The Image of the Invisible God
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 32 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The most important question any of us could ever answer is this: Who is Jesus?
This is the very question Jesus asked his own disciples. Who do you say that I am
There are as many answers to this question as there are people who have heard his name.
Myth
Madman
Moral teacher
The Messiah, Son of the living God
This is a question that we all must answer.
C. S. Lewis
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He’d be either a lunatic on the level with a man who says he’s a poached egg or else he’d be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He’d be either a lunatic on the level with a man who says he’s a poached egg or else he’d be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.
Recall the scene where the paralytic was lowered through the roof were Jesus was teaching.
5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Understand the outrage of what just happened… if someone came in here today claiming to have the authority to forgive sins, we would all be outraged.
We can forgive those who sin against us… but no man can forgive sins. This belongs to God alone.
We must understand the audacity of what Jesus said to the Paralytic, and what Paul stated at the end of his prayer report.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
This statement ought to prompt a question from every one of us. That is this: Who is this Son who has the power to redeem us and forgive our sins?
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 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. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Paul’s prayer report launches right into his Christology which is at the heart of why he is writing to the Colossians.
But why does Paul start the body of his letter her? Why not start by refuting the heresies that are spreading among the Colossians?
He does so, because the best attack against heresy is a knowledge of the truth.
The heresy that was spreading was not an outright denial of Jesus Christ, but what they did do was diminish the status of Jesus.
18 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,
The false teachers that crept in among the Colossians likely allowed for Jesus to be prominent, but the certainly did not consider Jesus to be to be preeminent
While the worship of angels is not a temptation for most of us, making Jesus prominent and yet not preeminent is a temptation for all of us. We might not deny Jesus out right, but for many of us, Jesus has been diminished to lesser position in our lives and in our hearts.
He competes with things like fun, finances, and family
And so functionally, Jesus in our life takes the position of nothing more than a moral teacher.
We need the ballast of truth in our minds and hearts, lest we make shipwreck of our faith. And to help us stay upright, we have Colossians 1:15-20 to remind us of who Jesus Christ is.
We will be going through this passage over the next month. We can summarize the hymn like this:
Christ, the preeminent One: God, Creator, and Reconciler
Christ, the preeminent One: God, Creator, and Reconciler
Each of these facets in this sentence are worth meditation on so that we might rightly make Christ preeminent.
This morning, we will focus on this facet: Christ is God. Paul put it this way.
Colossians 1:15 (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God
To help us unpack this verse, I want us to consider two questions.
What is meant by the invisible God?
What does it mean for Christ to be the image of the invisible God?
What is meant by “the invisible God?”
What is meant by “the invisible God?”
It’s easy for this to be confusing, especially for young kids. Because the Scriptures describe God as having a righteous right hand, and God is said to redeem Israel with an outstretched arm. God is described as having nostrils, eyes, and a face that shines upon his people. So how is it possible for God to be invisible?
Anthropomorphism - when objects are given human characteristics
All the objects that come to life in Beauty and the Beast
But the Scriptures are abundantly clear - God does not have a form, for God is not a creature. As such, no one has seen God.
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God is invisible, because he is a Spirit. And more than this, no one can see God and live
18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Even though God is invisible, he has made himself known to his people.
But not through images
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
But God is perceived through his creation
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
And even more through his Word.
18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
God is invisible, but he has made himself known through his Word.
Illustrations: Long distance relationships
God dwelt in the midst of his people - via the tabernacle and then later on through the temple - but God was still separated from his people due to the vails, curtains, and walls
God is invisible… but Paul makes an astonishing claim. He tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
Colossians 1:15 (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I can try to explain what the Mona Lisa looks like. Her pale skin, and her reddish brown curly hairs that comes down just past her shoulders. I can describe the nature of her smile, her eyes, and the shape of her nose. Her posed hands that are crossed and leaning on an arm wrest. I have barley done justice in describing this painting… Or I could just show you the image.
Jesus is described as being the image of the invisible God.
Understand, what this word image describes. Jesus uses it in Matt 22.20
20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
Recall what Moses asked of the Lord in Exod 33. Lord, show me your glory.
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.
All of God’s attributes are seen in Christ.
Three implications of seeing Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God.
1. If we have seen Jesus Christ, then we have seen God
1. If we have seen Jesus Christ, then we have seen God
Illustration: I resemble my dad - and you all likely resemble your parents to some extent
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 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’?
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 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. 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,
We can’t look at the sun - but the rays of the sun saturate everything we see
The exact imprint of his nature - signet ring
Do you want to see God’s glory? Then look at Jesus Christ!
2. If we have seen Jesus Christ, then we are saved
2. If we have seen Jesus Christ, then we are saved
Illustration: Catfishing
If we wish to be saved - we must know God. And if we want to know God, we must see God.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
To know God, that is, if we have seen God - we can be sure that Jesus is preparing a place for us with him.
3. If we have seen Jesus Christ, we will be sanctified
3. If we have seen Jesus Christ, we will be sanctified
Sanctified - that is to say we will look more and more like Jesus
Illustration: We become what we behold
This is what discipleship is - imitating those who are imitating Jesus
Peter watching toy story - Imitating the characters
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Oh that we would all see Christ, for he is
Colossians 1:15 (ESV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God
When we see Jesus, we will be changed
But here is the question that must be answered on this topic. How can we see Jesus if he is no longer with us?
If you are a keen listener you will pick up on the wrong assumption in this question. It assumes that Jesus is not with us… but Jesus told us that he would never leave us or forsake us.
Furthermore, this question assumes that having physical eyes to see the incarnate Jesus would be of some value.
But consider all those who did see Jesus with their physical eyes.
Those who saw God’s mercy in Jesus when he ate with sinners and tax collectors did not recognize Jesus as the sinless Son of God, but instead they called him a drunkard
Those who saw God’s authority displayed in Jesus when he cast out demons did not rightly see him, but instead they accused Jesus of being filled with demons
Those who saw God’s love displayed when Jesus hung upon the cross did not shut their mouths in horror, but instead they stuck their tongues out at him and mocked him.
Seeing Jesus with our physical eyes would not benefit us if we did not believe in Jesus
What we need, is to see Jesus through the eyes of faith, and this only comes through the Spirit of God.
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. XXVI Men Bewitched (No. 1,546)
My dear friends, do not say, “Christ died on Calvary. That is thousands of miles off.” I know that he did, but what matters it where he died as to locality? He loved you, and gave himself for you. Let him be to you as though he were crucified at Newington Butts, and as though his cross were in the middle of this tabernacle. “Oh, but he died nineteen hundred years ago.” I know that he did, but the efficacy of his death is a thing of to-day. “He died unto sin once”: and that once pours the splendour of its efficacy all down the ages, and the thing for you to do is to feel as if you saw him dying now, on the tree now—you standing immediately at the foot of the cross, and looking up, and seeing him looking down from off that cross and saying, “I did all this for thee.” Cannot you ask the Lord to make it as vivid as that to you?
