REFLECT ON JESUS THIS ADVENT SEASON WITH

HIDDEN IN MY HEART, VOLUME III: A LULLABY JOURNEY THROUGH THE LIFE OF JESUS

8 Truths About Jesus to Focus on This Advent Season: A Colossians 1 Study

This time of year, as we observe Advent and reflect on a holy baby born in a manger, our minds are often drawn to Jesus as our Savior, Prince of Peace, and Immanuel. There are so many beautiful truths about Jesus to think and meditate on. We can begin with the stunning narrative of Jesus’s birth in the Gospel books and expand our study to gain a deeper and broader understanding of Jesus’s character and who exactly laid in a manger that night, having arrived to save humanity.

Glimpsing Jesus’ Character in Colossians 1:15-20

In Colossians 1:15-20, we are given a beautiful description of who Jesus is. This is a profound passage to focus on throughout Advent as we consider the person and power of Jesus Christ. Here are eight truths about Jesus to meditate on this Advent season:

1. Jesus Is the Image of the Invisible God

Colossians 1:15 begins, “He is the image of the invisible God.” God reveals Himself through Scripture. He also makes Himself known through nature, as we see in Romans 1:20, “For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

God also revealed Himself in a very real and tangible way when Jesus came to earth. As Jesus walked on earth, His life was a living testimony of God’s power and personality. As we study Jesus’s time on earth, we gain a deeper understanding of God’s will and ways. Jesus is Emmanuel, “God with us.”

2. Jesus Created the World With God

Colossians 1:15-16 continues and tells us Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation. For by 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.”

As baby Jesus lay beneath the Bethlehem sky, we can remember He is the One who strung those stars in the expanse above. Jesus was present with God in the beginning and shared in the creative work of making the galaxies and everything in them. Jesus arrived as a baby to the earth He’d dreamt up and brought into being with the Father.

3. Jesus Is Before All Things

Because Jesus was present and active at creation, Colossians 1:17 tells us He is “before all things.” Jesus deserves first place in our hearts and priorities. He was before anything that has ever been made or existed.

4. Jesus Holds All Things Together

Colossians 1:17 continues, “In Him, all things hold together.” Scientists are only beginning to understand the incomprehensible connectivity in the cosmos. The universe is finely tuned to support life. The closer we look at nature and science, the more we see God’s fingerprints. We can better understand how Jesus, present at creation, holds everything together. The One who powerfully holds together the cosmos can also hold together the details of our lives. Baby Jesus came to the earth He created and holds together to restore and uphold the hope of humanity.

5. Jesus Is Head of the Church

Colossians 1:18 positions Jesus at the head of the church. We read, “And He is the head of the body, the church.” He came to earth to save humanity and begin an incredible movement and community of believers. Jesus never meant to walk the journey of faith alone but to look to Him as our leader and live together in unity with others.

6. Jesus Is Our Redeemer

When we consider baby Jesus in a manger, we often think first of His mission to save us from our sins. He came to take our punishment and die in our place so we can live forever with God. That truth is beautifully stated in Colossians 1:18: “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus is the only one who could defeat death, and He did so on our behalf. Because He rose from the dead and claimed victory, we can experience the fullness of life and eternity with God.

7. Jesus Is the Fullness of God

Jesus is not only the image of the invisible God, as we saw in Colossians 1:15, but the fullness of God Himself, as we read in verse 19, “For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Jesus was never a backup plan. Instead, when He arrived on earth as a humble baby, it fulfilled a plan laid out long ago for God Himself to come to earth and restore relationship with us, His children.

8. Jesus Reconciles Us to God

Finally, in Colossians 1:20, we see the complete picture of why Jesus came to earth and subjected Himself to the human experience: “And through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.” The word reconcile means to bring back to a former state of harmony. By shedding His blood on the cross and taking our punishment for sin, Jesus restored the original harmony between God and humanity. He made the only way back to God.

As we reflect on Jesus this Advent season, let’s consider the full scope of His character and mission. Wrapped up in a manger was a humble babe carrying the fullness of God, who was no stranger to the earth He created but instead returned to restore harmony and hope for us, God’s children.

REFLECT ON JESUS THIS ADVENT SEASON WITH

HIDDEN IN MY HEART, VOLUME III: A LULLABY JOURNEY THROUGH THE LIFE OF JESUS