How did Jesus become the visible image of the invisible God?
At the appropriate time, one member of the Godhead, God the Son, took on visibility and became the visible manifestation—the image—of the invisible Spirit God. He did not begin at Bethlehem but is eternal, preexistent, and the Creator through whom all things were made.
Les explains that verse 15 calls God the Son the image of the invisible God. The triune Godhead is Spirit and therefore invisible, but at the appropriate time one member of the Godhead took on visibility. He became the visible manifestation of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. Les connects this to the truth that by God the Son all things were created—visible and invisible, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers—all created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, from eternity past, not first appearing at Bethlehem, and He holds all things together. He is also the head of the body, the Church.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
More Questions
How do we know that Christ is the image of the invisible God?
We must take by faith that Christ is the visible manifestation of the invisible God, because it cannot be proven by laboratory experiment but is stated in Scripture.