A Supremacy Over All Things (Colossians 1:15-20)

A Supremacy Over All

Colossians 1:15-20

Sunday, June 28, 2026 — Land O’ Lakes Bible Church

Introduction

Please take out your Bibles with me and turn to Colossians 1:15-20. You can find it on page #1168 in the Red Bibles there in your seats. (Repeat)

As we get started this morning, let me ask a question. Who is Jesus? How one answers this question shapes their understanding of religion, especially their understanding of the Christian faith.

For to have a wrong understanding of Jesus and you can find yourself believing a heresy and denying the Biblical Jesus. But also, to have an insufficient view of Jesus will result in the danger of thinking that Jesus is not enough and a temptation to think that there is a need for something more outside of him for one’s redemption.

Likewise, a wrong view of Jesus and we look at Jesus as merely the means to an end rather than the great end to borrow from David Mathis.

Jesus is the glory of the Father as one who is very God of very God to use the language as affirmed in the Nicene Creed. A glory revealed to us here in Colossians 1:15-20.

These six verses, along with John 1:1-18 and Hebrews 1:1-4 are some of the richest Christological passages in the Bible. And of these three, John Piper has even been so bold to say that he things this is the riches of the three and the entire Bible.

And the reason for this, is that they reveal to us the fullness of Jesus and his part in redemption. And in the context of Colossians, these verses are at the center and heart of this letter and Paul’s theology that is to ground the Colossians in the knowledge of God. The very knowledge that is to fill them and strengthen them and sustain them.

For that is what we have just finished seeing Paul pray for the Colossians, that they be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. A wisdom that we will see that ultimately is in Jesus, the Beloved Son of God. The Son whose kingdom we have been transferred into if we are in Christ. Look again there to Colossians 1:13-14:

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13–14, ESV)

This Beloved Son is in whom we have redemption and whose kingdom we belong. But who is this Beloved Son? What kind of kingdom does he have? What time of King is he? That’s the richness we find here in Colossians 1:15-20. So let us now hear the word of  the LORD from Colossians 1:15-20…

Main Idea: Jesus is supreme in everything, that of creation and redemption; therefore, let us both delight and rest in him above all!

1. The Supremacy of Christ over Creation (Colossians 1:15-17)

2. The Supremacy of Christ in Redemption (Colossians 1:18-20)

I. The Supremacy of Christ over Creation (Colossians 1:15-17)

A. The Image of God

Verse 15 opens, declaring, “He is the image of the invisible God”.

The image of God language is prominent in the creation account from Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

And so, in saying the Beloved Son is the image of the invisible God is to pick up on this language of humanity and show us that this Beloved Son was one who was truly human, who took on flesh and dwelt among us. That he is a visible image of the invisible God!

For just consider the catechism question, What is God?My two girls I know can answer the children’s portion of the answer.

“God is the creator of everyone and everything.”

But the fuller answer to the question is:

a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.[1]

Therefore, God is not visible. He has therefore revealed himself through his creation, the pinnacle being mankind. But now, he has more fully revealed himself in His Beloved Son taking on human flesh and dwelling among man. Jesus therefore being one who is fully man.

B. The Firstborn of all creation

But Jesus is not just fully man, he is also fully God. We see this beginning in the second half of verse 15, we read: “(He is) the firstborn of all creation.”

This language of firstborn has created problems throughout Church History. One well-known heresy that has arisen because of it is known as Arianism. In Arianism, the divine nature of Christ was denied, and Jesus was thought to be merely the first among God’s creation. It is actually because of this heresy regarding who Jesus is that we have the Nicene Creed. A creed designed to unify the church around a correct Christology. A creed that we should still boldly affirm today! For such affirmation will keep us from the likes of that with Jehovah’s Witnesses today who continue to deny the divine nature of Jesus.

So then why this use of firstborn? It pulls from the idea of firstborn that was used in our Scripture Reading earlier in our service from Psalm 89.

For there in Psalm 89, it speaks of David as the one who will be made the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

Beloved, if you know your Bible History, was David the firstborn? No, he was the youngest of eight sons. And yet, it is declared there that he will be made the firstborn as the one who will receive the inheritance, the prominent position of King!

Therefore, the use of firstborn refers not to Jesus being one created and born, but of his being in first place! Look ahead to verse 19…

Jesus is preeminent, he is supreme over all, because he is fully God, having the fullness of God dwell in him. We see this in verses 16 and 17, as creation is accredited to Jesus. To say this of one who is created would be blasphemy. But to say it of him who is the eternal, the second person of the Triune God is a declaration of glory!

A glory we see Paul continue to elaborate on in this letter. Colossians 1:19: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,”.  Or again as he goes further, Colossians 2:9: “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,”.

Jesus is fully man and fully God!

C. By Him All Things Were Created

The divine nature of Jesus is seen as the Beloved Son, he along with the Father is accredited as creator. Verse 16…

All creation was created through and for Jesus! This means from the beginning; all was done for the sovereign purpose of being created to be given over to the Son and for his glory!

Not a moment of human history has taken place apart from having Jesus in mind. We see this in the narrative of the Bible. Beginning way back in Genesis 3, even in the midst of the fall of man and the entering of sin into the world, the promise was made of a seed of the woman to come. A seed who was long awaited and hoped for. With every new birth, it was left wondering, was this the seed.

But God knew, the seed that was promised was Jesus, the firstborn of all creation, the Beloved Son who had always existed with him as Son, and of whom he had always existed as Father to, would be the one to come as this seed!

And all of creation was created through him and for him and his glory! This including you and I. We were created through Jesus for Jesus, as was all things in creation.

D. All things, even all other powers and authority

Even the various powers and rulers and authorities were created through Jesus and for Jesus. For in creation, all was created good, including those things of the heavens and earth, the visible and invisible realm. Angels were created through Jesus and for Jesus and his glory!

Of course, rebellion took place. Satan resisted God as King and was cast down along with those with him. And yet, even here, in Paul emphasizing that all things, including that of the things 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, is said to show that Jesus is even Supreme over those who would resist him and who have rebelled against Him!

As the letter goes, we see this supremacy over these things play out:

· As we have already seen; Colossians 1:13: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,”

· Colossians 2:15: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

E. Jesus Sustains All

And yet, even now we can take comfort in how the supremacy of Jesus is at work! It is at work sustaining all things! Verse 17…

One commentator writes,

God is actively involved in sustaining his creation moment by moment. Without him, everything would revert to the nothingness and chaos that existed before God got to work in Genesis 1. Jesus is at work all around us at every single moment. It seems absurd and impossible to grasp. Yet that is no less than what Paul claims for the one he worships.[2]

Yes, you may feel as if the world is in great chaos and out of control! But do not lose heart! All things were created through Jesus and for Jesus, and he is at work sustaining it all as he declares it all is his!

For the Colossians, this was good news! It meant for them that no matter how great their suffering was in following Jesus, no matter how much they were hated by those around them, Jesus was at work sustaining all things, including them!

It’s good news for us, as we are reminded of the same, that Jesus is sustaining all things, for his glory! Truly, he has got the whole world in his hands, and he will sustain it all!

That ongoing conflict in the Middle East that is so troubling, Jesus is at work and will sustain it. That increasing divide between power and political allegiance that causes much angst and anger, Jesus will sustain through it all!

The earthquakes that have just hit Venezuela there in South America, Jesus will sustain his creation and his people through it!

As for the sceptic towards these things. Sure, you mock, you scoff the name of Jesus. You declare he couldn’t be that good and supreme considering the state of the world, the trouble within. Friend, I hope to show you otherwise here in a moment but let me ask this question. Even if I answer all your objections to the problem of evil and how Jesus is at work sustaining all things, would you still reject him? If so, the objection to Jesus isn’t your doubts, but the hardness of your heart! And so, may the supremacy of Christ in his redemption soften your heart and make you new again. That is where we now turn with our second point.

II. The Supremacy of Christ in Redemption (Colossians 1:18-20)

To see Jesus as supreme in all of creation is a glorious thing! To see through whom and for whom all things were created helps us to understand what this world was created for. And yet, as important as it is to see that Jesus is first in all of creation, it is even more glorious to see he who is both fully man and fully God as the one who is supreme in the redemption of all things!

A. Jesus is the Head of the New Creation

Jesus is first in redemption as he who is head of that redemption! We see this in verse 18… “

Jesus is the head of the body, the church. This means that Jesus is not alone in this redemption, in this bringing about of a new creation. That he has a people with him. A people who are united to Christ by faith! A people in whom the glory of creation reaches its highest point, a people who see their creator and give him glory as such!

Therefore, Jesus is supreme as the head of the church, in that redemption and new creation begin with him. For this is why it is mentioned that he is the firstborn from the dead.

This again is to show his supremacy over both creation and new creation. For Jesus is to be first place in both. For with creation, all things were created through him and for him. In redemption, Jesus died and rose again from the dead on the third day defeating the curse of sin and death so that others may have life in him!

This is why Paul will soon encourage the Colossians, that they are to put off the old that has died with Christ and to put on the new that is their new life in being raised with Christ!

Just consider some of the ways that Paul here will root them to grow in Jesus:

· They are to grow in the wisdom of Jesus; Colossians 2:3: “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Him then helping us to not being taken captive. 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.”

· All reconciliation will be accomplished through Jesus as he disarms the powers of this world; Colossians 2:15: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

· It is through Jesus, the head of the body that the rest is nourished; Colossians 2:19: “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.”

· It is through Jesus, the head that life appears; Colossians 3:4: “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

This is why one commentator states, “Jesus is the source of the church’s continual growth.”[3]

For the body is nourished through its head, Jesus! So then, our maturing comes not through our own selves, but our being united to Jesus! And the more we walk in our union with him, the more we begin to have the aroma of Christ about us!

Jesus is supreme, because redemption starts with him and it is in our being united with him and our being nourished by him that we grow! We grow in Jesus by learning to walk with him. And then as we walk with him, the more we begin to have the aroma of Christ cover us.  

B. Jesus Makes Peace by the blood of His Cross

But how does this redemption come about? Verses 19-20…

He who is the image of the invisible God, he who has the fullness of God dwelling with him, sought to reconcile all things to himself. That which is on earth and in heaven. He sought to make peace.

But in order to make peace, it required the shedding of blood. The curse of sin is death. Adam and Eve were told of the penalty of sin in the garden. That to reject God’s rule over them, they would surely die. A death we would see reign from Adam down through the ages. For just consider how many times we read in Genesis 5, and he died and he died and he died. 

Even as God established his covenant with his people after delivering them out of slavery through the Exodus, in establishing his covenant with them, sacrifice was established to cover their sins. The blood of sacrifices must be spilt in order to cover the sins of the people in showing them the seriousness of sin.

But these sacrifices were repeated over and over as sin continued to abound. But now, the Supreme one who created all and all was created for seeks to make peace with that which he created. But to do so, he who has the fullness of God pleased to dwell in him, must shed his own blood.

For he who was both fully man and fully God alone could make peace between what was holy and that of a world poisoned by sin.

And so, Jesus went to the cross and was pierced for our transgressions, for our wrongdoing as his blood was shed to wash away our sins, making peace between man and God!

But we must not mistake these words, that to make peace and to reconcile to himself all things is communicating to us some idea of universal atonement. That now that Christ has shed his blood on the cross, all will be right with the world and all in it!

C. Jesus is our Satisfaction

Jesus reconciles us to himself for himself! …

All the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Jesus! …

III. Conclusion

[1]See Q.4 of WSC and Q.7 of TBC

[2]Mark Meynell, Colossians & Philemon for You, ed. Carl Laferton, God’s Word for You (The Good Book Company, 2018), 36–37.

[3]Kevin W. McFadden. Hidden with Christ in God. (Wheaton, IL, Crossway, 2023) 50.