Christ the Triumphant Second Adam!
The Divine Readings – Colossians 1: 15-18; Colossians 2:11-15
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. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Lectio Divina Prayer
Heavenly Father, truly Your Son is the exact image of your being in bodily form. He created all things visible and invisible, the physical world with man and all creatures, and the spiritual realm of the angelic host with all their powers and estates. He created all things for Himself, but Lucifer, that old serpent, wanted man and his dominion for himself. So leaving his own estate for which God had created him, he went forth to steal, kill, and destroy. The Devil lied about the nature of God’s command to man — because he was a liar from the beginning — and thus, brought man low. Lucifer and his rebellious host, thus usurped the power of the Law and used it to hold man prisoner in sin and death.
But You, Heavenly Father, purposed in Your Son to destroy the works of the devil and to return life and dominion to Adam’s fallen race. You sent Your Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, to be the second Adam, triumphant over sin and death. The power of the Law that the devil held over man, You O Christ, faithfully kept and fulfilled the Law, thus taking away any power it had, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed the principalities and powers, triumphing over them in it (that is, in the perfect completion of the Law), Your resurrection made a public spectacle of them and of their defeat.
You, O Christ, alone are our Savior, redeemer, and Lord! You have triumphant gloriously! You have redeemed man back to the Father! When the last soul is saved, in this day of salvation, time will be no more, you will bring forth the new heaven and a new earth, wherein righteousness dwells, and present them all to Your heavenly Father!
O what a day of rejoicing that will be!
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Amen
