5-16-2018

Good Morning All,

                 Colossians 1:15; “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation”

    It is one thing that I am not very good at.  Each time we have had a grandchild born; one of the first questions is “who does he (or she) look like?”  I smile and say I don’t really know.  In all honesty; babies pretty much all look alike to me.  Yet every so often, I meet a baby and know exactly who mom or dad is.

     Sometimes, it is almost uncanny how much a child looks exactly like one of the parents.  They look like a “mini me.” It really gets interesting if and when they start standing like the parent or start to adopt the mannerisms and movements of the parent.  When little girls who look like mom and then they go to a similar hairstyle or similar style dress it can be amazing.  We use the phrase “the spitting image” to describe these children. 

     In our verse today, we see the phrase “image of the invisible God”.  To many people, this sounds like Jesus was the “spitting image” of God.  Yet for Paul, and all of Scripture, it is really much more than that.  Jesus is the image of God.  He is the physical appearance of God here on earth.  Jesus was literally God walking on earth.  Now many may think, so what?  How does this matter?  It matters because of who Jesus is.

     When we want to truly see God, we only need to look to Jesus.  We see God as a loving and compassionate God.  We see it when Jesus healed the blind, the deaf and the lame.  We see it when Jesus fed the multitudes.  We see it when he had mercy on the woman caught in adultery.  So what does this mean to us?  It means that God is an unchanging God; he had compassion, love and mercy on the people as he walked the earth and he does the same today.

     Scriptures uses many metaphors to describe the people who are lost in sin.  One that I like the best is that of sheep who were poorly sheared.  They are beaten, bloodied and completely lost.  There are many days when that is how I feel but as I sit and look at it, I remember the words of Jesus.  I remember his words of love, his words of compassion, his words of grace and his unending words of forgiveness.  I hope you do as well.

    When you think of God, remember his image as dying a horrific death because he loves you.  Remember his resurrection as a sign that what he did was enough for you and that God said this is enough.  Remember his ascension because where he goes we will follow.  Remember his promise to return to restore perfection to this creation.  Remember that you are a child of God and nothing will ever change that.  Remember the love that God shows through his image- Jesus.

Father of all love, give us the wisdom to see your love shining through in Jesus.  Often times we wonder about who you are, we fail to see your love for us shining as a beacon through the life of Jesus.  Help those who are struggling now to see your wonderful grace and give them the consolation and peace which they need. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret