Colossians 1:15-28, New International Reader's Version

The Son of God Is Better Than Everything Else

15 The Son is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen. The Son is first, and he is over all creation. 16 All things were created in him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can’t be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers and authorities. All things have been created by him and for him. 17 Before anything was created, he was already there. He holds everything together. 18 And he is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so that he would be far above everything. 19 God was pleased to have his whole nature living in Christ. 20 God was pleased to bring all things back to himself. That’s because of what Christ has done. These things include everything on earth and in heaven. God made peace through Christ’s blood, by his death on the cross.

21 At one time you were separated from God. You were enemies in your minds because of your evil ways. 22 But because Christ died, God has brought you back to himself. Christ’s death has made you holy in God’s sight. So now you don’t have any flaw. You are free from blame. 23 But you must keep your faith steady and firm. You must not move away from the hope the good news holds out to you. This is the good news that you heard. It has been preached to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, now serve the good news.

Paul’s Work for the Church

24 I am happy because of what I am suffering for you. My suffering joins with and continues the sufferings of Christ. I suffer for his body, which is the church. 25 I serve the church. God appointed me to bring the complete word of God to you. 26 That word contains the mystery that has been hidden for many ages. But now it has been made known to the Lord’s people. 27 God has chosen to make known to them the glorious riches of that mystery. He has made it known among the Gentiles. And here is what it is. Christ is in you. He is your hope of glory.

28 Christ is the one we preach about. With all the wisdom we have, we warn and teach everyone. When we bring them to God, we want them to be like Christ. We want them to be grown up as people who belong to Christ.

Supplies:

Handheld mirror
Picture of Jesus affixed to the mirror.

Message:

(Have a mirror in hand. Don’t let the children see the picture of Jesus on the mirror. Hold it backward so that they can tell it’s a mirror.) Last week, we read the beginning of a letter that the apostle Paul wrote to the people living in Colossae. Today, we continue reading from this letter, as he describes what God looks like. Over the years, in the movies, many different actors have portrayed God. I recall a movie from a long time ago, way back in the 1970s, where an older man named George Burns starred in a movie titled Oh God! As a child, I didn’t really think God looked like George Burns. Then, many years later, another movie starred Morgan Freeman, who portrayed God. Again, I am not sure I thought God looked like Morgan Freeman either. I wonder what you think God looks like. (Allow children to provide their own images of God.)

Paul writes to the people of Colossae, reminding them that God has created everything on earth. God is not imaginary but is invisible. Paul tells his readers that Jesus is our visible image of God. If you want to know what God looks like, it isn’t George Burns or Morgan Freeman; it’s Jesus. Paul tells us that if we want to know what God looks like, we should look to Jesus.

Have you ever heard of “Show and Tell”? When you participate in “Show and Tell,” you bring something to school and show the whole class what it is. But then you also tell them about it. “Show and Tell” wouldn’t work if you just showed people or if you just told them about what you were going to bring.

It’s the same thing when we show someone what God looks like. God gave us Jesus to see and imagine what this world could be if we share the love that God has for us with others. John 3:16 (NIRV) says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” God gave us Jesus so that we might understand what God looks like. Jesus taught us to love one another as God loves us.

Jesus wants us to help share the love that he has for us with others. We can’t do that by simply telling others that Jesus loves them; we must also show them. I asked you what you think God looks like. We then discovered that Jesus shows us what God looks like. Here’s another question: “What do you look like?” I have a mirror that reflects my appearance back to me. I use it to put in my contact lenses every day. Many people use a mirror to do their hair. (If your hair is short, like mine, you can make a joke about needing a mirror.) When you look into a mirror, it gives you a reflection of what you look like. To tell someone about Jesus, you must show them what Jesus looks like.

When you see someone who needs to see Jesus, you show that person Jesus by acting the way Jesus taught us to act. For example, (insert child’s name) is with his/her family at the grocery store, and a lady with her cart in the same aisle drops her phone as she turns the corner to go to the next aisle. (Child’s name) picks it up, gets her attention, and returns it to her. That’s what Jesus would do. Look into the mirror. What do you see? (Hold the mirror up so the child named sees Jesus in the mirror.)

Or (name another child) sees a classmate drop his/her armful of books, and folders and papers have scattered all over the busy hallway. No one stops to help that person pick them up. (Name) doesn’t even know the other student, but he/she stops to help pick up the papers and books. That’s what Jesus would do. (Hold the mirror up again in front of child named so he/she can see Jesus’ image.)

Let’s see if we can come up with other examples of how you might show Jesus to someone else this week. (Be careful when asking open-ended questions to children. Be prepared for any response.) Be on the lookout for people who need to know about Jesus.

When you see all the people around you, remember they all need to know about Jesus’ love. Just as Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians, God needs helpers to show and tell the world what God’s love looks like. Paul tells us that Jesus is the one we preach about, and when we bring others to God, we want them to be like Christ. We want them to be people who belong to Christ. Then they will see what God looks like. I think each of you would be great at sharing Jesus with others. When you tell your friends about Jesus or share Jesus with them, you are serving the good news, just as Paul did.

(You can take time to show the children the mirror by placing it in front of them and encouraging each of them to show and tell.)

Prayer:

God of love, remind us that each time we look into a mirror, we see Jesus in the reflection. As we see all the people in our lives, help us to show and tell by our actions and words how much Jesus loves them. Then the world will see what God’s love truly looks like. Amen.

Between the Sundays: Family Conversation Starters

We have added conversation starters to each children’s message series to help spark conversations within families during the week. We encourage families to use these questions to guide them through conversations and subject matter discussed during the worship service, including the children’s messages on Sundays. These conversations will reinforce learning and nurture faith formation for the entire family.

Place a picture of Jesus on a mirror somewhere in your house, so that each time you look at your reflection, you see Jesus. This will serve as a reminder to show the world what God looks like.

Each night at the dinner table or before bed, play a game of “show and tell” with your family. Give a daily example about how you used an opportunity to both show and tell someone about Jesus. Describe how you felt.

Watch a clip from The Marx Brothers 1933 Duck Soup film. After watching this clip, try to “mirror” someone else in your family. Was it hard to do the same movements at the same time? Discuss with your family ways that you could “mirror” Jesus this week.

Paul writes in his letter,

Christ is the one we preach about. With all the wisdom we have, we warn and teach everyone. When we bring them to God, we want them to be like Christ. We want them to be grown up as people who belong to Christ (Colossians 1:28, NIRV).

How did you preach Jesus this week? Did you teach others by showing, telling, or both?