Jesus Is...The Firstborn

As a third generation only child, I come from a long line of selfish, independent, somewhat spoiled children. We love big and are passionate about friendships, but are a little backward when it comes to family dynamics. So, when I prepared to have child #2, I started doing some research. Birth order (along with parents, environment, and genetics) often affects personality. These two little people weren’t going to gang up on me -- I wanted to be ready!

Firstborn children often have traits of being motivated, responsible, role models, determined, rule followers, hard workers, bossy, timely, and cautious. If you think about the parents rearing these children, it makes sense. They are new to the job, so they are uber motivated, determined, bossy, and overly cautious, creating little reproductions of themselves. Then comes the middle sibling or baby. They are the social butterflies (they’ve always had someone around), adventurous, fun-loving, persistent, and free-spirited ones. Their parents have embraced the 5-second rule and know Lucky Charms are the perfect dinner… on occasion.

I’ve always said my firstborn was given to us to solidify our belief in boundaries and fences, and our second born was given to teach us that every fence has a gate. Now, only children can mix and match the qualities of the firstborn and baby of the family because they are all the things. That’s a whole other topic. Anyway, through all this research, I understood my kids better (and others for that matter), and I fell in love with this verse:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Colossians 1:15)

In this letter to the Colossians, Paul named Jesus a firstborn. The firstborn. And, in reviewing the personality qualities, it’s pretty spot on. But just like you with your birth order and personality traits, not all shoes are going to fit the same. While Jesus was certainly motivated, hard-working, and determined, it wasn’t to curry favor with His parents; it was in order to protect and support His siblings.

Let’s also be clear. Jesus was the firstborn, but not as something God created. He is fully God, not a created being but the Creator. He is supreme, eternal, and the greatest. From the beginning, Jesus was there. Today, Jesus is here. He is as motivated, determined, and responsible now as He was then.

What is your birth order? Where you fall in your family can impact your personality; but, oh, dear friend, you are the apple of your Father’s eye! And you fit perfectly in His family!

By Carrie Peterson