Colossians 1:15-17 NLT
[15] “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, [16] for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. [17] He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”
Why does Paul launch into a CV of Jesus so mindblowing that it’s difficult to comprehend a person so accomplished. Not all the Einsteins who ever lived can hold a candle to Jesus, the Son of God. How, then, can these foolish false teaches go around peddling the idea that Jesus is anything less than who He is?
The Colossian believers were being harassed by false teaching.
Gnostic philosophy was making its way into the Christian church. Jesus isn’t who He said He is. He’s just the highest of a series of “emanations”, levels of spirit beings between us and God. For people to “know” God means that we must go through these spirit beings to gain a superior kind of knowledge. Salvation, therefore, is about knowledge, not grace!
“What nonsense!” Paul exploded. “Who taught you such rubbish?”
Jesus is who He said He is. He is not a superior “spirit being,” as you say. He is God who came in person, a real person and a perfect replica of God! He created the universe in harmony with God, the Father, not some lesser “God” as you claim. He even made the powerful spirit beings who operate in the world. He is the absolute sovereign ruler of the universe, and He keeps it all going by His power.
Anything less than the real Jesus, who is both perfect God and perfect man, would mean doom for us humans. How could we ever be accepted by a holy God in our unholy state? No amount of “knowledge”, however great or superior, can ever do anything to rid us of our sin.
We need a real, perfect man to stand in for us. Jesus is the only real, perfect man who qualified.
Let’s examine His qualifications. How do we know He is God? First, He was a man, but He did what only God can do in partnership with God. He healed the sick, He calmed storms, He walked on water, He opened blind eyes and deaf ears, He raised the dead…He died and rose again!
He perfectly represented the Father on earth.
Exodus 34:6-7 NLT
[6] “The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. [7] I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin…”
Second, He fulfilled every prophecy about Himself. His prophesied His own death, and He died. He said He would rise again, and He rose again. He said He’s coming again, and He will come. He said He has the power to forgive sins and proved it by healing a paralysed man.
Third, He said we would be saved through faith in Him. We are saved, in our experience, and in the presence of His Spirit in us. Those who believe in Him have peace and freedom from guilt.
Who else could have done all this and not be God?
Like the Colossian believers, let us not be fooled by lying false prophets. The truth is that Jesus is God, and that He saves all who call on His name in faith.