“30 Pictures of Jesus” 30 Day PlanНамуна

Today we see Jesus as the Firstborn Son.

To be a firstborn son in the ancient world meant more than birth order. In fact, God often gives the rights of firstborn sons to those born second. Firstborn is more often a title than a biological description. The firstborn bore the image of the father, carried his name, received his inheritance, and was entrusted with his mission in the world. The son was to extend the father’s legacy into the future, representing him and ruling in his place.

That is the role God gave to Adam in the beginning. As the first human, Adam was created in the image of God, given dominion over the world, and entrusted with the task of bringing order, life, and flourishing wherever he went. But Adam failed. Instead of bearing God’s image, he distorted it. Instead of bringing light into darkness and peace out of chaos, he spread sin, death, and destruction.

God raised up another “firstborn son”: Israel. When God sent Moses to Pharaoh, he declared, “Israel is my firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22). Like Adam, Israel was called to bear God’s image, inherit his promises, and spread his kingdom throughout the nations. But Israel also failed. Instead of carrying God’s light into the world, they too fell into rebellion and darkness.

The story of Scripture is a story of waiting for a true Firstborn Son—one who could perfectly bear God’s image, fulfill God’s mission, and inherit God’s kingdom. That Son is Jesus. Colossians 1:15 calls him “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who became human so that he might succeed where Adam and Israel failed. He lived in perfect obedience, brought God’s kingdom near, and revealed his Father’s glory to the world.

But Jesus’ role as the Firstborn Son did not stop with his own obedience. Through his death and resurrection, he made a way for us to be reborn into his family. By dying, he broke the line of Adam’s family, which only leads to sin and death (Romans 5:12–21). By rising, he opened the way for us to join his new family and share his inheritance. When we are united to Jesus, the Firstborn Son, we receive his Spirit, his mission, and his kingdom.

In Christ, we become children of God, empowered to do what Adam and Israel could not—bear God’s image faithfully, extend his life and peace into the world, and carry on his kingdom until creation is renewed.