Christmas Family Devotional Guide

The Image of the Invisible God

“Who is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15a).

God is an invisible spirit who exists in a realm outside of our normal dimensions. Our minds are unable to go to such places. Our minds can’t transcend the barrier between the finite and the infinite.

John Philips says, “We can visualize God as One who never gets tired, never gets hungry, never gets ill, never grows old, and can never be tempted. We can even visualize One who dwells in quite a different relation to time than we do, One who transcends time, who describes Himself as the I AM. . . We can likewise visualize One who is absolutely holy; incapable of sin and of unfailing love, But eternal and invisible? Here our finite minds draw back” (John Phillips, Exploring Colossians and Philemon, Pg. 47).

Jesus is the visible proof given to us of an invisible God. Jesus came to us in human form. God became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is everything God is. Jesus said in John 14:9, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” He is the exact image (likeness) of the Father. This is the wonder of the Christmas story. God came to us wrapped in human flesh. God became one of us so that He could redeem us through His death, burial, and resurrection.

As we celebrate the Christmas season, let us meditate on the glorious truth that the Lord Jesus is not a baby in a manger, but He is the image of the invisible God. So when we’re in need “to see, touch, hear, or talk to” (John Phillips, Exploring Colossians and Philemon, pg. 48), someone, then we have Jesus, God Himself, right with us to guide us and help us through every temptation and trial we face. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that “we have not an high priest [Jesus] which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

So the next time we are tempted or enduring a trail, we don’t have to worship any god of this world, nor create a god who will meet our need. What profit would it be? Nothing! God sent us Jesus as Himself to provide us an escape from every temptation, as well as meet our every need we have.