At Christmas, we’re reminded that there is a vast gap between where we are and where we need to be — not financially, but spiritually. The birth of Christ reminds us that only Jesus can bridge that gap. Colossians 1 gives us the definitive answer: Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, and the one who reconciles us to the Father through His blood.
Why We Need Reconciliation
Before God created the heavens and earth, everything was perfect. God made humanity in His image, and creation was “very good.” But when Adam and Eve disobeyed, sin entered the world and broke our relationship with God.
Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned.”
The result? Every person born is a sinner, separated from God. Romans 3:23 makes it clear: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Sin doesn’t just affect our standing with God — it affects all of creation. Romans 8:20 tells us that “the creation was subjected to futility.” This side of Eden, we live in a fallen, broken world. Mosquitoes, earthquakes, hurricanes — these are part of the curse.
But God didn’t give up on His original plan. He had a solution in mind all along: He would send His Son to pay for our sins and reconcile us back to Himself.
Who Jesus Is
Colossians 1:15–20 is one of three passages in the New Testament (alongside John 1 and Hebrews 1) where the deity of Christ is explicitly taught. And notice Paul’s emphatic declaration: “He is.” Not “we think,” not “maybe” — He is.
Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is the firstborn over all creation. By Him all things were created — thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the church, the body. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might have preeminence.
And here is the heart of the Christmas message — verses 19–20:
“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
How Jesus Reconciles Us
Reconciliation isn’t ignoring sin or pretending nothing happened. True reconciliation involves:
- Acknowledgment of wrongdoing
- Initiation of peace — someone has to make the first move
- Forgiveness that absorbs the actual cost
- Restoration of relationship
- Transformation in behavior
Jesus did all of this. The only way God could satisfy His wrath against sin was through the shedding of blood. The Old Testament sacrificial system — hundreds of thousands of bulls and goats — was only a temporary covering. It pointed forward to the perfect, permanent sacrifice: Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8–11 explains:
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Jesus Became One of Us
How did this happen? Jesus, who is fully God, became fully human. He set aside His divine privileges and took on flesh. He grew up. He learned. He faced temptation. He had to read the Old Testament and come to the realization: “This is what I was made for.”
Isaiah 53 — written 700 years before the Messiah was born — describes His mission perfectly:
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
This is Christmas: God taking on human flesh to bridge the gap we couldn’t bridge, to pay the debt we couldn’t pay, to fix what we couldn’t fix.
Your Response
If you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ — if your sins have never been paid for — today can be the day. Romans 10:9–10 says:
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
For those of us who have already trusted in Christ, we are now part of the family of God. We have been reconciled. We have peace with God. And we have a mission: to share this message of reconciliation with the world around us.
Jesus is the great Reconciler. He is the image of the invisible God. All things are from Him, through Him, and to Him. And He is faithful. He who calls you is faithful. He will surely do it.