What Makes Jesus so Special? – Col. 1:15-29

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No man has ever seen who God really is. He is omnipresent. He fills the universe all at once. He is omnipotent. There isn’t anything he cannot do. And he’s omniscient. He knows everything at any one moment of time. He created time and lives beyond it on either side of it and all the way through it. This is our God. And there’s a lot of misunderstanding about God. First of all, we have all the isms and cults thrown in there, which we spend half of our time dealing with them and don’t spend enough time telling ourselves who God really is.

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This is Hope for Today with David Hawking. When people talk about God, they often start with opinions, assumptions, or whatever they may have heard along the way. But the Bible does not ask us to guess. It tells us who God is. In Colossians 1, we are introduced not to a theory about God, but to a theory about God. but to the God who is over all things, before all things, and holding all things together. Today, as we begin a four-part study called, What Makes Jesus So Special?, David turns us away from confusion and back to the clear testimony of Scripture so that we see God, not as we imagined Him to be, but as He has revealed Himself to be. And we’ll be in the passage in just a moment. First, if you haven’t had the chance yet to send in your year-end donation to Hope for Today, well, there’s still time. Listen, your support helps keep this program on the air and online and the Word of God going out clear and uncompromised. That is what this ministry is all about. You can call right now and support Hope for Today at 875-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, Bible by the numbers 24253, or give securely online at davidhawking.org. That’s davidhawking.org. Let’s join David and get into the Word.

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Colossians, please, chapter 1. I want to talk to you about what makes Jesus so special. I guess we all could have an open testimony meeting. We all could share about what makes Jesus so special. But I want to draw your attention to a passage in Colossians chapter 1. Let’s begin at verse 15 and we’ll read down to verse 29. And I’m going to give you at least five things that makes Jesus really so special. And I don’t know what your commitment is to him. I have the feeling, traveling a great deal and visiting many different churches and have been doing this for a few years now, I have the feeling that there’s a lot of us who are claiming to belong to him, but we’re not really in love with him as we should be. There’s something wrong. And actually, you can learn about that from the words of the Messiah himself, because he said in the last day, the majority of people who are going to claim to belong to him, in fact, are not his. He said many, not few. We’ll say, Lord, Lord, have we not done many wonderful works in your name? They’re pretty active, it appears. And he’ll say, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you. It appears to me that we have come to that day in our culture where Christianity is somewhat popular, but Bible Christianity, genuine belief in the Lord Jesus Christ that changes one’s life seems to be lacking. And I want to talk to you again about what it’s all about. It’s not attending church and getting your act together. I hope you do get your act together, but that’s not what it’s about. you know, and we’re all looking for something, you know, strokes or help me, you know, get my business or to do better or whatever. I just want to clear something up for you. Christianity is Jesus. It’s what it’s all about. And I want to talk about what makes him so special. Colossians 1.15 down to verse 29. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature? For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. If ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister, who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church. Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me for you to fulfill the word of God. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known. what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ, Messiah, in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Will you join me please in a moment of prayer? Our Father in heaven, how we thank you for the word of the living God, a written revelation that is totally reliable and accurate and infallible. Thank you, Lord. And in these original autographs, there was not one single mistake. And though man has tried to transcribe this the best he can and made a lot of mistakes in the process, we thank you that you have preserved and protected it And now it’s in the languages of the world as your great message about your son that came into this world to die on a cross for our sins and rose again from the dead and one day shall return. You communicated this to the entire world through this wonderful book. We thank you, Lord. We pray you’d open up our hearts to what this passage says about how special our Lord is. And it’s in his name that we pray, the name of our Messiah, our Lord Jesus. Amen. Many people have said that Colossians 1, especially verses 15 to 19, is perhaps the most difficult and yet the most accurate description of the person of Jesus Christ. It’s not easy to understand the person of Jesus Christ. There are people who hear about him and immediately think about how wonderful a man he was, how he taught so well. about his miracles, his healings, and how he cares for people and loves. And so we have a point of identification out of our own human need. But very few seemingly go beyond to ask, who is he really? And what this passage says is indeed troubling unless you understand that the Bible is very clear in presenting Jesus Christ as the God who made you, who became flesh and dwelt among us. And that’s a different story. All of a sudden there’s a conflict in my emotional nature as I hear that saying, wait a minute, you mean the God who made the universe became a man? That in itself is incredible. And that is the teaching of the Bible. The Bible calls it the mystery of godliness in 1 Timothy 3.16. In John 1.1 it says, “…in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And in verse 14 of that chapter it says, “…the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” I want to talk to you about the true identity of the Messiah and what makes him so special. And let’s start with one simple thing from verse 15, that his preeminence moves us to worship him. All over the world, you know and I know, genuine believers have this desire to worship Jesus Christ. Why is that? Because we’re all programming you and setting it up so that you will? Or does it flow from your heart? Is it because you know who he is? His preeminence moves us to worship him. Here’s what we read in verse 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, and secondly, the firstborn of every creature. We have two things there. First of all is image. Now some people have the idea that if he’s the image of the invisible God, that he isn’t really the invisible God. But that’s wrong. Let me just try to give you an understanding of that. If I took an instrument like they had in ancient times to put a seal into a clay tablet and I stomped it in and I pulled it away, that which is left is the image. It’s an exact reproduction. Jesus Christ is an exact reproduction, or as Hebrews 1.3 says, the express image of his person. Everything that God is, he is. Is he the same as the Father? No, he’s not. That is a cultic teaching, however. Some people believe that Jesus and the Father are one and the same. No, there’s the Father and there is the Son. But the Son is the exact image, the exact reproduction. Everything that is making the Father God also makes Jesus God. There aren’t three gods. There’s only one God. But he manifests himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And when you say he is the image of the invisible God, you have something that is not an isolated verse. Let me show you. Go back to the Gospel of John, chapter 1. And look at verse 18. Now John knew Jesus better than anyone else. Not only because he was in the inner circle of those three guys that were with Jesus on very special and precious occasions. But also, John took care of Jesus’ mother until the day she died. Both of their graves are still at Ephesus today. John lived longer than all the other disciples. He lived to be a very old man. In fact, he didn’t die until in the 90s A.D. And of course, Jesus died around the early 30s. So you see, for 60 years at least, you had John around. It knew him the best ever. describes himself as a disciple whom Jesus loved. He loved them all, but he had a special place in the heart of Jesus. And John became known as a theologian of the early church. Very interestingly, it wasn’t Paul. That surprises a lot of Christians. John doesn’t talk in big terms, by the way. Very simple Greek. That’s why when you go to learn Greek at anybody’s school or college or classroom or whatever, they always use John’s writings to get you to translate right away. Things like love and hate and faith and belief. It’s very simple Greek. It may be simple Greek, but it is profound in its theology, we would say, or in what it’s really saying about Jesus. Now in John 1.18, I read this. No man has seen God at any time. Now, mind you, they have seen demonstrations of him. For example, there was a thick cloud that came down over the tabernacle or the temple, so thick the priest couldn’t even minister. They also saw a pillar of fire. There were many, many times in which manifestations of God’s power or character were revealed to man for his own encouragement or understanding. But no man has ever seen, who God really is. He is omnipresent. He fills the universe all at once. He is omnipotent. There isn’t anything he cannot do. And he’s omniscient. He knows everything in any one moment of time. He created time and lives beyond it on either side of it and all the way through it. Amazing. This is our God. And there’s a lot of misunderstanding about God. First of all, we have all the isms and cults thrown in there, which we spend half of our time dealing with them and don’t spend enough time telling ourselves who God really is. And according to the Bible, it says no one has ever seen him. Now look at this next statement. The only begotten son. You say, wait a minute, if he’s a begotten son, then how could he be God? Well, begotten certainly in the flesh, we could settle it right there, but let me take it a step further. The word only begotten is used five times in the Bible, all by John, with the exception of one passage, which is in Hebrews chapter 11. And in Hebrews chapter 11, it calls Abraham’s son Isaac his only begotten son. Now here’s the problem. He wasn’t his only begotten son. He had a son by his Egyptian handmaiden, Hagar. His name was Ishmael. He had also six sons by his second wife, Keturah, whom he married after Sarah’s death. So he wasn’t his only son, his only begotten son. What it is talking about is the unique, the one and only. We would say in English today, there’s no one like it. There is no son of God like him. Why is that important? I’ll tell you why it’s important. All the angels of God of the Old Testament are called sons of God. Now, thinking about this again, apparently God is, to the human mind, invisible. Would you agree with that? And isn’t it interesting that paganism and even neo-paganism of our day is always trying to put the invisible God into a visible form. That is what paganism is. But he dwelleth not in temples made with hands. He’s not in those little idols or those little statutes on the dashboard of people’s cars. God is invisible. But according to this text, he has a son that is like no one else who has, look at this, declared him, says old King James. The word means to put on display. Now, if you wanted to know who the invisible God is and you wanted a visible demonstration or illustration for you to understand, then you must look at Jesus Christ. Now, this isn’t the only time. Go over to chapter 14 of John. Chapter 14, look at verse 8 and 9. When you look at Jesus Christ, you are looking at the invisible God who has become flesh so that we would know what he is like. In John 14, 8 and 9, Philip said unto him, Lord, show us the Father. Well, who wouldn’t want that to happen? The audacity of him is quite remarkable. You know, just show us the invisible God. Show us the Father. And that’ll be enough. It suffices us. That’s all we need. We appreciate everything you’re teaching us, but just show us the invisible God, and boy, we’ll stay with you. Interesting, isn’t it? Jesus said to him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father. And how sayest thou then, show us the Father? You see, this is an incredible truth in God’s word. He’s the image of what? Of the invisible God. He is the demonstration. He is the way you and I make contact with the God who made us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Turn over to 1 Timothy 1, verse 17. 1 Timothy 1, verse 17. Now in 1 Timothy 1, 17, Paul’s giving his testimony here about how thankful he was for God’s grace. And in verse 17, it’s kind of a little doxology here, even though he’s not done with his letter. He’s just time to praise the Lord for what he had done. And he said, “‘Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, “‘the only wise God, be honor and glory “‘forever and ever, amen.'” Now, many people, cultists say, well, that’s referring to the father, not to the son. No, it’s not. Look back at the verse preceding it. That in me first, Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering and patience. He’s thanking Jesus Christ for his longsuffering, his patience, his mercy and grace, a few verses earlier. And so now unto the king. Who is called the king? Well, I’ll tell you who’s called the king more times than the father ever is, and that’s the son. The son is the king Messiah who is going to come and rule over the whole world. Now unto the king, it says, who’s invisible, he was also invisible until he became flesh and dwelt among us. He is the image of the invisible God. His preeminence causes us to worship him.

SPEAKER 03 : 19:14

That’s Bible teacher and author David Hawking, and this is Hope for Today. David’s back in just a moment to bring our time for the day to a close, so do stay with us. Just before that, Matt and I have a powerful resource that’s going to cause you to take a second look

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At the book of Psalms. Learning to praise in the Psalms is a dynamic journey through the Psalms with a special devotional for each day of 2026. Get this devotional.

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And on January 1st, you’ll have your devotional for the whole year. Amen. Amen. And Matt, the Psalms have been the morning meditation of your dad, David Hawking, for over 40 years.

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In them, he has found hope. joy, encouragement, worship, and insights into the nature and ways of the Almighty God who alone is worthy of our praise and adoration. And Jim, with each day’s devotion, my dad outlines a psalm passage, brings in cross-references, shares his thoughts along with applications, and highlights a special verse for meditation. Yeah, and he ends each devotional.

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with a special prayer to bring those lessons and encouragement and instruction and the hope of the passage to your heart.

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And it’s his sincere desire that every person who reads the wonderful devotional in the Psalms will be encouraged no matter what the difficult circumstance in their life may be. Yeah, learning to praise in the Psalms.

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Well, Matt, the Psalms remind us to focus on God, what he has done and what he will do.

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Take a powerful trek through the Psalms with this personal daily devotional. Learning to praise in the Psalms. You know, Psalms 34.3 says, O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.

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Matt, you know something? Jenny and I had that put to music as we walked out at the end of our wedding. Wow. Magnify the Lord with me.

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You know, this passage and so many, many more are covered in this devotional.

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Learning to Praise in the Psalms is just $20. And by the way, if you’ve already been blessed with a copy, get another for a friend whose faith will be enriched with this daily devotional by David for 2026. Learning to Praise in the Psalms is just $20. And when you purchase, please consider adding an extra amount, a donation to hope for today. or perhaps make a donation by itself. Your contribution will help us continue spreading the gospel and building up the body of Christ online and through radio in 2026. And please pray for hope for today. Get your copy of David’s book, Learning to Praise in the Psalms, for just $20. This is a powerful resource that will strengthen your walk with the Lord and ground your praise in the truth of God’s Word. Learning to Praise in the Psalms. You can order yours right now by calling 800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Or visit us online at DavidHocking.org. And as this year comes to a close, wow, we have just a few days left. Can you imagine that? Well, we want to ask you something very, very important. Has hope for today blessed you this year? Has God used the Bible teaching that you hear on the program to teach you, steady you, or remind you that His Word still stands strong? If that’s the case, would you prayerfully consider standing with us right now as we finish the year strong? Your year in gift helps keep this program on the air, taking the unchanging Word of God to people who desperately need truth and hope. The truth and hope that’s only found in God’s Word. There’s no fluff here, no compromise, just the Bible clearly taught day after day. You can give right now or you can start a regular monthly contribution for 2026 by calling us at 800-75-BIBLE. Again, that’s in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible by the numbers 24253 or give securely online at DavidHawking.com. We love receiving letters from our listening family. And in the U.S., you can write to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, T-U-S-T-I-N, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO Seven Oaks, Abbotsford. Abbotsford is spelled A-B-B-O-T-S. S-F-O-R-D, that’s in B-C, V-2-S-H-P-1. And thank you for standing with us, for loving God’s Word, and for helping us finish the year faithful and strong. And here’s David.

SPEAKER 01 : 23:53

Well, friends, thanks for listening to Hope for Today. If you missed one of our broadcasts, go to DavidHawking.org, our website, And there we have hundreds of thousands of people listening in many countries of the world. And you can pick up at your leisure maybe a program that you missed. I love the title of the message right now. What makes Jesus so special? Well, you couldn’t ask for a better subject, especially right now. We have just celebrated Christmas Day. I hope you enjoyed our special program, and if you’d like to get that program to listen again and again, of course, it’s available. Just call our office, 1-800-75-BIBLE, or in Canada, 1-888-75-BIBLE. Our study takes us to Colossians 1. I was in Colossi in the central area of Turkey. It’s kind of a tri-city area of Colossi, Laodicea, Hierapolis. And there’s a lot of interesting things from the ruins and excavations of both Laodicea and Colossi and Hierapolis. But one thing we learned is that the Gnostics were causing a lot of trouble dealing with the true gospel and the true identity of our Lord. The word Gnostic comes from the Greek word gnosko, meaning to know by experience. And it’s interesting because today the experience orientation church has almost taken over our country. North America is suffering greatly because of user-friendly stuff and entertainment-prone and emerging church ideas. Well, Colossians 1, 15 to 29 settles it. Settles it, folks. The issue is Yeshua. It is Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Well, thank you, David. Well, next time on the broadcast, we continue our very special look at what makes Jesus so special. David’s message from Colossians chapter one. Invite a friend to listen along with you as we bring you the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible right here on Hope for Today.