Colossians 1:15-20
Notes
Transcript
He Is Lord
He Is Lord
Good morning my friends, I hope and pray you are doing well today.
It is a joy to see your faces my friends, a pure joy to gather with you in His house so that we might worship together.
We are just 4 weeks from Easter Sunday, I want to remind you to take time to prepare your self for Easter.
Now some might say, how do I do that, well the approach is not difficult, it only requires dedication and determination to do it each day.
A. Each day take time and read the word of God, go and look at the accounts of Jesus over and over during those last days. Look at the chapters before is Triumphal entry all the way up to His resurrection.
If you have a reference Bible, trace those references and see what those other passages say to you.
B. You can also take time to use devotionals, we have two types out there in the foyer. You can use those on line like from notable speakers and pastors.
C. Spend time and prayer and ask the Father to help you reflect on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Ask the Father to help you search your heart and get rid of any junk that might be present.
D. Commit yourself to be here and worship with your brothers and sisters as we approach Easter.
All of these activities will help you open your heart, seek and know the Savior all the more.
Now this morning we are going back to Colossians chapter 1. We are going to build upon what we learned last week as we consider the topic that Jesus is Lord over all of creation.
In verses 15-20 we find a beautiful passage where by Paul teaches us so much about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So this morning, lets open the Word of God and grow in and through this text.
So the first thought I want you to see this this my friends…Paul tells us that He is the image of God.
1. He is the Image of God...
As we open this text, Paul explains to us why we must consider who Jesus is…What can be said about Jesus who was both fully man and fully God.
So lets open our text, and look at verse 15. Colossians 1:15
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Looking at verse, there are two assertions that Paul teaches us about Christ. Paul says -
1.) He is the image of the invisible God.
2.) He is the firstborn over all creation.
So we ask this question: What is God telling us here in these two statements and why is it important?
A. To start off, Paul tells us that Christ is the image of the invisible God. The word “image” is important here. The word "image” in the Greek is (eikon), can you guess what word we get from this… It is the word ‘icon” comes from and has the meaning of “...to seem or be like...”
Here in the Biblical text, it portrays two meanings in the Greek language…
1.) So first off, the word “image” has the meaning of a picture or the reflection of a mirror....
Think about the idea when Jesus referred to whose “image” was on the local coin when the religious leaders asked Jesus whether it was right to pay taxes unto Caesar or not. Caesar’s image was one the coin.
2.) The second reference for the word “image” has the idea of a manifestation.
To say that Jesus is the “image” of the invisible God, one might say that He is the visible expression. Meaning that Christ brought God into the visible world, thus God is seen and heard.
This isn’t only addressed here, first listen to John 1:14 John 1:18
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
And just a few verses later in verses 18....
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Here John tells the one who is at the Father’s side, (namely the Son, Jesus), He (Jesus) has made the Father known.
And then if we look at the writer of Hebrews, he tells us this in Heb 1:3
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
The whole point of all of this is, Christ has made God visible and know to all. The revelation of God is such that we cam actually see God, even with all our limitations.
Christ has made Him known.
God was present where Jesus was, He was the personal manifestation of God.
B. And the second assertion that Paul made was that Jesus was the firstborn over all creation.
The term “firstborn” is the one which makes us question, what is God teaching us here?
The term “firstborn” in the Greek comes from two words which means “…to bring forth...” or “...beget and first...”
To be called the firstborn, isn’t meant to place Jesus along side of creation - referring to Him as just a created man… That is an ancient heresy. He wasn’t the first created being…to be created speaks to Jesus being human alone and removes his divinity. Jesus is God, the second person of the trinity who became flesh, became man the One who is fully God and fully man for our good.
Then there are some today who do not take the birth of Christ as a literal event. JW’s do this...
The truest sense of the word means that He is over all creation, He is preeminent in regard to creation. Jesus is the first one whom all that the Father has and does, comes through Him.
Jesus then as the Son, is bearing the rights and privileges of the Father, ensures that what He promises to all people will come through.
Jesus has existed eternally with the Father, and became flesh to accomplish the will of the Father…that he might live, die as a atonement for sin in a substitutionary fashion and then resurrect from death and the grave brings life to all who follow Him by faith.
How wonderful my friends that Jesus is all that we need to see and understand our Father in heaven. He bears and reflects his love and mercy at every turn to bless and help us.
The image of the invisible God has been made known to us in Jesus. How wonderful it is to know the Savior.
Do you know Jesus.. not just the name, do you know Him as Lord and Savior of your life.
This brings us to our second thought today,
2. He is the Creator of All Things...
When we think of the scope of God’s creation we think of the first chapter of Genesis, and there we know the story, .... in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… Gen 1:1..
But here Paul tells us something that we do not always consider. Lets look at verse 16. Col 1:16
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
So what does this mean… Well right off the bat we can see that Paul tells us that all that took place was “by Him, through Him and for Him.” So there is a relationship between Christ and all of creation.
But how do we distinguish between the account of Genesis chapter 1 and verse 16 here?
Theologically, there is a clear distinction between the work of the Father and of the Son. We would say that God is the grand architect. The Father determined to bring creation His existence.
The Son - Jesus, is seen as the one who brought the Father’s plans into existence. This is why Paul says “for by him all things were created.” Through His power the created order came into existence.
But lets dive a little deeper, just what did Christ bring into existence?
All things, in heaven and on earth… So the completer created order. The terms heaven and earth tells us that the physical and spiritual world were brought into existence by His power.
The heavens, we understand as the final state of all believers, Yes, He did that… The sun moon stars, planets and galaxies of the physical heaven, Yes he brought the Father’s design into existence.
The earth, all that it is , and with it past present and future are according to his work.
But Paul tells us that Jesus also created “...visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities...” These were all the details of his created plans and order.
And right at the end of this verse, we find a beautiful section where Paul tells us that all things were created for Jesus.
All things are for His Honor and Praise, oh my friends, all of creation brings praise to Jesus.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
The Lord is glorified in and through all of His creation.
And as you come to verse 17, you Paul tells us two statements that we need to pay attention too. Look at it with me Col 1:17
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is before all things which reminds us that he is the one who existed before creation. It is the same thing we see from the John the beloved in John 1:1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He is the eternal God, the second member of the Trinity who has always been....
And the second one Paul communicates is that “…in him all things hold together.” tells us that all of creation, all that He brought into existence, He sustains and keeps it all functioning in order.
The Creator has not forgot the creation, He maintains balance in the universe!
Do you know the creator of all things, and are you communing with him, worshipping, spending time in prayer with and telling others about ...
And this brings me to my last thought for today
3. He (Jesus) is our Redeemer and Lord
As we consider these last two verses, I think you will agree with me that these last two verses wraps everything up.
Lets go ahead and look at it.... verses 18-20
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
So here in these verses, Paul tells us 4 things that we need to pay attention, especially as we approach Easter.
A. First off, Paul tells us that Jesus is the head of the body.
Now we know the church, the corporate gathering of born again believers have been referred to as the bride of Christ, as seen in 1 Cor 12.
But here Paul refers to the corporate gathering of believers as the body, a living organism that functions and carries out the will of the head, who is listed as Jesus Christ. One place we see this is in Eph 1… verses 22-23, let me share this with you.
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Also being referred to as the body, we know that our sustenance comes from the head. He supplies everything the body needs to function and carry our the direction of the head.
Paul teaches this truth in Eph 4, verses 15-16
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
The body is benefited by the head, and the church is benefited, taught, directed and supplied every need from the Head.
Next Paul tells us this , in the second half of verse 18..
B. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent
So what does it mean that Jesus is the beginning, the firstborn fro the dead.
Well first off, connect those two words, connect that Jesus is the beginning, the first born from the dead. This conveys the fact that supremacy of Christ
Jesus died and was buried, but on the 3rd day he rose, resurrected from the dead alive, glorified, so in this new life He reigns supreme over death.
Now death no longer reigns over man because the power of sin has been broken, forever put away. So that everything in Christ has life and thus because Jesus lives, we will live as well.
He is the first to resurrect from the grave and so all those ( the body in Christ Jesus will rise as well on the day of His return to the earth.
So everything that is in Christ, everything that has God’s empowering grace in their life will cone to have life, it will be supreme or preeminent. It began with his resurrection and will not end until the day of his return.
The third point we are shared comes in verse 19..
C. The Fullness of God Dwells in the Son… This is not a difficult thought to put into practice, namely because Jesus and the Father are one, they are both members along with the Holy Spirit in the Trinity. God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So everything that God is, Jesus is as well. So God the Father was pleased to have all that He is to dwell in the Son as well, Jesus. So to see Jesus was to see God.
God was pleased with the Son, no doubt, we see that at His baptism (Matt 3:17) and at His transfiguration (Matt 17:5). So with that good pleasure we know that the Godhead, (God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) determined that Jesus would share in, possess all the properties of the Father, even while in human form.
But make no mistake, Jesus is just as much God in His flesh as He was in Spirit before the foundation of the world. He was the God Man, fully God and fully man.
Now the last aspect of this passage we find verse 20, Look at it again…Col 1:20
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
All that God did in allowing the second person of the Trinity to become flesh was for the purpose of reconciling all things to himself, including humanity.
How did this come about… Paul says he made peace by the blood of the cross.
What does that mean?
Well lets start with the term reconciliation. To reconcile something means to restore or to mend the broken relationship
The word was broken by sin, we were made to suffer under its effects, it wasn’t our choice, it was the choice of Adam, his sin brought death to this whole world and all born into this world after that point in time.
Romans 8:20 tells us this.. Romans 8:20
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope
So God, at work in Jesus gives us the opportunity for hope. Through the blood of the cross, the blood that he shed he as forever satisfied the debt of sin. He was our propitiation, he atoned for our sin.
Jesus took our place… He did this willing that we would have hope of enjoying the free gift of life offered to all in Christ Jesus.
This was the divine plan of the Father and the Son carried out His wishes, giving all who call upon the name of the Lord in repentance the future hope of life and life to the fullest..
Praise the Lord our sins have been atone for, our punishment and penalty was satisfied by His life willing laid down on the cross.
And do not forget, peace is achieved through the death of Jesus. He restored the harmony of all things, Romans 5:1 testifies to this truth...
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the only way to have and experience peace, He is the only way to enjoy and have life my friends,
what can I tell you today?
Look to Jesus, Paul teaches us that Jesus is the.....
He is the image of God
The creator of all things
And the redeemer of all mankind.
I hope you know Him and are following Him....
But if you are not.... then what can you do..
Turn back to him
Seek forgiveness, repent of sin
Ask him to help you walk with him and His power each day that you can be what he has planned
Lets pray