My Father's Business
by Tammy Iund Woodard
Monday - 1.11.2021
Jesus, the image of God. I want to share a couple of scriptures and then we will dive in.
Colossians 1:15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
Hebrews 1:3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
John 1:14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
I love how clearly these scriptures show the deity of Christ, in case there was any question. It reminds me that He was fully God and fully man. The character traits that we saw Jesus live out in everyday life are the character traits of God our Father. The mission of Christ is the mission of the Father.
Reconciliation. I have come to love that word the last few years. Dictionary.com defines reconcile: to compose or settle (a quarrel, dispute, etc.); to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent. Do you have any circumstances in your life that need harmony? Do you have any relationships that need agreement or composure? I know I sure do. Colossians 1:20 (NLT) states: “and through him God reconciled everything to himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:18 states: “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.” So what does that all mean? Colossians 1:15-23 begins by stating that “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God”. Christ didn’t must mirror the image of God, He IS the image of God. The creator of all things. Through Jesus, and God sending Him as a sacrifice, we are reconciled to God into a right relationship. Jesus is in the business of reconciliation because His Father, God, is in the business of reconciliation.
Do you know what Genesis 1:27 states? “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” We have been created in the image of God. Therefore we are to be ambassadors of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
Let me see if I can pull this all together. God tells us in His word that Christ IS God, He is God the Son and He IS supreme over all. He’s in control. That’s a comforting word in these chaotic times. God has a plan and you are part of that plan. God’s plan and therefore, Jesus' plan is to reconcile all to Himself. He wants to be in relationship with you and with me. He made that evident by sending Jesus to be the sacrifice. He wants us to let others know that He wants to be in relationship with them as well. The more rooted we are in Christ, the more that image of God created in us, shines forth. The more we let the image of God shine forth in us, the more we will share the good news of the gospel, the reconciliation news of the gospel.
I am at peace knowing Jesus is reigning SUPREME over all. It means I only have to be about my Father’s business. John 5:19 NLT “So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” Boy, it sure takes the weight off of me realizing all the things I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT because Jesus has got those things! My job is to be about my Father’s business: the business of reconciliation.
Call to Action:
Pray, read and reflect on the following scripture passages this week:
Colossians 1:15-23
Hebrews 1:3
John 1:14
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Reflections:
How does it make you feel to read that Christ is supreme over all creation and he holds all creation together?
Do you have circumstances in your life that need reconciliation? What can do to move toward reconciliation?
Do you know people who need to be reconciled to Christ? How can you share the gospel of reconciliation with them this week?
We were created in the image of God. What does that mean to you? What does that look like in everyday life?
