The Artist’s Mark: Why Viewing Jesus as God Changes Everything

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You know your preconceived ideas about someone or some group has a big impact on how you treat them. Think about it: if you believe a person is a world-class expert, you listen to them with rapt attention. If you think they are a deceiver, you meet every word with suspicion. Sometimes its what they are wearing that can affect the way you treat them or it might be their accent. 

    Sometimes, however we can be surprised when our preconceived and sometimes ignorant ideas and notions are challenged. Sometimes if we will wait and listen we may just find that the expert is not all that reliable or that person you might have though was not all that bright may very well be brilliant. You see sometimes what we need most is a change in perspective. 

    In the 16th century, most people believed children born deaf were "simple-minded" and incapable of learning or even receiving salvation. But a Benedictine monk named Pedro Ponce de Leon viewed them differently. He saw their potential, taught them, and proved the world wrong—all because he changed his perspective.

    The most important "perspective check" we will ever do concerns Jesus Christ. Is He just a good teacher? A historical figure? A philosopher? Or is He something much more? How we answer that question doesn't just change our theology; it changes our entire reason for living.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."- Colossians 1:15-17

The Unmistakable Identity of Jesus

    In the early church at Colossae, people were confused. Some thought Jesus was just a man whom God "possessed," or a human who eventually became a god. The Apostle Paul wrote these verses to set the record straight: Jesus didn't become God; He is God!

    Paul explains that Jesus is the "image of the invisible God"—meaning if you want to know what the invisible Father looks like, you look at Jesus. He isn't a part of creation; He is the Architect of it. 

Creator, Sustainer, and Purpose

Paul breaks down the magnitude of Jesus’ deity into three life-altering realities:

  • He is our Creator: Isaac Newton once used a mechanical model of the solar system to challenge an atheist friend. When the friend asked who made the intricate model, Newton joked, "No one, it just happened". The point was clear: design requires a Designer. Jesus is that Designer; nothing exists—from the furthest galaxy to the smallest cell—that He did not fashion. 

  • He is our Sustainer: Your heart beats roughly 100,000 times a day and about 35 million times a year. You didn't start that beat, and you don't consciously keep it going. When you fall asleep do you have to remember to breath or try to make sure your heart does not stop in your sleep. No you have no control over that. Paul says that in Jesus "all things consist," meaning He is the one holding the atoms of the universe—and the rhythm of your heart—together right now.

  • He is our Purpose: Every artist leaves a mark on their work to connect the creation to the creator. A painting always has the artists signature. Every piece of hand crafted pottery has the potter's name etched on it. Even when a piece is not signed by the artist there is still enough of the artists touch in the work that experts can identify their distinct work.  Paul notes that all things were created "through Him and for Him". You weren't created for your own fleeting happiness; you were created as a unique masterpiece intended to point back to Jesus.

Living the Truth

    If Jesus is truly God, then He isn't just a figure to study; He is the Lord to be followed. His words are words to be obeyed  Since your life, your talents, and even your next breath are gifts from Him, the most practical question you can ask today is: Does my life point back to the Artist?

Our speech, our decisions, and our actions act as the "brushstrokes" on the canvas of our lives. When we view Jesus correctly—as the Almighty Creator and Sustainer—we stop living for ourselves and start living for the one who holds our very existence in His hands.

So, let's circle back to that first thought: How has your view of Jesus changed your week? If you truly see Him as God, let that reality settle any anxiety and fuel your worship today. You are held by the one who made the stars. 

Location: Ashmore, IL 61912, USA

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