The Supreme Son - Part 1

English Standard Version Chapter 1

The Preeminence of Christ

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 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. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Where we’ve been

Pauls greeting

Pauls thanksgiving

Pauls Prayer

Intro to main body of instruction

Ch 1&2 being indicative

Ch 3&4 being imperative

Vs 15-20 could possibly be a hymn/poem/confession that was circulating the church before this letter

Paul may have modified it to fit here

One of the highest Christological passages in the entire Bible

Colossians is a polemic/refutation against the false teachings.

Important to remember why Colossians is written

False teaching in the church

Colossians 2:4 “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.”

Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Colossians 2:16 “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.”

Colossians 2:18–19 “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”

There is an attack of ideas on the church and what is so fascinating is that paul doesn’t begin by going on the defensive, but rather the offensive. Paul lays out some of the most exhalting and glorifying verses on the person of Christ as an anchor for these people.

You want to defend against heresy, lift up Christ

You want to protect a people from false teaching, lift up Christ

You want to protect a church, lift up christ

You want to guard a family, lift up christ

Combat this by showing the centrality, sufficiency, & supremacy of Christ

“Christ over all” - graphic

This week we will look at vs 15-17 and see the supremacy of the son in creation

Before we do that , Paul is going to shine some light on the relationship of the son the the father

He = Son vs 13

Image of invisible God

God is spirit Jn 4:24

God is invisible

This text & other places like 1 Timothy 1:17 “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

No one has ever seen God

John 1:18

Theophony & Christophony in OT

Burning Bush Ex 3

The LORD passing by moses in the cleft of the rock - Ex 33 & 34

Isaiah vision of the LORD Isaiah 6

Some have seen manifestations of God but not his full divine essence

Yet Paul says here that Jesus is the image of God

What does that mean?

Image - εἰκών

English word icon

can mean a few things

Object that is meant to portray

Ceasars head on coin

Image of the beast

Idols made to represent gods

Something that represents something else in basic form or appearance

Let us make man in our image - Gen 1:26

A type or reflection of Christ

Colossians 3:10 “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

“Form”

Hebrews 10:1 “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.”

In this case, the meaning is something that has the same form. Living image

We see this in other ancient texts but the two explicit uses of this are here and 2 Cor 4:4

2 Corinthians 4:4 “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Hebrews 1:3 “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,”

If that isn’t convincing enough, turn with me to the Gospel of John

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.””

John 12:45 “And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.”

John 14:9 “Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon and to the Ephesians (1) First Main Strophe (1:15–16)

To say that Christ is the image of God is to say that in him the nature and being of God have been perfectly revealed—that in him the invisible has become visible. - FF Bruce

Remember, Paul just got done saying that we have been transferred to the kingdom of his beloved son and that we have been redeemed and forgiven of our sins.

We know that people around here are not holding fast to to Christ, they are saying that Christ isnt enough, some perhaps saying that Christ is one of many,

Here Paul dispels that by saying, Jesus is God. Jesus is the son. Jesus has made God known.

Relationship to Creation

TRANSITION

Agent in Creation

Sustainer of Creation

Goal of Creation

Firstborn of all creation

Does this mean he was created? He was made?

No

Ps 89 messianic psalm about the Davidic kings, God says

Psalm 89:27 “And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.”

Firstborn meaning rank or priority

God says this of Israel in Ex 4

Exodus 4:22 “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son,”

See this in vs 18

Christ is the preeminent one over creation, he is the heir, he is the highest in rank & status

In addition we see “before all things” in vs 17

meaning he preexisted creation

Role

Agent of Creation

Sustainer of Creation

Goal of Creation

Agent of Creation

Colossians 1:16 “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.”

By or in

All things were created…

If you talk to a Jehovah witness and they come to your house they will have a new world translation with them

NTW NT released in 1950

JW believe that Jesus was the first creation of God

When you ask them to turn here, their bible will read:

“ 15  He is the image of the invisible God,o the firstborn of all creation;p 16  because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible,q whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through himr and for him. 17  Also, he is before all other things,s and by means of him all other things were made to exist,” NWT

for the last 660+ years from the wycliff bible to the geneva bible to the king james to the nasb & esv there is not a single translation of “other” there, because it isn’t there.

HE CREATED ALL THINGS

All things is clear enough but Paul wants to stress the absolute sovereignty of Christ over all of creation.

Heaven & Earth

Surely our minds go back to Gen 1 when

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

The entire universe.

Speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. In 1 second, light can travel around the earth 7.5 times

Modern cosmology tells us that our universe is 93 billion light years wide

Meaning it would take light 93 billion years to go across

If you were to pretend a year was a second and begin counting to 93 billion, it would take you nearly 3000 years

That universe, that expanse, that glory, that incrompehensible chasm of space.

Created by this image of the invisible God

Visible & invisible

Pointing backward or forward

thrones, dominions, rulers, authorities

Most likely referring to the angelic realm

Angels, demons, spiritual beings, satan himself all under the sovereign hand of the creator.

elemental spirits Ch 2:8

worship of angels vh 2 :18

details of visions of perhaps spiritual beings Ch 2”19

Applies to earthly realm

Kings, rulers, presidents

Just know church, they all have a creator over them but this son, this Christ has none that are over him, none that are superior to him, not that have created him because all of it is his

“I brought you into this world I can take you out”

The demonic forces in this world cannot rival Christ

Before we look at the back half of 16 I want us to examine vs 17

Sustainer of Creation

We have seen Christ’s role in the beginning of creation and now we look to his present role in creation

Colossians 1:17 “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Hold together

One of the arguments for the existence of God is called the teleological argument (fine tuning)

Our universe is so finely tuned with a number of constants (fundamental forces) that are necessary for the universe to exist

Gravity

If it were stronger by more than 1 part in 1034

1b earths covered with sand 1 mile deep

The universe would have collapsed back on itself

If it were weaker by more than 1 part in the 1034

Matter would not clump and planets could not be formed

Martin Rees who won the wolf prize and was “Martin Rees is one of the most distinguished theoretical physicists of our time…(his) contributions shaped our deepest understanding of the Universe.” according to cambridge university, said this

“If the force of gravity were changed by just one part in 10³⁴, our sun would not exist — and neither would we. The universe is balanced on a razor’s edge.” — Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, Just Six Numbers (2000)

Which begs the question, how do we have a universe that is so finely tuned and remains constant

Answer, Christ holds it together

Every star, every planet, every person every atom, everything.

He did not create the universe and then sit back, he is currently holding it all up by the word of his power Heb 1 3

Think about that..

Think about Jesus’s crucifixion

Beaten

mocked

Scorned

Nailed to a tree

Sword through his side

In all of it he’s holding the creation together

It appears the cross is holding him but it is in fact christ holding the cross

Paul is saying to these christians who are following a crucified man, know who this is

Goal of Creation

Christ is at the beginning of creation as creator, he stands in the middle as sustainer, and will glory at the end as inheritor

For him

That is to say, for his glory

Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

All of creation is not here for no reason, it is for his glory

Demonstrates his power and glory and beauty and majesty and worth

Hebrews 1:1–2 “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

When we go through life, and this world seems unfair, is filled with evil, seems as though the wicked are celebrated and the godly are scorned & mocked, remember that God is in control. That the son who’s kingdom you have been transferred to, the son who is beloved, the son in whom you have forgiveness and redemption; is the creator, he is the sustainer, and he is working all of it out for his greatest glory and your deepest joy

When the world seems to be falling apart, just know Christ is holding it together

English Standard Version Psalm 8

1  O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

2  Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

to still the enemy and the avenger.

3  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4  what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

5  Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

6  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under his feet,

7  all sheep and oxen,

and also the beasts of the field,

8  the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9  O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!