
While Peter was staying with Cornelius he declared a very important lesson – that God shows no favoritism, but as Christ is Lord of All He is Lord not only of the Jews but of the gentiles. To us, this means that He is truly Lord of all, no matter where you come from, who your parents or ancestors are, who or what you know, what you have done – He is Lord over all of creation.
Grab the free wallpapers!
The Lord of All died to save all
Because He is Lord of All, He also came and died to save all. In Philippians 2 we are encouraged by the Apostle Paul to adopt the same attitude as that of Jesus (Phil 2:5), and to be selfless and count others more important than ourselves. As Christ emptied and humbled Himself for the salvation of all, we must remember the conviction of Peter in Acts 10:42 that we are commanded to preach the gospel to all people. We are all His creation whom He sacrificed Himself on the cross to save us from the penalty for our sins. There is to be no favoritism, but we are to obey God and share His Good News with all of His creation.
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus Christ is Lord of All, on earth (those who live on this earth, G1919), in Heaven (those who dwell in the heavenly realms, G2032), and even under the earth (departed souls in the underworld, G2709). Eventually, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. This means that all of creation, in the physical and spiritual realms, will bow in honor and worship (G2578), and every tongue will confess, or acknowledge openly and joyfully (G1843), that Jesus Christ is truly Lord of All.
The Lord of All created all
Christ is Lord of All, and Creator of All. All things were created by, through, and for Him. He then came to dwell with His creation, and then die for the salvation of His creation. In Colossians 1 we learn that everything, seen and unseen, spiritual and physical, all was created by and through Him, and it was also created for Him. All of creation is under His authority and dominion.
16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him.
Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of All is the only way to be saved from the penalty for our sins and be welcomed into the family of God, with the promise of eternal life with our Heavenly Father. In order to receive salvation, each person must in faith believe in Jesus and His saving works.
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Again, there is no favoritism. Christ came and died for the sins of all of creation because He loves and wants a personal relationship with all of creation. All are given opportunities to know and believe in Jesus as their Savior, but only those who come to Him in faith will be saved. No matter who you are, where you come from, what you’ve done… Christ died to save you. He wants each of us to come to Him in faith and believe that He died to pay the debt for all of our sins.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
God has revealed Himself to all of creation. Christ died for the sins of all of creation to draw us all to the Father through Him, and all of creation are responsible for their responses to His revelations and promptings. He is Lord of All and wants to be in a relationship with us all.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
The book of Luke opens up in a beautiful way, telling of Gabriel predicting the births of John the Baptist and of Jesus, the Son of God. We see beautiful examples of faithful people believing the message sent from God, and willingly accepting God’s plan for the coming of His Son into the world. In the midst of this incredible story, we find another name of Jesus – the Son of the Most High.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”
Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, was sent to both Mary and Zechariah separately to tell them they would be parents by the grace and power of God. One child, Jesus, would be the Son of the Most High, and the other, John, would prepare the way for the Son of the Most High. While Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, doubted and was mute until John’s birth, Mary believed and was blessed.
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” [a]
35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
This is an extraordinary and vital part of God’s story. The coming of the Son of the Most High into the world was carefully planned by the Most High Himself. He knew every detail, every step, every person involved, and knew exactly the responses, reactions, beliefs, and doubts of every one of them every step of the way.
Mary believed the message sent to her from the Lord by His messenger the angel Gabriel, and she gave great praise to the Lord. She counted this a blessing to be grateful for. She, in faith, accepted the will of God that she would bear the Son of the Most High, and bring the Messiah into the world.
Elizabeth and Zechariah both showed their faithfulness in naming John as Gabriel had told them, and Elizabeth’s proclamations of her son even in the womb. Scripture indicates that they raised John as the Lord had called them to, and John eventually did what he was born to do – he prepared the way for the coming of the Son of the Most High God.
Power of the Son of the Most High
In the book of Mark we see this name of Jesus come up again, but from a very different source. Jesus was traveling to Garasenes and was approached by a demon-possessed man who the people of that town had not been able to subdue. As Jesus got out of the boat the possessed man ran and fell at Jesus’ feet.
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!” 8 For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9 “What is your name?” he asked him.
“My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.
11 A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. 12 The demons[a] begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there.
We see again another extraordinary example of the knowledge and belief in Jesus as the Son of the Most High, yet here we see that even the demons know and believe this of Jesus and fell at His feet terrified and begging. Jesus’ mere presence provoked the demons and they begged to be cast into a herd of pigs rather than be cast away. The unclean spirits had to obey the Son of God, for the power of God dwelt in Him.
Importance of the Son of the Most High
We are called to have faith and believe in the Son of the Most High God. Believing the true identity of Jesus Christ is vital. When you believe that Jesus is, in fact, the Son of the Most High God who came to dwell on the earth, die as a sacrifice for our sins, and rise again to defeat death, and you accept Him as your Savior in faith, you are saved from the penalty of your sins and enter into the family of God. By faith, we are saved, and we are blessed children of the Most High God.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons[a] of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Mary, who believed the news not only that the Son of God was coming but that she would give birth to Him, was an extraordinary act of faith. Elizabeth bore a son late in her life by the grace of God and obediently raised him as the Lord instructed. Even the demons believed Jesus to be the Son of the Most High God and obeyed Him. Each of us is called to have faith and believe that Jesus is in fact the Son of the Most High God so that by faith we may be saved by the grace of God.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God.
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
As the new year approached, I prayed over how to dive into our studies this year. I looked back at how we spent 2021 and where I see God leading this ministry. Last year we explored a different theme in scripture each month and it was an incredible year of studying God’s Word. This year I am so excited to see how God will grow each of us as we explore a different name of Jesus every week. This week it is only fitting that we begin with His identity as the Beloved Son of God.
For the next couple of months, we are going to explore Jesus’s identity as the Son of God before embarking on a journey through even more of Christ’s identity and character. Each week we will learn more about another of His names that will help us come to know Jesus deeper. My goal for 2022 is to get to know Jesus Christ on a deeper and more personal level, making sure He is the focus and cornerstone. In order to do this, we will begin by learning about Jesus as God’s Beloved Son, with whom He is well pleased.
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”
As Jesus was getting baptized by John the Baptist, God declared His love for Jesus and the pleasure that Jesus brings Him. In getting baptized by John, Jesus was setting an example for all of us, and God declaring His love and pleasure for His Son shows us an example of how to also please God. We must follow the example of Jesus Christ in faith, and we therefore will please and glorify God.
Grab the free wallpapers!
Being a Christian means you are a follower of Jesus Christ. Being a follower of Jesus means you have faith in Him and His works and you live by His example. Faith in Jesus is based on the belief that He is in fact the Son of God and that God sent Jesus, His Beloved Son, to be the Savior of mankind and pay the debt for our sins.
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
By Christ, through Christ, and for Christ, all things were made. He has dominion over all of creation and, being fully God and fully man, was sent to reconcile mankind to God through His sinless life, willing death, and divine resurrection. God is well pleased with Christ who poured out His life to reconcile mankind to God and bring God glory. Faith in God’s Beloved Son is the only way for mankind to be redeemed and enter a relationship with God. God wants a relationship with His creation, and our faith in Christ makes that possible because through our faith the blood of Jesus washes us clean.
16 For by[a] 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 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. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Jesus willingly died for us because the debt of sin that all mankind owes is a debt none of us can pay. God sent Jesus Christ to pay the debt on our behalf, knowing we could never pay it ourselves, and also knowing it is only by His grace we could be redeemed to Him. He made a Way where there was no other Way, and that Way is through His Beloved Son.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die in our place so that we too may be sons and daughters of God, our Father in Heaven, and be in a personal relationship with Him through Christ our Savior. Through our relationship with God, we have access to Him and are given understanding so that we may come to know Him more and more, become more like Him, and eventually spend our eternity with Him.
16 For God loved the world in this way:[a] He gave[b] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
If we love God, we will also love Jesus, God’s Beloved Son. If we have faith and believe in Jesus as the Son of God and sacrifice for our sins and repent we will be saved from the penalty of our sins. Through our faith in the Son of God, we enter into a personal relationship with the Father and become His children also, born of God. Everyone born of God can overcome the world by their faith in Jesus Christ because our faith is in Christ, who overcame the world.
As we learn and grow within our personal relationship with God through our true faith in Jesus Christ, we will be transformed, become more like Christ, grow in our understanding of the Lord and His Word, be equipped for the works which God has prepared for us to do, and be able to resist the temptations of this world through His power that now dwells in us.
Keep your eyes, mind, and heart centered on your Savior, and allow Him to fill you up and give you the strength to overcome this world and become more like Him every day. By this, we can learn how to please and glorify God through our faith in the Beloved Son of God, with whom God is well pleased.
Have you accepted the grace of God?
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
I am a wife, mom, writer, crafter, and above all, a Child of God. I love to study the Bible, fellowship with other Christians, and serve God. I am thrilled to invite you to join me in seeking to satisfy our thirsty souls with the Living Water of Christ, which is what Water On Thirsty Land is here to do.
