Colossians 1:18-20 - Supremacy of Christ in Reconciliation

Summation and Diagnosis

Let us pray.

I invite you to open your Bibles to Colossians 1:18-20 this morning. Last week we looked at the first part of Paul’s hymn where Christ has supremacy over all creation. In our passage today, we will see how Christ has supremacy over new creation including the Church.

Colossians 1:18 - Christ the Beginning and Head of the Church

18 And he is the head of the body, the church.

Head of the body

Authority of Christ

Governing head/controller/sustainer of growth

Christ is the only one who is the head of the Church

He currently is the head/ruler/controller of the church

Ephesians 4:15 ESV

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Are we more like Jesus today than we were last month?

FPC is our head actually Jesus?

Threats we face as individuals

Good gifts from God

Hardships and trials

Success

Threats we face as a church

Mortgage

Visions of the Past

Visions to be a church filled with people

Pleasing people

Know

Desire for the Word of God

1 Peter 2:1–3 ESV

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Worshipping God by Living for His Glory

Isaiah 43:6–7 ESV

6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The church

Christ desires to build His church

Matthew 16:13–20 ESV

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Christ is the head not just of creation per Colossians 1:15-17, but also NEW CREATION - He ushers in the end times

John 20:6–10 ESV

6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

Revelation 19:11–16 ESV

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Already, but not yet - Inaugurated, but not consummated Kingdom

Firstborn from the dead - RESURRECTION

Matthew 27:52–53 ESV

52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Acts 26:21–23 ESV

21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

Preeminent

Romans 1:1–4 ESV

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Preeminence through death, burial, and resurrection

Christ is preeminent through death over creation including evil supernatural beings, the domination of darkness, AND NEW CREATION

Colossians 1:19 - God’s Dwelling

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Another way to say this would be - For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in the Son

On clear display is the deity of Christ - one person with two natures - Truly God and Truly Man

In Christ, the fullness of God was PLEASED to dwell

Delighted to the highest degree of pleasure or satisfaction

Christ, in His incarnation, replaces the temple - The fullness of God dwells in Jesus

Psalm 68:16 ESV

16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?

Only Christ contains the fullness of God and only God can be experienced in Christ - Exclusive claim

Destroys “We are all God’s children”

Only in Christ is there salvation

God dwells in you today and in the future

Romans 8:9–11 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 ESV

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Revelation 21:1–4 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Colossians 1:20 - Reconciliation by the Blood of His Cross

20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Why was God pleased to in Christ? Reconciliation - restoration of broken relationship between God and sinners

Promise fulfilled in

Genesis 3:15 ESV

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Who initiated this great redemptive act? God the Father, not humanity

How was reconciliation made? Not by guilty humans, but by a perfect and holy God. We have not initiated an offering nor is there an offering we could bring

Isaiah 53:10 ESV

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

All things will be reconciled to God - heaven and earth

Peace only comes through the blood of Christ on the cross

If there is no peace what is there? War, enemy, hatred

Romans 5:9–11 ESV

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Blood

Matthew 26:26–28 ESV

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.