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Colossians 1:15-
Let us pray.
This morning as we come to the end of the advent season I want us to consider the Incarnate Christ.
I want us to understand
Christ is more than a babe in a manger.
Christ is more than a young carpenter.
Christ is more than a good teacher.
Christ is more than a sacrificial lamb.
Christ is all of these things but in these 5 verses Paul unpacks no less than 10 truths about the Incarnate Son that we would do well to know, understand, and proclaim.
In the case of the church at Colosse Paul is writing to them to remind them of the authority and sufficiency of Christ.
He is seeking to correct false teachers who are denying the deity of Christ.
He is warning them;
let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food or drink and regard to festival or a new moon or Sabbath, these are just shadows of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ (2:16,17)
let know one disqualify you, insisting on ascetism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensual mind.
(2:18)
and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through it joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. (2:19)
Do you see?
If we are going to keep from getting judged falsely, and disqualified following after heretical doctrines, and worshipping vainly we must hold fast to Christ, we must know him, who he is and what He has done for us!
This morning my prayer for us is Paul’s prayer for the Colossians,
Colossians 1:
To help us grow in the knowledge of Christ and his will, and all spiritual wisdom and understanding let’s look at these 10 Truths about the Incarnate Son.
I. Jesus is the Image of the Invisible God.
1:15a He is the image of the invisible God,
One of the primary heresies that was creeping into the Colossian church was the denial of the deity of Christ.
Paul goes right to work to emphatically prove that Jesus Christ is both fully man and fully God.
He understands that to deny the deity of Christ is to deny an essential of the faith and one that would lead men and women away from the One True Faith once delivered to the saints!
He begins stating that,
Jesus is the image of the of invisible God.
The author of Hebrews says it this way,
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, ()
Why is this so important?
Because no man can see God and live.
God the Father is Spirit and no man has seen Him.
Moses caught just a glimpse of Him and lit up so bright he had to cover his head when he came down off the mountain.
That was after God covered him in the cleft of the rock and just let him get a glimpse of His backside.
But in Jesus Christ we see God in flesh, we see the exact image, the exact imprint, the icon, a perfect copy of God the Father.
Who had made him known?
The Son, Jesus Christ has revealed to us the Father!
The Old Testament is full of the revelation of God, we can go to the narratives and see the work and purpose of God.
We can go to the Wisdom literature and see the character of God, we can study the prophets and see the power, love, authority, and judgement of God.
But Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God the Father.
If you want to know the Father look to the Son!
Kent Hughes writes, “Jesus is literally the exegesis of God.”
You may ask what has this got to do with Christmas?
Baruch Moaz explains the following,
“The visibility of which Paul spoke is the product of the incarnation.
By taking on humanity, including a human body, Christ became the visible expression of God.”
In other words, the Incarnation of Christ makes possible the visible expression of God in the incarnate Son!
We see God through Christ, we learn of God’s attributes, nature, and work through Jesus who is the exact imprint of the nature of God.
Jesus is the image of the invisible God, secondly,
II.
Jesus is the Firstborn of all Creation.
1:15b the firstborn of all creation.
Here is where we must be careful, here is where the Jehovah’s Witnesses go off the rails.
Here is where the ancient heretic Arius makes a fatal error.
They interpreted this as Jesus being the first person created.
Which would deny the fact that Jesus has always been co-eternal and co-equal with the Father.
The term firstborn does often men first child, but it often means “first in rank and honor.”
In other words Jesus Christ is above all creation with the Father.
He is the exact image of the Father, and he is also over all things created, above all, and has authority over all creation, including us!
How can we know that Jesus is of highest rank and honor in creation?
This brings us to our third truth about the Incarnate Son,
III.
Jesus is the Creator of All Things.
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.
Remember, God was not alone at creation, when God was speaking creation into existence the Son was with Him!
Who is the “us” and “our”?
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit.
Jesus is highly exalted, honored, and has supreme rank, because he was at work in creation with the Father.
Notice, the Father didn’t just send the Son to create a few things.
Paul writes, For by him all things were created, where, in heaven and on earth.
In other words everything that was created Christ had his hand in it.
Jesus Christ was not just the babe in a manger,
He is the one who created the world he was born into,
He is the one who created the flesh he was made into,
He is the one who created the people who would reject him,
He is the on who created the thrones, dominions, or rulers, or authorities that would crucify Him!
This leads us to another question?
Why would Christ create all these things;
From insects, to institutions,
from animals to angels,
from the poor to the powerful,
from the minute to the mighty.
Paul answers that too,
Jesus created all things through him and for him.
Creation is for the glory of Christ.
Jesus Created all things for himself, for his own glory.
The heavens he created for him, for his glory, that his people might see his creative work and give him honor, praise, and glory.
So that man would be without excuse for turning to him, we know he exist because of His creation.
Paul wrote to the Romans,
Kent Hughes explains,
Everything began with him and will end with him.
All things sprang forth at his command, and all things will return to him at his command.
He is the beginning and he is the end—the Alpha and Omega.
One day everything will give him glory
What does this mean for us?
His people, His church.
If he is creator then he is Sovereign over us.
Therefore we ought to live, work, and worship according to what he has revealed to us.
We ought to seek His Word to guide us and teach us what it is that our Creator Lord desires!
This is how we bring him glory as his creation.
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