Colossians 1:15-20, The Supremacy of Christ

Introduction

Good morning! I bring you greetings from the saints at New Journey Church in Fosston, MN. It is an incredible joy and privilege to gather and worship with you and especially to have the honor of opening God’s Word with you. I am immensely thankful to the LORD for you and your partnership in the gospel. Your pastor, Mitch, has become a good friend of mine. Brother, I am thankful for you and our fellowship. I pray the LORD grants us many more years of faithful ministry and partnership together for His glory and the advance of His glorious kingdom.

If you have a Bible, please open with me to Colossians 1:15-20. I will first read the passage for us and then we will pray and ask the LORD to bless our time together in His Word all for the sake of His own glory and for our joy together in Christ. Please follow along as I read Colossians 1:15-20.

READ Colossians 1:15-20

PRAY. Father, thank you for the joy of gathering together as your people to worship you through the preaching of your Word. God, I thank you for your Word. As we turn our attention to opening your Word together I pray that you would INCLINE our hearts toward your Word, that you would prepare each and every one of us to joyfully receive it. I pray that you would OPEN our eyes to behold wondrous things in your Word. I pray that you would UNITE our hearts so that we would not be distracted by the cares of this world, but that we would be focused on hearing your Word. I pray, Father, that you would SATISFY us with your Word today as we aim to delight in the supremacy of Jesus. I pray that you would set a guard over my mouth, that I would not sin against you and that I would speak only what is true of you and profitable for your people. I pray, Father, that through our time today you would be pleased to exalt your Son, Jesus, that we would see Him clearly and love Him supremely. I pray all of this in the name of your Son, Jesus–the preeminent One–Amen.

As I mentioned before, the passage before us today is Colossians 1:15-20. Before we dive into this particular passage, I think it's helpful to get a lay of the land. So, let me briefly orient you to the apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians.

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Church in Colossae in response to a report he had received about them from Epaphras, a minister from among them. In the opening section of the letter, Paul expresses his thankfulness for them–their faith in Christ Jesus and their love for all of the saints and he shares with them that he is praying for them to continue growing in their faith and their walk with the Lord Jesus.

Later in the letter, Paul will address what seems to be a false teaching that has come about among them which may threaten their trust in the gospel. But before he gets to that, he writes what could arguably be the most glorious passage detailing the supremacy of Jesus over all things. Paul wastes little time in this letter bringing his readers to the peak of this sort of Mount Everest which exclaims Christ’s supremacy and it is the mountain peak from which all the truths of this letter cascades and washes over us.

The main idea that courses through the veins of this whole passage is the supremacy of Jesus over all things. It’s the thread that runs through every pearl and proposition that Paul writes concerning the Lord Jesus. He is preeminent over all things. He is supreme over all of creation as we see it and know it now and He is (and always will be) supreme over the new creation that is partially already here, but still to come more fully and finally.

MAIN IDEA––Rest in the supremacy of Jesus Christ over all things.

The supreme reign of Jesus over all things is gloriously exclaimed throughout this passage in both realities–this current fallen creation and the new creation to come. That’s the main thing I want us all to see together this morning. I think we see in verses 15 through 17 the idea that Jesus is supreme over this fallen creation we now see and then in verses 18 through 20 we see Jesus’ preeminence in the new creation. In all of this, beloved, there is great joy and comfort to be found for us in knowing that Jesus is supreme over all things.

The Supremacy of Jesus

Beginning with verse 15 the text says “He is the image of the invisible God.” This is an unmistakable declaration of the deity of Jesus. Jesus Himself is God. He’s not just merely like God, he didn’t become God at some point in history, He’s not partly God. He is, always has been, and always will be God.

If we are paying attention as we read this passage, when we read these words, “he is the image of the invisible God,” we cannot avoid being reminded of what God says in Genesis 1:26-27. It is there that we learn that mankind was created in the image of God. In the beginning, God created all things and the crown jewel of His creation was mankind. God created man in His image. We were created to display and reflect the glory of God.

But then Genesis 3 happened–the Fall of mankind. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned against God and plunged all of humanity into sin and rebellion against God. They failed to reflect the glory of God. Likewise, we all fail to perfectly display the glory of God because of our own sin. We’re all created in the image of God, but in us that image is distorted. But Jesus perfectly displays the glory of God. In fact, the text tells us that He is the image of the invisible God.

Unlike us, He wasn’t made in the image–He is the image of God. He always has been and always will be the image of God. The writer of Hebrews says the same thing concerning Jesus when he says in Hebrews 1:3, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.”

Verse 15 also goes on to say that He is “the firstborn of all creation.” This description has caused trouble for some who take the word literally when it is meant to be a figurative description regarding Jesus’ supremacy–His rule and reign over all things. A man named Arius, from the third and fourth centuries, taught that Jesus was the first and highest created being. This same false teaching is taught by modern day Jehovah’s Witnesses. I cannot emphasize enough to you that is not what this text is saying.

This text is not teaching us that Jesus was created. When it says here that Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation” it is a title that is figuratively describing His primacy and supremacy over all things. This is not at all uncommon in scripture when it comes to the use of the word “firstborn.”

For example, in Psalm 89:27 God says concerning King David, “And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” You probably remember that David was not literally the firstborn child. Quite the opposite–he was the baby in the family. But God passed over all of David’s older brothers and made him king over Israel. God made David the firstborn, the highest of the kings, most supreme over them all.

Another reason we know that firstborn is to be understood as a figurative title describing Jesus supremacy is the text in which we are looking at. Here’s a tip that was given to me once by another pastor. Whenever someone comes to you with a seemingly troublesome verse that may seem to teach a false doctrine, keep reading. That’s it. Just keep reading. So that’s what we’re going to do.

We know that Jesus was not created because verse 16 tells us “by Him all things were created.” The word translated “by” is a preposition that could also say “in Him all things were created.” Jesus is the agent of creation–that is to say that all things were created “by means of”, or “in” Him. If Jesus was created, He could not have created ALL THINGS as this passage tells us. Likewise, John teaches us the same thing in the beginning of his gospel account:

John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”

So, Jesus is God and He is supreme over all things.

Now the “for” here at the beginning of verse 16 offers an important connection for us of verses 15 and 16. It’s telling us that what we see here in verse 16 is the basis for the claims made about Jesus in verse 15. We know that He is God and He is supreme over all things because He created all things. And Paul literally means “all things.” He created all things in heaven and He created all things on earth.

He created all things visible (everything we can see) and He created all things invisible (things we cannot see). All things–even “thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities”–He created everything.

Here’s a curious descriptor that Paul adds in with the “all things.” What are these thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities? Most commentators agree that these are referring to spiritual beings, including those that are fallen and evil. We see them spoken of elsewhere in Scripture.

It includes the same “rulers and authorities” that Paul describes in Ephesians 6:12 where he says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” These are spiritual forces that are behind all that is wrong in this world. And Paul includes them in the “all things.”

Before anything or anyone rebelled against God in the Fall, they were all created by God for His glory and to proclaim His glory. The Fall and rebellion of creation doesn’t change this reality and it doesn’t in any way change the supremacy of Jesus. It’s a blip on the radar of an eternity that revolves around exclaiming the glory and supremacy of Jesus and His reign over all things.

These same “rulers and authorities” are described later in Colossians 2:15 and Paul says that Jesus “disarmed...and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them.” He’s already conquered them through His life, death, and resurrection and He will fully and finally deal the final death blow when He comes again. It’s not even a fair fight.

It’s like if a peewee football team tried to take on an elite NFL team, like the Green Bay Packers. They have no chance. The outcome is already decided. Everything and everyone that is currently rebelling against God is fighting a losing battle. In fact, in spite of their warring against Him, God is still accomplishing His purposes for His glory and the good of His people. He created all things and all things are for Him.

Verse 17 says, “He is before all things,” another affirmation of His eternal preexistence and supremacy. Not only did He create all things, but He also sustains all things. Do you see that there? The end of verse 17 it says, “in him all things hold together.” The writer of Hebrews says it this way–he says, “he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

He is the reason that atoms, the most basic of building blocks for all that exists–He is the reason they hold together. He is the reason the Sun continues to rise every morning. All of us in this room are living and breathing right now because the Lord Jesus is ensuring that breath continues to fill our lungs and blood flows through our veins. He created all things and He sustains all things.

Application

What does this mean for us here today? Are we amazed and in awe of the supremacy of Jesus? If we truly have a right understanding of the magnitude of Jesus and His supremacy over all things, it ought to affect the way we view the world and everything in it and it ought to affect the way we live our lives.

Who are you living to please? Is it Jesus? If it isn’t, He ought to be the one you are living for. If you took a survey among everyone you know, asking them what or who it is that you live for, would they be able to say first and foremost about you that you live for Jesus–to glorify Him and make Him known?

We live in a world that tells us we ought to live our best lives now. The world seems to think that we ought to live for ourselves, for our own pleasure, for our own self-fulfillment, for our own fame and glory. But when we are confronted with and rightly understand that it is Jesus we live for, then our aim in life is radically different from the world.

We need to consider how we are leveraging the resources that God has given us. Does the way we use our time or money demonstrate our supreme love and devotion to Jesus? Parents, are you more concerned about your children having worldly success, or are you more concerned that your children know and love Jesus more than anything else in this world?

If I’m being honest with you, if we’re being honest with ourselves, we are often troubled by life in this world and we’re left asking the question, “What is the point?” and “will it always be like this?” “What or who can make things right?” In the midst of all of this it is easy for us to lose focus. We’re tempted to put our hope in other things to satisfy us. But our hope shouldn’t be found in this world, it should be found in Jesus who reigns supreme for all eternity and being reminded that He is reconciling all things.

The Church and the New Creation

Beginning in verse 18 there is a new component that has come about in the supremacy of Jesus. As the one who is supreme over creation, Jesus is also supreme over the new creation and He is reconciling all things. The church especially is under the sovereign rule and reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 18 says that “He is the head of the body, the Church.” Paul uses this metaphor on several occasions to describe the people of God, the church. In Romans 12:5 he says, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ.”

His body, the church, is wholly dependent upon Him. Beloved, if you are here today trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ you are a part of the body of Christ–of which He is the head. You are united to Christ by faith and it is through Him that we receive all the promises and blessings of God. It is Him we exalt. It is Him we proclaim and make known. It is Him we follow. It is Him we are to love supremely. It is Jesus who commands our complete and total devotion and allegiance. It is in Him alone that we find our hope for all eternity.

Paul continues on in the latter part of verse 18 to say that Jesus “is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.” Let’s rewind for a moment to help us think through this some more. Death entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned against God. We see that in Genesis 3. Now, this death is a twofold kind of death–both spiritual and physical.

On the one hand, when Adam and Eve sinned against God they died spiritually. They became sinners. It became their very nature. They were no longer able to not sin. And the same became true of every human being that would come after them–including us. Paul speaks of this spiritual death in us in Ephesians 2, when he describes us apart from Christ as being dead in our trespasses and sins. Apart from Christ we are spiritually dead and unable to please God.

Sin also brings about the punishment of physical death as well. The sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, plunged us into spiritual death and doomed us all to one day face physical death as a punishment for our rebellion against God. But God fulfilled His promise from Genesis 3:15 that one day the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent.

Because of His love for the world and out of a desire to save for Himself a people from every tribe, language, nation, and tongue, God came in the form of a servant. He took on human flesh, becoming a man, and lived life in this fallen world–he experienced suffering and temptation–but unlike us He did it without sin. He lived the life of perfect obedience that we are incapable of living and then died the death that we deserve. Then God the Father raised Him from the dead. Jesus conquered death once and for all. Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 15:20-23, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”

Maybe you’ve heard this phrase before–“the already but not yet.” There’s an aspect of that which we should consider here. What I mean is, if you are in Christ, there is a sense in which you have already been raised with Christ (spiritually). Paul alludes to this later in this letter in Colossians 2:13 where he says, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

He also says it in Ephesians 2:5 where he writes that God “made us alive together with Christ.” Beloved, if you are in Christ, you have been made alive. Rather than rebelling against Him, you love Him supremely and desire to please Him above all. Your eternal life in Christ Jesus has already begun spiritually, but has not yet been fully realized physically. For those who are in Him, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead guarantees that we too one day will be raised from the dead physically and we will be given new glorified bodies like His that will never again see corruption.

All of this, again, for this purpose–”that He would be preeminent.” When Jesus came into this world as a man–lived the perfect life that we could not, died the death that we deserve, and was raised bodily from the dead–He defeated the last enemy, death. Death could not hold Him and He burst forth from the grave so that “in everything he might be preeminent.” He continues on, supreme over everything, because not even death could hold its power over Him!

And the basis for all of this–the text tells us two things. First, “In Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Not most of God, not some of God, certainly not only a little bit of God. ALL the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Him bodily. John writes in John 1:14, “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.”

God wrapped Himself in flesh and through the glorious finished work of Jesus made it possible for a holy God to once again dwell with His people. God’s people no longer look to the law, or an earthly temple, or a sacrificial system, but look instead to a person–Jesus–in whom all the fullness of God is pleased to dwell.

Secondly, through Him God was pleased “to reconcile to Himself all things...making peace by the blood of His cross.” The word for reconciliation can carry two different meanings. On the one hand, there is the reality that God is reconciling His people to Himself by faith in the finished work of the risen Lord Jesus. Generally speaking, that is what the Scriptures are speaking of when the word reconciliation is used. Paul uses it that way just a couple verses later in verse 22 where he details God’s reconciling work specifically on behalf of those who are in Christ.

But I don’t think that is the sense of the word which Paul is getting at here. The reason is because here in verse 20, Paul refers again to “all things” being reconciled. If he meant reconciling forgiveness here like he does a few verses later, then we would have a case for universalism–a false teaching that basically says all people will be saved. Scripture makes abundantly clear that is not the case. Only those who trust by faith in the finished work and perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ will be saved.

So, what is the reconciliation that Paul is describing here in verse 20? Pastor and author Richard Chin has been so helpful for me on this point in his book Captivated by Christ. He describes reconciliation here in which there is the reality that God is “bringing about true and peaceful order in all creation.” In other words, he is making all things new. That’s what Paul is getting at regarding reconciliation in verse 20 specifically.

Again, this illustration belongs to Richard Chin, and it's so helpful. It’s like “an accountant reconciling the books–bringing everything back into proper order.” All things and all people will experience either reconciling forgiveness in Jesus or reconciling judgement apart from Jesus. Willingly or unwillingly, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. (Chin, 41)

Conclusion

Is there something or someone other than Jesus that you are tempted to look to for hope? Beloved, this world is fallen and will soon pass away. The reconciliation of all things will not come about through right policies and legislation and it will not come about through the election of any particular politicians that we think best. While we should pray for our leaders to be good and godly and while it is good to be concerned for the good of our country and its citizens, our ultimate concern should be the glory and supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ and making Him known.

If you’re here today and you are not living for Jesus, I hope you will truly consider the things we’ve heard from this passage today. There is nothing this world has to offer that is better than Jesus. If you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I urge you to be reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus.

The Colossians were being threatened by a false teaching that seems to have suggested they needed more than Jesus to be made right with God. But friends, I’m here to tell you today that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is all that you need to be made right with God. No amount of good works or rule keeping on your own accord can save you. I pray that you will rest in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness by faith alone.

Brothers and sisters, when you’re tempted to despair in the midst of trying times–when you’re discouraged by all the difficulties of life in this world, remember that Jesus is on His throne, reigning supremely over all things, and He is reconciling all things. Few things have been more of a comfort to me during this past year than recognizing the glorious reality that one day Jesus is coming back. This fallen world is passing away and one day Jesus will bring about a new heavens and new earth.

I cannot wait. Oh, come quickly Lord! There will be no more sin, no more suffering, and no more conflict. With unceasing joy we will worship the Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory for all eternity. Until that day, remember the supremacy of Jesus and find hope in knowing that He is making all things new.