The Superiority of the Christ

Colossians 2:15-17 “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”

성경전서 개역개정판 통치자들과 권세들을 2)무력화하여 드러내어 구경거리로 삼으시고 십자가로 그들을 이기셨느니라

16 그러므로 먹고 마시는 것과 절기나 초하루나 안식일을 이유로 누구든지 너희를 비판하지 못하게 하라

17 이것들은 장래 일의 그림자이나 몸은 그리스도의 것이니라

a. Christ is superior over all authorities (2:15)

b. Christ is superior over laws and tradition (2:16-17)

1. INTRODUCTION

2. BODY

a. Christ is superior over all authorities (2:15)

i. Verse 15 starts with this idea that Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities. Here the literal term is Jesus stripped the rulers and authorities. The word here is used in 3:9 where it portrays a person who lays aside clothing. Paul is emphasizing Jesus celebrating triumph over the authorities and rulers as if He was casting off a suit of clothing.

ii. This statement here is of great irony. Verse 15 is saying that Jesus stripped the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them and through this, He triumphed over them through His death.

iii. The question is, why is this irony? If we look at the Gospel, what is the message of the Gospel? It is that in order to live, we must die. Jesus says that if we are to live, we must pick up our cross daily and die. Well read verse 15 again. Jesus disarmed the rulers by dying on the cross. In the words of verse 14, He was nailed to the cross.

iv. In what sense did Jesus achieve the victory here? This is why the Gospel is paradoxical (역설). It is an absurd statement just as what Paul writes here. This is why the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the word of the cross is foolishness. Why is it foolishness? Because in the eyes of the world, Jesus did not overcome. He was nailed to a cross in shame and executed as a criminal. Jesus wasn’t a savior. He was a criminal and died a just death.

v. This is why the apostle Paul writes that the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. To those who don’t believe in the word of the cross, the message of the cross, that through the death of Christ, it ultimately leads to what? It leads to their perishing. This is how Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities. Jesus would die a horrible death and through His embarrassment, that would be the way Jesus stripped the rulers and authorities and shamed them. This would be the method in which Jesus would obtain the victory over His opponents. He would triumph over those authorities not by destroying them, but by being destroyed.

vi. We think about the Gospel and we think what a beautiful truth. We marvel that God would do this and accomplish this on my behalf. We are brought to tears when we hear these truths and are reminded of these truths. Then Monday comes around, and life happens and we complain, why do I have to suffer? Why do I have to go through such hardship? We forget so quickly how Christ triumphed over His opponents. Christ won our salvation not by destroying them and showing them how superior He was. Christ displayed His triumph over them by dying to them.

vii. This is a great lesson for us to examine and think. Christ’s public display of them was to do and act the opposite of what we believe is success. What does Jesus teach about the kingdom of Heaven? In Mark 9:35, Jesus teaches that if you want to be first, you must be last of all and servant of all. We have all of these statements that teach us how we must become smaller and yet, we always think how we deserve to be first, how we deserve the best.

viii. What does this type of thinking really show us about what we believe? It makes us believe that Jesus died for me because I deserved it. Jesus owes me something and He died to pay me back. This is exactly what the world convinces us. It convinces us that Jesus owes us something. This is why the unbelieving world doesn’t want to believe in Jesus because many of them think that God owes us something. I hear the question, if God was good, why does He allow so much suffering? We must understand that the focus of this question is not about God. It’s about us. The question is really, How dare God make my life difficult?

ix. What the apostle Paul reminds us in verse 15 is that our thinking is wrong. Jesus didn’t achieve our victory by gain. No He achieved our victory with His loss. He triumphed over His opponents by His self abasement. He didn’t glorify Himself. He didn’t lift Himself on the podium. Rather, He was nailed on the cross and made a public display. But in the eyes of God, through His humiliating death, through the public display of His death, all those who are in Christ were welcomed into the family of God.

b. Christ is superior over laws and tradition (2:16-17)

i. Verse 16, Paul starts this section starting in 2:16-23 to remind the believers in Colossae to not fall into the trap of religion. This is a big problem in our society today. In our culture where religions are so common, people don’t know what’s right or wrong not only morally and ethically but even when dealing with truth. People don’t want to say what’s right and wrong because we don’t want to be looked upon as mean and ignorant.

ii. In light of this position, all religions are valid and acceptable as long as it is acceptable to us. We are the ones who determine what is true or not. It is no longer about who God is and what He says but about what we say and what we want. Again, it goes back to this idea that God should be and do what I want Him to do. He’s not allowed to be God.

iii. This way of thought is prolific today but as you can see from Paul’s letter to the Colossians, it was no different then. Paul reminds his listeners of who Jesus is and their position in Christ in light of being in Christ. This was what Paul was working through in 2:1-15. Jesus was nailed to the cross to disarm the authorities and to show that He has triumphed over them by being nailed on the cross. Literally, He achieved our salvation following His own words. If you wish to follow me, You must give your life to inherit eternal life. Jesus gave His life to show us His words. He died and came back to life so show us that His words were true. If you die, you will live again (John 11:25-26).

iv. This starts us in verse 16, therefore, now that you know who Jesus is and what He has done for you, don’t let anyone pass judgment on you. Paul is reminding us of what he has stated in verse 15 and connecting that to this statement of don’t let anyone pass judgment on you. Look at the fullness that you have received in Christ. This statement is beautiful because Paul is connecting this verse with what he said in verse 8. In verse 8, Paul writes see to it that nobody takes you captive. This idea of judging has a negative connotation where others judge you and also verse 18 this idea of defrauding or disqualifying you. If people are able to chop us down, we will submit to them and follow them. Paul is reminding his listeners don’t let anyone chop you. You are complete in Christ.

v. When we think about why Paul is writing this, we can imagine that false teachers were criticizing believers for what they believed. We might think that this is a distant thought from us but it’s extremely practical. Because we are sinful, we tend to judge others often. We often compare ourselves to others and think how could this person be a believer or how could this person do these things or how could/why does this person act a certain way? This idea comes from what Paul wrote in Romans 14 where he asks the stronger in faith, in verse 10, why do you judge your brother? Why do you hold your brother with contempt?

vi. What I love about Paul is how he explains judging another person. Paul is not saying we should never judge others. What he is saying though is, don’t look down on others. Don’t look at others as lesser than you. Don’t judge others because they are not you and don’t think like you and are lower than you because of this. This is why Paul writes in 14:13, “let us not judge one another anymore.” What’s that mean Paul? “let’s not put a stumbling block in a brother’s way.” Paul is telling us, let’s not cause this person to stumble because of our actions toward them. Let’s consider the person even if they don’t live up to my expectations. Paul is telling us, let’s not always strive to be right. Let’s strive to win the person.

vii. So with that in mind, Paul is telling us, don’t let anyone judge you, to look down on you because you don’t keep to the traditions of what the false teachers are telling you. What does this look like in our day and age? Don’t let others look down on you because they are more intelligent than you. Don’t let others look down on you because you don’t know the Bible as well as them or theology as well as them. Instead, look to your position in Christ. Look to Jesus. Look at what He did for you and strive to be more like Him.

viii. Why should we not judge? Verse 17 because the things in which we are criticizing and arguing with each other are a mere shadow of what is to come. Paul is telling us that we don’t need to fight over what’s right and wrong based in the OT but rather, to focus on the proclamation of the Gospel and to receive what they been provided. This Gospel, not the Law which was cancelled out by Jesus being nailed on the cross, is the substance that we have received in Him. It is not merely a shadow anymore. It is a reality.

ix. This is the struggle for believers. It’s hard to realize what Christ has accomplished on my behalf when times get hard. We look to the law and we think we need to do. We need to try harder. We need to work harder. But the Gospel reminds us, no, put your trust in Christ. That doesn’t mean we don’t work hard. It just means you don’t put your whole confidence in your work. It means you work putting your confidence in the finished work of Christ. This is why so many people are unsure about their salvation. They think, I don’t have what other people have but I want it. Therefore, I have to work for it. I have to work at it. If I work hard enough, I can have what they have. But Paul is saying, don’t let others judge you and tell you what it is. Put your confidence and trust in the finished work of Christ. Look to Jesus. Stop relying on your works. Start relying on His finished work.

3. CONCLUSION