Colossians 1:15–20 — What Is Jesus Like?

 Summary 

Colossians 1:15–20 is one of the most powerful descriptions of Jesus in the whole Bible. Paul writes to a young church in Colossae to help them understand who Jesus really is and what it means to belong to Him. Before this passage, Paul reminds them that Jesus has rescued them from darkness, forgiven their sins, and brought them into God’s Kingdom. Now he shows them who this Jesus truly is.

Paul says Jesus is the image of the invisible God. This means that when we look at Jesus, we see exactly what God is like. Jesus shows us God’s character, God’s heart, and God’s actions. Creation gives us hints of God, but Jesus shows us the full reality.

Jesus is also the firstborn over all creation—not the first created being, but the One who stands above everything. He existed before creation and is supreme over it.

Paul goes further: in Him, through Him, and for Him all things were created. Everything we can see and everything we cannot see came into being through Jesus. He holds the universe together. Without Him, nothing would exist.

Jesus is also the head of the church. The church is God’s plan to show His Kingdom in the world, and Jesus is the source and leader of that body. His resurrection is the beginning of God’s new creation.

Paul finishes by saying that all the fullness of God lives in Jesus, and through Jesus’ blood on the cross, God is reconciling all things to Himself. Jesus brings peace, restores what is broken, and will one day return to renew creation completely.

This passage shows us who Jesus is—and calls us to trust Him, follow Him, and make Him visible in our lives.

Small‑Group Questions

1.    What does Paul mean when he says Jesus is “the image of the invisible God”?

2.    How do the words in, through, and for help us understand Jesus’ role in creation?

3.    Why is it important that “all the fullness of God” lives in Jesus?

4.    Which part of Paul’s description of Jesus stands out most to you, and why?

5.    How does this passage change or deepen your view of who Jesus is?

6.    If Jesus is the head of the church, what does that mean for how we live and serve together?

7.    Where do you see Jesus “holding things together” in your own life or in the world?

8.    How can we help make Jesus visible in our community this week?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pulling up weeds – part 2 Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

Main passages Hebrews 12:1–3, Mark 1:1–8   Supporting Passages Hebrews 11, Isaiah 40:3-5, Malachi 3:1-4 , Romans 7 Last week we stepped into the opening of Mark’s Gospel — a beginning that feels almost like the start of a film. The title appears: “The Good News about Jesus Christ.” But instead of meeting Jesus straight away, Mark draws us into the backstory and introduces us to John the Baptist. John arrives fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi, preparing the way for King Jesus. He is the voice in the wilderness calling people to clear the road for the coming King. And we saw that this preparation wasn’t about fixing a physical road but clearing the inner one — filling spiritual potholes and pulling up spiritual weeds that block the heart. Many came to John, confessed their sins, repented, and were baptised, readying themselves for Jesus. Confession means honestly naming what’s in our hearts — the obvious sins, the hidden ones, and even the “acceptable” ones tha...
Read more

Preparing the way- Week 1- Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?

    Luke 9:18–27 Supporting passages: - Isaiah 9:6–7, Malachi 4:5–6   Jesus suddenly seems to be everywhere. As belief in God resurges, confusion about who Jesus truly is grows. People claim Him for cultural identity, other religions, political power, social justice, or personal comfort—but often not the Jesus of Scripture. At the same time, Bibles are flying off shelves and many, especially younger adults, are encountering Jesus afresh. This confusion isn’t new; even in His own day crowds struggled to understand who He was and how He fit their expectations. Across history the same cry keeps rising: “Will the real Jesus please stand up!” In Luke 9 we meet that question directly. Jesus is in the middle of His ministry, travelling through the towns around Lake Galilee. He teaches with unprecedented authority, heals with divine power, calms storms like the Creator in Genesis, and feeds crowds like the God of Exodus. Naturally, everyone is talking about Him. Every...
Read more

Preparing the Way - Week 2: Following the Real Jesus

  Luke 9:18–27 • Philippians 2:5–11 We’re continuing our summer series, Preparing the Way . Each passage gets two weeks—time to sit with it, let it breathe, and let it shape us. Last week’s theme was, “Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?” We said that although many people talk about Jesus, the versions of Jesus out there don’t always match the Jesus of Scripture. And that’s not so different from the world Jesus stepped into—everyone had an opinion, everyone tried to fit him into their worldview. In the middle of all that noise, Jesus asks Peter, “Who do you say I am?” (Luke 9:20). Peter answers, “You are the Messiah.” The promised one. Emmanuel. God with us. We explored the great paradox: Jesus is the transcendent one—beyond time, imagination, and the universe—and yet he steps into creation so we can know him. The one who made all things comes with a name, a face, a story. And through the cross, he becomes the bridge across the vast divide of sin and shame between the Cre...
Read more