A Hymn for Jesus
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
Sunday Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-23 (NRSV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. Read more…
Looking to Sunday: Preparing to Hear From God
by Elaine Poproski
This Sunday we’ll be reading one of the most beautiful descriptions of Jesus every written. It’s followed immediately by the succinct and powerful words that describe what He accomplished. You’ll find the passage at Colossians 1:15–23.
One of the things I love about this passage is that it sets Jesus into His proper eternal setting – the Word of God who was in the beginning with God, who was God (John 1:1). Too often, we reduce Jesus to the man who lived about 33 years until he was crucified by the Romans. It’s easy to set that man up as a hero, but difficult to believe He is the rightful, eternal king of God’s promised kingdom – the kingdom Jesus pointed to and that John spoke of again in Revelation when he wrote of seeing the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God (Revelations 21:2). As a hero, we may choose to emulate Jesus, we may also admire Jesus. But as the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus asks more of us than admiration and emulation; He asks that we surrender ourselves to His rule and authority. He invites us to move our citizenship from the rulers and authorities of this world to that of His Kingdom. The Jesus we meet in Colossians 1:15–23 is absolutely worthy of that kind of allegiance. He can be trusted with our lives, with our hopes and dreams, with our everything.
As you prepare for Sunday, I invite you to read this passage of Scripture. Take it line by line. Which lines are you comfortable with? Which lines do you struggle with? How does the Jesus described in these words resonate with the Jesus you know?