Colossians 1:15-22 is an amazing passage and conveys one of the earliest creeds of the Church–Jesus is Lord. Before we explore this pericope, however, we need to do some background work and reflect upon the biblical context. 

The letter to the Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul to the Church in Colossae, a city about 100 miles southeast of Ephesus. Colossae had been well known long before Paul’s time. At one time, it was a thriving commercial and political center. Persian kings like Xerxes and Cyrus favored it as their ancient day vacation get-a-way. But by the first century A.D., the greatness and glory of Colossae had faded. It had become just another ordinary, insignificant, and often harsh ancient city filled with ruins serving as memories of a more vibrant time. For many, the expectations of any return to glory were futile.

And yet, the Gospel has a habit of confounding the maps of men. Once this irrelevant, eroded city collided with the Good News, it instantly became eternally significant and welcomed another King—the King of Kings.

Many assume Paul started the Church in Colossae. After all, he wrote them this letter. Paul was a church planter, for sure, but he did not plant this one. In fact, Paul never even visited the city. Still, he tremendously impacted this new group of believers. While ministering in Ephesus, another city about 100 miles away, Paul boldly and faithfully preached the message of Christ. God used his ministry to light a fire in the hearts of the Ephesians. Some of those believers carried the Good News to the surrounding cities, like Colassae. Eventually, the message of salvation reached a Colossian man named Epaphras, mentioned in Colossians 1:7. He is the man believed to have started the Church in Colossae.

What a simple but profound lesson for Christians today. When we faithfully and passionately share the love and message of Christ, lives will be changed not only in our own community but far beyond. When we disciple and raise up followers of Christ to disciple others, the impact becomes ineffably exponential.

The believers in Colossae were initially enthusiastic for Christ and His message of the Kingdom. They grew their Church, but before long, problems surfaced, which isn’t shocking? Every Church has issues. The Church is the Body of Christ and the Body is made up of members, by people who aren’t perfect. 

The problem in Colossae was the Church’s struggle to overcome cultural resistance to Christianity. 

Colossae was religiously diverse. Over the centuries, Persians, Greeks, and Romans had brought their gods. The people were accustomed to worshiping many deities. When Jesus was presented to them, the temptation for many Colossians was to fit Him into that system, to treat Him as one more god among the others.This is called syncretism—it’s incredibly dangerous to the health of any Church.

At the same time, Gnosticism was beginning to influence the culture and seep into the minds of new believers. This philosophy taught that all matter was eternal and essentially evil. That runs completely counter to Christian doctrine, especially the doctrines of creation and the incarnation. As Christians, we believe matter was created ex nihilo (out of nothing) by God, and that creation was good. We also believe Jesus became flesh, that God Himself in Christ entered creation, and that He is good.

The Gnostics rejected this. They claimed Jesus did not have a real body, that He was some kind of spirit being who could not truly die on the cross. Obviously, this is extremely problematic. If Jesus did not die, then He did not save the world from sin and eternal death.

These ideas, along with similar heresies like Docetism, were creeping into the Church and diminishing Christ in the minds of many. When Paul heard about this, he was compelled by the Holy Spirit to address the Church in Colossae. He was not going to stand by and let anyone believe Christ to be just another god, that He was not enough, or that He was not real flesh and blood.

So, around A.D. 60, Paul wrote what may be his most powerful and Christ-centered passage. He may not have known the Colossians personally, but he knew exactly who he was writing about. In these few verses, Paul drives home one central truth: the supremacy of Christ. Jesus is Lord. Here are a few ways His Lordship is expressed by Paul:

1. Jesus is Lord/God (v. 15)
   Paul starts with a bold statement: “The Son is the image of the invisible God.” In other words, the God we can’t see has made Himself visible in Jesus. This isn’t just a copy or a vague likeness. This is God Himself in human flesh (John 1:14). If you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen God.
   
2. Jesus is Lord of Creation (vv. 16–17)
   Paul goes on: “For in him all things were created… all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
   Jesus is both the maker and the sustainer of everything. Every mountain, every ocean, every star you see at night—He made them. The galaxies keep turning and the smallest atom stays in place because Christ is holding it all together. Creation doesn’t just come from Him; it’s tied up in Him and belongs to Him.
   
3. Jesus is Lord of Lords (v. 16)
   Paul says He rules over “thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.” That means every government, every ruler, every unseen spiritual power, heavenly or earthly, ultimately answers to Him. They might not recognize Him now, but one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:10-11).
   
4. Jesus is Lord of the Church (v. 18)
   Paul tells us: “He is the head of the body, the church.” That’s not just a title; it’s reality. The head gives life and direction to the body, and Jesus does the same for His church. It doesn’t belong to pastors, elders, or members—it belongs to Him. He leads it, He sustains it, and He measures its health by faithfulness, not by size or programs.
   
5. Jesus is Lord over Death (v. 18)
   Paul calls Him “the firstborn from among the dead.” That doesn’t mean He was created—it means He’s first in rank and first in victory over death. Jesus walked into death and came out the other side, alive and triumphant. He’s leading the resurrection parade, and everyone who belongs to Him will follow.
   
6. Jesus is Lord of Reconciliation and Peace (vv. 19–22)
   Paul closes with this: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things… by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” The One who made all things is also the One who can fix what’s broken. Sin has fractured the world, but through His real, physical, willing death, Jesus has brought peace between God and His people. Those who were once far from Him are now holy, clean, and secure in His presence.
   

This letter is a Christological masterpiece. You can’t read it (especially this passage) and walk away confused about who Jesus is according to the Christian faith. Yes, He was a man, but not just a man or a great teacher, an extraordinary ethicist, or a premier philanthropist and philosopher. He is also Lord, the Lord God. Lord of Creation, Lord of Lords, Lord of all, Lord of the Church, Lord over death, and Lord of Reconciliation and Peace. He is Lord in countless ways, but the real question is: is He the Lord of our lives?

Most of us would probably say, “Of course He is! I have placed my faith in Christ; I believe He died for my sins and gave me eternal life.” If you can say that, then Jesus is your Savior. Praise God. But I’m not asking if Jesus is your Savior. I’m asking if He is your Lord. Making Jesus your Savior requires faith; it involves no effort beyond believing in Him. Allowing Jesus to be the Lord of your life, however, demands something more. It means willfully setting aside your own desires, will, and ambitions, and submitting fully to His. It means turning over the reins of your life to Jesus every day, giving Him complete control over all that you are and all that you have.