25/12/25 - Colossians 1:15-20 - Jesus in the World

Just reading this 15 to 20 Colossians 1 15 to 20. The son is the image of the invisible. God, the first phone over all creation for in him, all things were created things in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether Thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, do things have been created through him and for him, He is before all things and in him all things, hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so they did everything. He might have the supremacy for God was pleased to have all his foulness dwelling him, and through him, to reconcile to himself All Things, by the things on earth will things in Heaven by making peace, through his blood shed on the cross.

Well that sign. Let's pray together.

The father, thank you, feel wet for the Striking, wedge from the beginning of Colossians. There is a very famous to some of us about who the Lord Jesus his and we pray, this morning's reflect on him as a baby in the manger that our eyes would be lifted and passed beyond the image of an infant to his true identity at the son of going to be praying all men.

Well, I am I think series just taking us on a journey like the Shepherds and the wise man and even Mary. And Joseph went on a on a journey or Adventure series is taking us on a journey from Jesus in the word. I wonder if thanks, honey. You're not been hindering me.

It doesn't matter. Anyway I'll just turn around these in the words was in the Old Testament prophecy 700 years, before Jesus, thank you. That the book of Isaiah then we went to Mary Jesus in the womb with Mary carrying as we thought. Sunday the the son of the most high in her tummy. And today we're we're we're thinking about Jesus in the world as a sort of majestic passage where the curtain is a tone back and we see the true identity of our of Jesus. I don't know if the any of the grown-ups remember, spitting image. Yeah, I think it's been only recently found some new new pictures of a satirical TV show about politicians and the royal family has sort of over exaggerated pop hits, very funny. If you haven't seen it, you could see the likeness of the personality. But it would honestly, even though it is that very funny, it's not that true likeness. Is it Margaret Thatcher at the back of the leg, isn't it? But all passage opens. Doesn't it with this incredible statement, the sun is the image of the invisible gone to the sun is the image. Of the invisible. God. Jesus is not just some spitting image puppets that sort of resembles or mocks God, he is the image. He is the image. He says it is the image of the invisible. God. No one can see God. He is invisible, he is Spirits. If we were to see God, we would surely die. So he is the burning essence of Holiness. He is a consuming fire

But when Jesus walked on the earth, people saw the invisible God.

For Jesus is the image of the invisible goddess playing up to die, isn't it? Not that God, looks like a human being, but Jesus in his words, and his actions in his very nature and his attitudes, he demonstrates the very reality of who God is.

And the thing that this passage wants us to see is that as the Son of God as the Son of God, Jesus has the right to rule. Three King. They are the spitting image of King, Charles and Henry.

Spitting image puppet of Charles does not have the right to rule. I ate some mock imitation but Jesus as the son who is the image has the right to rule. I never to Arenas 22 Arenas where Heroes fight the marked by the facts in our passage that he is the firstborn. The first is vast 15. Son is the image of the invisible. God, the firstborn over all creation and then the second first 18, He is the beginning and the firstborn among the dad. Firstborn doesn't mean he was the first one to be born. That's not what it's guessing at. Like he was the first created being. It carries the sense of his claim is is right. The firstborn is the rightful Heir. That's what it means by using that word. And here we see Jesus is the firstborn over to Arenas, he's the firstborn in all creation and he's the firstborn among the Dead.

And remarkably. Isn't it precisely what Old Testament prophecy? Spoke about the ticket Edo's II prophecies from the Advent series. The most famous one has to be eyes on a chance to nine dozen and the passage the Stars, the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. We not going to get any help here. And verse it says, for to us a child, is born to us. A son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. We read those words are so often that we were familiar with that. Birthed a child is born to us a son is given the government will be on his shoulders.

The government will be on his shoulders. He will rule. He will reign, he will be in charge, that's what it means. It isn't just because he'll be the best ruler. It's because he needs to take the rule away from us. The government will be on his shoulders.

We've set ourselves up as the ruler and we think that we bear the image we are. We think we are the image of God.

Beyond truly. Jesus came to take the government on Final show, doesn't on two hits.

What does Sinners need? They need to be freed from the slavery of self-rule. And welcomed under the rule of the one who is the definition of everything. Good. Right? True and loving

One way, the Bible talks about why Jesus had to come like this, is, is like facing 2 Corinthians 5:15. It says, this. This is why Jesus had to come this way says that those who live should no longer live for themselves.

That those who live should no longer live for themselves will want. All right away, and we want people to stay out of all the way off the daily. Have my way with you, focused on what we want on, what we think, maybe we need on maybe our own feelings, we want to be in charge of our own lives. We demand to be safe to. Maybe be indulged to be agreed with, to be accepted to be respected. Anil self-centeredness, we convince ourselves that what we want, is what we need. I'm not set up shop as the ruler. It's a bit like King, Dennis, or maybe, we're not going to get any picture help a areas in The Lord of the Rings. He rules the once. Great Kingdom of gun, do you know that he is not the rightful King. He's just a stew. It and when he hears of the return of the true king, he says this Does old. Yes word has reached my ears of this. Arrogant, son of a marathon. And I tell you now, I will not bow to this Ranger from the north last of a ragged House Long, bereft of lordship, Gandalf replies to him or Thora. T is not given to you to deny the Return of the King. Stuart Then. As the rule of Gondor is mine and no others.

Jesus is the true king and when we live for ourselves, we need somebody to tell us or 30 is not given to you to deny the Return of the King. Stuart

But living for ourselves is that is not just seen a 10-hour denial of Jesus his right to rule. It also comes out in how we maybe compare ourselves to others with thinking about the image. We try to build belief in ourselves and to do that we have to convince ourselves that we are wiser or stronger or better. Then we actually all

We do it by comparing ourselves to the people around us wrong for them, comparing ourselves to the perfect Perfection, the image of Gods. We stand in front of the mirror of other people. And compare their spots and wrinkles with our own. They sort of horizontal comparisons feed our own self-righteousness tonight because we always manage to make ourselves look better than others.

After we can always improve our image with a bit of Makeup Company. Oh, Jesus told the famous story, didn't they two men went off to the temple, to pray. Want to find her see in the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and frayed all God, I thank you that I am not like other people robbers evil to his adulterous, or even this tax collector, iPhones twice a week and give it 10 civil like that.

But Jesus came to me that those who live should no longer live for themselves.

The Christmas Toy Story tells us that we need help. We need the rule taken off of our shoulders and placed onto his shoulders. He had the right as the firstborn of creation. And he claims the right over us as the firstborn among the Dead. His death and his resurrection set him up as king of life and King of the death. He has the right to rule all things at all times. And in all places.

I'm sorry if we looked in the mirror, know about the paper, but in the mirror of Jesus and we compared ourselves to him, what would we say?

But let's look at Jesus in the mirror is one In him, all things were created.

Is that true? If you?

Cool things have been created through him and for him. Is that true? If you?

God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. Set review.

Jesus deserves to rule. and we don't, God's answer to all our problems is not some new form of government is not a. New institution, is not a new kind of divine program. Gods knew that the only thing that could rescue us from ourselves and repair the horrendous damage, the Synod unto the world was not a thing. Or two late was a person is son, he's very image. The Lord Jesus.

God's response to our rebellion. Was to give us himself God With Us. For God was pleased to have all his phone is dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things. Where the things I want to do things in Heaven by making peace, through his blood shed on the cross. He is the rescue. He is the Forgiveness, he is the restoration, he is the life, the hope the peace, the security. There is no salvation apart from him. There is no end to sickness and suffering. Apart from him, there is no defeats of death upon from him. Without the presence in the life and the work of that baby in the manger, there is no light at the end of the tunnel for centers.

But praise God. That while the people walked in darkness, stumbling around in their own self-centered self-consumed comparing with all those Long Knives, Jesus is the light of the world and he steps in.

And as we look at his light, we see the image of the invisible. God And that is life to us.

In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, he was with God in the beginning through him, all things were made without him. Nothing was made that has been made in him was life and that life was the light of all mankind, the light shines in the darkness and the Darkness has not overcome it that Jesus rule your life, this Christmas.