Colossians 1:11-20 (NRSV)
Read Colossians 1:11-20 on biblegateway.com
Verse 11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
Verse 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. Verse 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, Verse 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Verse 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; Verse 16for 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. Verse 17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Verse 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. Verse 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, Verse 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Devotion
The language of these verses, many suggest, is that of a first century baptismal hymn. These words celebrate the cosmic power and majesty of Christ "who is the image of the invisible God." It is through him that we receive, "redemption, the forgiveness of sins." These words speak of the pre-existence of Christ in a way similar to John 1: "All is created through him." In fact, the author suggests, "all things hold together through him."
I think of my own life. It makes little sense without Jesus at the core of my existence. The husband I am, the father I seek to be, the neighbor I become and the pastor I embody each day only makes sense in relationship to Jesus. As Lucy Lind Hogan writes, "to know Christ is to know God." I conclude today's devotion with another quote from her commentary: "We follow a Christ who is bigger, grander, more loving, more powerful, more forgiving than we can ever imagine." Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Ruler of the cosmos, for the blessing of creation, for the gifts of redemption and forgiveness, for the presence of Christ in all things, we give you our thanks and praise. In Jesus' Name, Amen.