Carol J German

Why is Jesus such a big deal? Why the need to follow Him for eternal life? Colossians 1:15-23 clearly explains the Gospel of Christ. It truly is the Good News for this dying world.

Verses 15-20 speaks of why Jesus can confidently say in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” Take some time and write out who Jesus is from these verses. Stop and meditate on who He says He is.

Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.

Jesus existed before the creation of the world.

Jesus is supreme over all creation.

God created everything through Jesus and for Him.

Jesus holds all creation together.

Jesus is the head of the Church.

Jesus is supreme over all who rise from the dead.

Through Jesus, God reconciled everything to Himself. God made peace with everything by Christ’s blood.

Sin has no hold on anyone who chooses to believe in Jesus Christ.

Now, pay attention to verses 21-22. This is your part of Jesus’ story of redemption. “This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions.”²¹ Every person starts out in this condition, yet God’s love makes a way, the way, to become reconciled back to Him. How did He do that? Through the death of Christ.

What was the result of Christ’s death? You are brought into Jesus’ very presence; holy, blameless, and standing before God without a single fault. This is a BIG deal!

Why Jesus?

While there are many gods in this world, Jesus stands out on top for He is the living God who conquered death. He crushed Satan under His feet; see Romans 16:20, Colossians 2:15, and Hebrews 2:14. He has complete authority over all that God has made, which is you and me and the world we live in.

What are you to do after you say yes to following Jesus? You must continue to believe and stand firm in the truth of who Jesus is. “Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.”²³

Why follow Jesus?

For there is an enemy who is out to do anything and everything to get you to drift away from the truth, so you won’t believe. He will get you to question Jesus so you will trip over the very truth can save your soul.

So, why Jesus? Because He is the only way for you to live in freedom from your own sins and the sins in this world. This world is declining, decaying, and dying. Spiritually, you won’t be when you follow Jesus. He leads you through this sinful world as His redeemed child. He asks that you show the same love to others. Thus, you become His beacon of light, a ray of hope, to those who currently are separated from God because of their sins.

And one by one, the world will become a better place, a happier place, a holier place. This world needs Jesus. God gave the world Jesus which is truly Good News.