The Image of God… the Firstborn. Colossians 1:15 He began his teaching by worshiping the Sovereign Lord—who He is, His eternal existence, and His power and glory. His knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ far exceeded the human intellect of the false teachers and their vain speculation. His message was "Jesus only," not a comparison with angels or men. In Christ, the Son of God, regarding His relationship to the Godhead, He is the exact likeness in His manifestation of God, making visible that which was invisible.
Christ is exactly like God. He is the radiance of God’s glory and the precise representation of God’s being. Christ, as the image of God, relates to His essential nature, not just His appearance. We understand what He is like, and therefore, we understand what God is like. God is invisible because we cannot see a spirit. We don’t even see our own spirit, although we know our spirit, soul, and body make up our being. The man was created in the image of God, but that image was damaged and marred by sin.
When our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, found in fashion as a man, He made the invisible God visible to humans in the form of a physical body prepared for Him. God was made like a man, seen by human eyes, and spoke audibly. God was in Christ on earth as a real, living person who existed in a body but was not limited by it unless He chose to be. He faced all points of human experience but was “without sin.” He even tasted death for every person, serving as our sinless substitute. In John’s writings, we learn that our Lord’s spoken words were God's mind conveying divine truth to us. In the Book of Hebrews, we are told that God’s glory shone through our Lord Jesus Christ, the expressed image of God made visible in Christ. He is the unseen image of God brought into view. His words were the divine, unutterable words of the living God expressed to us.
When we trust Him, come to Him, and are found in Him, we can know, love, and trust God, who draws near to us when we draw near to Him. We do not have to guess or speculate about what God is like because we know Jesus. “We see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels crowned with glory and honor.”
“The firstborn of every creature” does not mean that the Lord Jesus Christ was the first one created, but He was the one through whom all acts of creation were carried out. He was the "firstborn" in the sense of existing before anything and everyone. He existed before all things by His absolute preexistence, and He made all things for Himself. That which was eternal and pre-incarnation has been revealed to us in Christ. He was before all angels, who are created beings made by Him. There are "thrones," so they must have specific areas of responsibility, but His throne is above all others. In the image of Christ, God became visible to men and made what was once invisible now understandable.
Who is this One who makes visible Him who is invisible? He is Emmanuel, God with us. Who is this One who is before every other creature? He is the Father of Eternity. Who is this One who created all things? He is from everlasting to everlasting—God. Who is this One who created everything in heaven? He is the Alpha and Omega. Who is this One who created all things on earth? He is the One with the keys of life and death. Who is this One who keeps everything in order and in its place? He is the Sustainer. Who is this One who is the Head of the Church? He is the One who died for us and rose again. Who is this One who has the preeminence over all things? He is my Lord and my God.