IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD Colossians 1:15-17

THE IMAGE OF GOD

• Jesus is the image of His Father (John 14:9; 2 Cor. 4:4-6)

—the physical image of God

• We are the image of our Creator too. (Gen. 1:26) But this

is different. Jesus not only declares the image of God,

He is God (Phil. 2:6) and declares God exactly in a

physical form (Heb. 1:3).

• (John 1:18) God took on flesh so that we can relate to

& know Him with our limited understanding (1 John 1:1-3)

FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION

• Firstborn here does not refer to Jesus as a created

being, rather it refers to His authority over creation.

• In the old days the firstborn would act as the Prince

Regent in his father’s absence. He therefore wore the

crown representing his father—as Jesus represented

His father in physical form (John 1:14-18).

• Does Jesus have authority your life today?

JESUS IS OUR CREATOR

• (v.16) Jesus is the creator of all things. (notice: not all

other things)

• As the creator He has the authority over his creation,

including you and me.

• Notice: both invisible and visible (beyond physical)

• We are created through Jesus and for Jesus.

(Rom. 11:36) This does not change whether we

believe or not…

• (Prov. 16:4) Why were you created?

JESUS IS FROM ETERNITY

• (Gen. 1:1) There was eternity before there was time.

• Jesus was from eternity. (Mac. 5:2)

• (Isa 44:6; Rev. 1:8, 17) He is both the first and the last.

• Therefore, mass, spacetime, and energy are all in

Christ’s hand. He is the creator of all.

• Our past and future are both in God’s hand. Do you

trust Him?

CONCLUSION

• First, we can know God because He has designed so.

• Second, Jesus has full authority over us (firstborn of all

creation).

• Third, we are created through Him and for Him.

• Fourth, our time and our life is in His hand.

• Finally, “by Him all things consist (hold together).”

There is a purpose in all this, and somehow you and I

are playing a part in this great story. Are you willing to

let your creator lead?