Colossians 1:15
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Jesus is the image of God.
An image is a representation of a person or thing. An image is never the person or thing itself. When the writers of the New Testament called Jesus the image of God, they were in essence saying that Jesus is not God, he is the representative of God. This is a very simple concept and yet is often overlooked.
An image is a representation, but when an image is worshiped as God, it becomes an idol. When Christians make Jesus God, they are worshiping an image of God in place of God. Many Christians today are changing Jesus from a representative into an idol.
Jesus is the image of God because he has received the fullness of God's nature. He speaks the words that God gives him and does the works that God shows him. He has been given the power of God to rule, to judge, and to forgive. He is the one who shows us who the true, living God is. He himself is not God but should be honored as our Lord and Savior to the glory of God.
Just as Pharaoh gave authority to Joseph, God gave authority to Jesus over all things.
Genesis 41:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Put your trust in Jesus Christ, accept his sacrifice, and turn from your sins. He will give you life. Only by him can we know God, his Father and ours.
