The Peace Making Mission: Colossians 1:19-20
“19) For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20) and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:19-20
According to these verses, Jesus came on a peace making mission. His mission was to bridge the enmity between God and humanity. His mission was to reconcile or put back together what sin and Satan had broken. He came to heal the breach between heaven and earth.
Make no mistake, God in His love took the initiative to redeem humanity. Humanity was not seeking God, but according to the Bible… God was seeking lost humanity.
Notice the wording of the above two verses; “it was the Fathers good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross…”
Satan wants to distort your understanding of God the Father and your view of Jesus Christ. He wants you to think the Father is mean, angry and bent on judgement and vengeance. He wants to plant the thought in your mind that God is against you. Nothing is further from the truth.
The whole plan of human redemption was Gods idea and it was rooted in His love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Agape love motivated God to send His Son into a hurting, lost and dying world as a Savior. His mission was to break the power of sin, death and misery perpetrated on humanity by Satan. He came to redeem, save and set free. He came to expose and destroy the works of the devil. (Read 1 John 3:8)
But you ask; “Didn’t Jesus come to judge the world?” That’s not what the Bible teaches. John 3:17 goes on to say; “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” Jesus came as Savior and not Judge. Make no mistake, He will one day return as Judge, but that was not His mission at His first coming. He came to seek and to save the lost. He is still on that mission.
This is where Colossians chapter one becomes mind boggling. The full list of the attributes of Jesus Christ in Colossians 1:12-19 goes to the cross in Colossians 1:20-22 and dies for lost humanity. The Creator become our Redeemer. God took on the form of humanity in Jesus Christ and Deity went to the cross and paid the full, wretched and costly penalty for humanities sin. Jesus opened the door for reconciliation and peace with God through His death on the cross. Hence, He is the Savior!
The greatest mystery for me in the whole Bible is how Jesus as God came with the expressed purpose of dying on a cross for the very people who crucified Him? Make no mistake in your thinking; Colossians chapter one makes the case that Jesus Christ is God and that in love He took on the form of humanity with a peace making mission in mind. He came to seek and to save the lost.
The question that you must now resolve is, “What are you going to do with Jesus Christ?” Are you going to believe in Him and receive Him into your life as Lord and Savior; or are you going to reject Him and live as if God does not exist? You have that choice.
No matter what you decide, just remember that Jesus Christ is reaching out to you because He loves you and is currently on a peace making mission. He wants to save you from your sin and from yourself. However, when He comes again… it will be as Judge. (Read 2 Corinthians 5:10)
Sorry for the abrupt ending, but that’s how the Bible presents the gospel of love and Redemption. God went way beyond the call of duty and love to reach humanity. He does not force or manipulate peoples response. He leaves you and me with a choice.
I made my choice way back in 1973 when I invited Jesus Christ into my life as my Savior. It was by far the best choice I ever made. I have been sincerely seeking and serving Him since. It has been by far the greatest Journey this life has to offers. I’ve made plenty of mistakes but have always been assured of peace with God. My war with God ended when Jesus came into my life.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
