In this enlightening episode, delve into the profound teachings of Colossians 1 as David Hawking unravels what makes Jesus truly special. From exploring His preeminence and His unique identity as the image of the invisible God to understanding His unparalleled power that moves us to faith, we uncover why Jesus stands alone among all historical religious figures. This episode encourages us to prioritize prayer and find assurance in His foreknowledge and sustaining presence in our lives.
I’ve often said that I believe psychology and counseling is the Trojan horse of the church. Not because I don’t believe in good biblical counseling, I do. But you understand that it’s almost getting us off of the one we ought to talk to. If you’re being counseled by somebody in a certain problem you have and they don’t direct you to talk to the Lord, what have we done? We’re just pooling our own ignorance. We’re just the average talk show. We’ll clap and see who’s right. What a dumb, dumb position we’ve come to. We need to get back to the fact that prayer is not our last resort when everything else falls apart. Prayer is the first resource we have.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is Hope for Today with David Hawking. You know, when life gets heavy, really, really heavy, we reach for what’s close, what’s near. It might be a voice or a familiar opinion, maybe a quick answer that feels safe. But God never intended for our first conversation to be with each other. From Colossians chapter 1, David Hawking continues his four-part study, What Makes Jesus So Special, reminding us that before we explain, before we analyze, and before we try to fix, we are invited to come to the Lord and speak to Him first. David takes us back to Colossians chapter 1 to continue our study, What Makes Jesus So Special, in just a moment. Before David begins, we want you to know that there are free resources available right now at DavidHawking.org. These are study materials designed to help you go deeper into God’s Word and stay grounded in biblical truth. And if this ministry has been a blessing to you, we invite you to become a regular supporter. Your partnership helps us expand this outreach online and through radio as we move into 2026, taking the Word of God to more people, more places with greater clarity than ever. Visit DavidHocking.org, that’s DavidHocking.org, or call us at 800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
I want to talk to you about the true identity of the Messiah and what makes him so special. 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, his 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. 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, we already mentioned in passing, you may not have picked it up, but Hebrews 1.3 says also that he’s the express image of his person. So there are a lot of verses. I’m just hitting some highlights. By the way, in Hebrews 11.27, Moses, interestingly, left Egypt. He endured as seeing, here’s almost a paradox, seeing him who is invisible. How do you see what’s invisible? And the answer, of course, is with the eyes of faith. You have to believe what God says, though you yourself have never seen it. It’s his preeminence that moves my heart to worship him. And if you can’t sing a note, God is still interested in hearing your noise. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Amen. So you see, something’s happened to us. We sometimes get so enamored with the process and the methodology of, quote, doing church that we have missed the whole point. He is the image of the invisible God. His preeminence causes us to worship him. and moves our heart. Not simply that, but the next statement of verse 15 says, the firstborn, and right away in English, of course, because nobody’s paying attention to the Greek word, they read English, firstborn means born first, right? It’s impossible with this word. Why? Jesus wasn’t the first man ever born, but God said that he made his firstborn to be preeminent over everybody else. Matter of fact, concerning the Messiah in Psalm 89, verse 27, it says, I’ll make him, the Messiah, my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. Apparently it has something more to do than being born first. Very interesting. The Greek word is prototokos. Actually, they use it today. Prototokos has two ideas in it. Excuse me for referring to it, but I think it’s necessary on a doctrine like this to understand. Prototokos has two ideas in it. One is the issue of priority. If somebody is a prototokos, even an event or an agenda item, it is first. So when you read the word firstborn, the point of the word first is very important. Prototokos does mean priority, and he has the priority of all human history at all time and all eternity. God has already told us in the Bible that he wants him to be praised forever and ever and ever. He wants him to be worshiped forever and ever and ever. You understand his preeminence moves my heart to worship him. As I even know in the Bible that he is Pertodokos. No one else is as important as he is. But prototokos, just used in Greek, not only refers to priority, it refers to sovereignty, interestingly. You would speak about an emperor or president or king of a country. As prototokos, he is the sovereign ruler over all. We would say in English, his position causes me to bow in his presence. He is the firstborn. He is the prototokos. Therefore, his preeminence moves me to fall down and worship. The psalmist said, come, let us worship and bow down. Now, you may be standing, you may be lifting your hands in praise to the Lord, but I wonder if we are bowing in our hearts to him who deserves all the glory and all the praise. You see, it’s his preeminence that moves me and true believers to worship him. And that’s so important. By the way, the word worship in Hebrew, shakah, does mean to bow down. Very interesting. Now let’s come to a second matter in verses 16 to 17 about what makes Jesus so special. Certainly his preeminence, but secondly his power. And his power moves us to believe him. That’s how you and I put faith in Jesus, by looking at his power and what he can do. His power moves us to believe him. Again, Colossians chapter 1, verse 16 and 17 says, For by him… through his agency, he’s a channel, by him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible. After all, angels and demons are part of that. 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 or hold together. There are really four things there about our Lord Jesus’ power that causes us to believe in him, that moves us to believe him. One is his presence at the beginning. It says, if I read this very clearly, that by him were all things created. John 1, 1-3 says, all things were created by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. It kind of bothers me sometimes when people, well-meaning Christians, want you to come up with some solution to the problems that they’re currently having other than simply praying. Hello? Doesn’t it seem a little strange that we would rather talk to 36 people and getting all their wild, wacko views about what we should do rather than going to the only one who can do anything about it? Could it possibly mean that we don’t really have full confidence in who he is and his power? Now, if he flung all the worlds into existence, your problem is probably not a big deal. Okay? Oh, I’m just falling apart. My life is ruined. You cannot believe what’s happening. And the Lord who made the whole universe, looking at you, I’m here. Hello. He invites us to call upon him. It’s more important to talk to him than it is anybody else. It’s interesting to me. Prayer is the first resource we have. And his power is what moves me to believe him and that all things are possible. It may seem impossible to people, but it’s not impossible to God. He can do anything. Nothing is too hard for our Lord. All of these statements I just made the last minute are all found in God’s word about our Lord. There isn’t anything he can’t do. It’s incredible. So his very presence at the beginning, before anything was, before anything material or physical came into existence, according to the Bible, bara, out of nothing. He was there. Jesus Christ, my Lord, was there. Not only his presence at the beginning, but his very purpose. If I’m reading this right, look at the end of verse 16. It was for him. The purpose of the whole material and physical creation. Everything God ever made is for what reason? It is for him. Haven’t you asked the question what the purpose of your life is all about? It’s for him. It’s for him. You see, in the first case, his preeminence will move us to worship him. But in the second case, his power will move us to believe him. Why? Because his presence was there at the beginning. He did make it all. But secondly, his very purpose, it helps me to understand what my purpose is all about. Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, do all to the glory of God. Turn over to Revelation 4 and look at verse 11. According to the Bible, all the universe, everything in it, Angels, demons, the galaxies, human life, everything in it was designed for the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In Revelation 4 and verse 11, it says, “…thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things,” which we just read in Colossians 1.16, “…and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” It was all done for the pleasure of God Himself. And the praise towards Jesus is in chapter 5 and the verses 11 to 14. It’s incredible as all the universe that he made will ultimately lift their hearts to praise and to thank him. Folks, you and I were made for him. So you see, first his preeminence causes us to worship him, but his power will move us to believe him. And not simply his presence at the beginning and his purpose, but his very preexistence is an issue. It says, before all things, Colossians 1. Verse 17, he is before all things. And a lot of people say, well, that sounds redundant. I mean, if he created it, he obviously was there. So why repeat it and say he’s before all things? And to tell you the truth, I think the grammar here is for you and me to understand something. There isn’t anything happening in your life and mine that he didn’t know about a long time ago. He was before all things. No matter what has happened in your life and mine, he knew all about it before it ever existed. Isn’t that incredible? He knows so much about you, it’s frightening unless you know the Lord. You know, people walk around like they’re getting away with things. That is so funny to me. God knows everything. Everything. You know what? He knows everything. Why do we sit around and do this snow job on God? This is ridiculous. Play our little role. Let me tell you, he knows it all. He was before all things. You see, that advanced knowledge of everything is critical to my rest and peace in the Lord. What is it we really do believe? That’s the issue. Our blessed Lord was here before everything. He knew the day you were going to be born, long before you ever came into existence, or you even had parents. He knew not only the day you’re born, he knows how many days you’re going to live. They’re all counted, by the way, according to the Bible. He’s got them all, but he doesn’t pass the number on to you. By the way, you’re going to die right on time, exactly. He already knows how, the circumstances, and when it’s going to occur. And he knows whether you’re going to still be alive when the second coming comes. I’d like to experience that, but he knows it all. He knows the end from the beginning. All things are known to him at any one moment of time. Whoops. See, God is not a sequential brain like yours. He doesn’t need to, you know, wear a Rolex watch. This is Tuesday, you know, or whatever. No, no, no. God doesn’t need any of that. He already knows everything at any one moment of time. So whatever is happening in your life, he knows everything, why it’s there, why everything’s working as it is, and how it’s going to all end up. He knows it all. You see, it’s that knowledge from God’s word that causes me to trust him and to learn to relax. Philippians 4 said, “‘Be careful for nothing.'” The Greek word meridzo means to divide, to become distracted. Don’t be distracted about anything, but in everything by prayer with thanksgiving, thanking the Lord for what he’s doing. Let your requests be made known unto God. Just leave it there. And the peace of God will keep your hearts and minds, no matter what storm is going on about you. I need to let it go. I need to cast my burden on the Lord. By the way, 1 Peter 5 says, cast all your care upon him. It’s the same word, to divide, to be distracted, comes to mean anxiety. You remember when he went to Lazarus and Mary and Martha’s home? You remember that? Luke 10. And Martha was busy serving and got all ticked off about Mary and just sitting at the feet of Jesus. And Jesus said to her, Martha, Martha, you are troubled about many things. It’s the same word again, to be distracted. You see, you and I are constantly distracted off of who God is, and that’s why we’re so bent out of shape. That’s why we can’t put our things together. And it happens to the best of us, doesn’t it? And we need to be reminded of his power. His power moves me to believe him and to trust him and to not run away from it. By the way, there’s one more thing. Not only his presence at the beginning when he made everything and his purpose, which was for him, nor his preexistence before anything happens, he knows it all, but also his providence. Look at what it says, verse 17. By him, all things consist. It’s just a simple Greek word, a compound meaning to hold together. Watch this, please. I’m going to demonstrate the mighty power of the Lord Jesus. Excuse me. I’m going to concentrate now. Please stay in the air. Do not fall. I don’t have the power. You know why that book just dropped? Because of Jesus Christ sustaining all the laws of the universe by his own power. You know what will happen when the worlds collide and the judgment’s coming? Because he’ll release it. What about all the mathematical orbiting systems of our galaxies? Who’s running that? And some people have him like Thomas Jefferson did. They thought he was a deist. They called him a deist. What that means is he said he believed in the Lord, but he said it was kind of like a clock. Lord wound up all of history and he just lets it unwind. He sort of sits as a passive observer to it. That was in Thomas Jefferson’s writings. No, my friends, he is not a passive observer. He is actively involved in all the affairs of your life, whether you know it or not. It’s amazing. By him, everything is held together.
SPEAKER 02 :
You’re listening to Hope for Today with David Hawking. And David will be back to close out our time in a word in just a moment. Stay right there for that. First though, Matt’s here, and we have a wonderful resource that may just help you see the Psalms in a fresh, new way each day of 2026.
SPEAKER 01 :
Matt, how would you like a convenient and worshipful tool for hearing the Psalms every day?
SPEAKER 02 :
A few years back, Matt, we recorded with your dad reading the Psalms, and we added in some of the best worship music in the background. We’d love to place the complete reading of the Psalms by David, along with the worship orchestration background, into your hands for just $10.
SPEAKER 01 :
And you can pair this with our 365-day devotional through the Psalms titled Learning to Praise in the Psalms.
SPEAKER 02 :
Get Learning to Praise in the Psalms, and you’re going to have an epic journey through the 150 chapters of Psalms with a special devotional for each day of 2026. And the Psalms have been the morning meditations of my dad, David Hawking, for over 40 years. Wow. Hope, joy, encouragement, worship, insights into the nature and ways of Almighty God.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s all there and so much more. And Jim, with each day’s devotion, my dad outlines a Psalm passage. He explains challenging passages, shares applications, and highlights a special verse. for meditation and a prayer to help you apply what you just learned.
SPEAKER 02 :
Matt, Psalm 23, a favorite of so many. The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 121, I lift up my eyes to the hills. Psalm 4610, be still and know that I am God.
SPEAKER 01 :
Psalm 139, 14. Psalm 139, 14, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. These are just a few of the sections you’ll study and experience with Learning to Praise in the Psalms.
SPEAKER 02 :
Learning to Praise in the Psalms is $20, and David’s reading of the Psalms with worship accompaniment, that is $10. Your purchase or a generous donation will help us continue the mission and vision of Hope for Today, that’s sharing the gospel with as many people as possible and building up the body of Christ through the faithful teaching of God’s Word.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. And please continue to pray for Hope for Today.
SPEAKER 02 :
To get David’s book, Learning to Praise in the Psalms for $20, that’s 365 devotionals in the Psalms for next year, just $20. Or David’s reading of the Psalms set to music, that’s $10. Or of course, both for $30. Call 800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. You can also order online at davidhawking.org. And you know, with a new year just a day or so away, can you believe it? Wow. Well, please consider helping this ministry enter 2026, firing on all pistons. I love that illustration. And you know how you can do that? Well, it’s very straightforward. We need your financial gifts to make this ministry possible. Your donations are quite literally the grease in the engine. Any gift, large or small, occasional or regular, goes a long way to make sure we stay on the air and online preaching and teaching the Word of God. So do reach out right away, if you would, and give your most generous gift as you can. You can write us at Hope for Today, Box 3927. Tustin, California, that’s T-U-S-T-I-N, California, 92781 in the U.S. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO 7 Oaks, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 8P1. Or you could call 875-BIBLE. Again, that’s in the U.S. Or in Canada, call 888-75-BIBLE. And Bible is 24253. And of course, you can always click the Donate button on our website, davidhawking.org. That’s davidhawking.org. And once again, here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I hope you’re enjoying the study of Colossians 1 as much as I enjoyed studying it myself. Now, I enjoy preaching. I enjoy teaching. But folks, the real joy is in the private place as you study God’s Word. And to realize what is being said in Colossians 1 about the glory and majesty of our Lord Yeshua, I tell you, it excites me greatly. While I’m talking to you right now, I’ve got little bumps all over my arms. I’m so excited. And, you know, you can’t ask for a better subject to tell anyone, your friends, your family, those who need the Lord. What makes Jesus so special? After all, there have been a lot of religious leaders throughout history. Why is he so different? And boy, is he ever different. He’s the unique, the one and only Son of God. When the Bible tells us five times that He’s the only begotten Son of God, it’s not talking about Him being born as a baby. It’s talking about the preeminence, priority, uniqueness of Jesus. There is no one like Him. And I believe the greatest need you and I have in our entire life is not only to know His true identity, but to put our faith and trust in Him alone. I’m talking about believing that He is everything He claimed, that He can forgive your sin and give you eternal life. Why don’t you just stop what you’re doing right now or pull your car over the side of the road and why not open your heart to the only one who can save you? Cry out to Him, Lord, please. Have mercy on me. Save me. If you’d like to learn more about that, give us a call. 1-800-75-BIBLE or in Canada, 1-888-75-BIBLE and tell us you’d really like to know what a personal relationship with Jesus Christ could mean in your life. God bless you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you, David. And here at Hope for Today, we don’t want to play around when it comes to stewardship of God’s finances. And we need to make sure that we’re placing the program in the most effective areas possible. So reach out and let us know where you listen. That way we can make sure your gifts, your hard-earned money, is spent wisely and in a God-honoring way. Our phone number, 875-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S., 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And of course, online, we’re at davidhawking.org. Well, next time, it’s day three of David’s message, What Makes Jesus So Special? Join us then, right here on Hope for Today.
