Jesus Christ, Supreme

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

If someone asked you where they could go to find out about Jesus Christ and what He really represents, would you know how to answer? What would you say if they were struggling with understanding who Jesus is and why they need a Savior? Would you focus on His deity or start with Him becoming a man?

Paul lifts Jesus high above the empty religions and philosophies of the world. He presents Him as the sovereign Creator of the universe, who—though existing in eternity past—bore the weight of humanity’s separation from God in His body on the cross.

Burdened by the confusing and pervasive way of life of Gnosticism—the philosophy that denied the deity of Jesus and dismissed Him as some mystic creature—the Colossians needed a strong dose of Jesus as Sovereign Creator, Redeemer, and Lord. They needed to be reminded that though once separated from God because of their sin, they now enjoyed peace with Him because of what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross.

How did Jesus accomplish it? Paul wanted the Colossians to know He did it “in the body of His flesh through death” (v. 22). That’s why His suffering was physical, and His death was a brutal, physical death on the cross. Jesus paid the price for our sin on the cross through the torture and death of His physical body. He paid it all for you. Jesus, the Creator God of the universe, made peace between God and us through His physical death on the cross. Why? He did it “to present you holy, and blameless” before the Father.

Paul offered an explicit declaration that Christ suffered—not in just appearance, but He suffered in a real body—because one of the heresies of Gnosticism in that day was that Jesus did not exist in human form.

But you may be asking the question: If Jesus did it all, isn’t there something I need to do? Paul also answered that when he encouraged the Colossian believers to “continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast … not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven” (v. 23).

Paul wanted his Colossian friends to stay strong in their faith and not lose sight of the message he first brought to them. He wanted them to stick to what they believed—that Jesus was both Creator and Savior and could be known through the wonder and blessing of faith. That’s important for all believers who first fell in love with Jesus and the simple message of His grace and love. Staying grounded in what you believe takes a commitment to the Word, faithfully keeping yourself under the ministry of the gospel, and resisting accepting a watered-down message. But here’s some good news: If you’re a child of God, you will continue in the faith, grounded and settled. That’s the work of Jesus in your life, too (v. 24).

1. What was God’s purpose in taking on a physical body and living as a human being?

2. Why would sin prevent us even thinking rightly about God?

3. If you had been a companion of Paul’s, and had seen how much he suffered for the gospel, do you think you would have been able to rejoice in his suffering?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee's complete teaching on Colossians 1:15-18 and Colossians 1:18-24.