Positive Identification

Colossians 2:9–12 (ESV)

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Introduction: Every believer must know who Jesus is. As we continue preaching through Colossians we are challenged to be witnesses. Often witnesses are called upon to identify evidence or persons in a case.

Well, in the case of Christianity you and I must stand to positively identify who Jesus is to a world that both rejects and ignores Him.

You have a responsibility to spread the word and invite others to know Him. In fact people should be able to identify you as being a follower of Christ. I believe that is what Paul is getting at in this text today. When you know Christ, you will represent Christ.

DT: When we accept the Lordship of Christ and His work of salvation for us we are saved and become part of the family of God.

AIM: We will teach others that the way to salvation is through the work of Christ our Savior.

Transition: Positive identification is evidence proving that you are who you say you are; evidence establishing that you are among the group of people already known to the system. Jesus is our evidence

We Know Jesus as Divine (v.9)

“9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,”

Paul continues to address what he refers to as empty philosophies and deceit. Those Gnostics and false teachers who taught that Jesus was not divine and because of His humanity did not have the capacity to be God. They questioned the nature of Jesus. As a result Paul teaches the Colossians to be aware of this erroneous teaching.

Paul is stating Jesus is God. He is not a mere man. He is not just a good man. He is not half man and half God. Jesus is God.

Transition:

Illustration: A man was shown a red glass bottle and asked what he thought was in the bottle. He replied in succession, “Wine? Brandy? Whiskey.” When told it was full of milk, he could not believe it until he saw the milk poured out. What he hadn’t known, of course, was that the bottle was made of red glass, and its redness hid the color of the milk it contained.

So it was and is with the Lord’s humanity. Men saw him tired, hungry, suffering, weeping, and thought he was only man. He was made in the likeness of men, yet he ever is God over all, blessed forever.

Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).

Transition: You and I must know Jesus as God. His divinity is not temporary or an illusion.

Application: You as a believer must recognize Jesus as the true divinity. When you speak of Him you speak of God. When you speak of God you speak of Him. Our very being and existence is because of him. Do not succumb to the worlds tactics that attempt to sway you to believe otherwise. The world will say it is impossible. Some will contend that Jesus does not exist. But you must stand and proclaim Jesus as the one true God who wrapped himself in flesh to save sinners from the grips of sin.

Transition: Secondly, our text teaches that We Know Jesus as Lord.

We Know Jesus as Lord (v.10)

“10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

Jesus has made you whole.

Paul teaches that Christ is not only the head of the Church but he is ruler of all things. The authority and power of Jesus is limitless. Jesus does not bow down to the world’s rulers. Jesus rules the earth.

There is no higher authority than Jesus. The angels answer to Him.

Paul states that we are subject to Jesus.

When Jesus is our Lord we focus on Him and him alone. He is a dependable Lord.

Illustration: The story has been told of a farmer who was trying to teach his son how to plow a straight furrow. After the horse had been hitched up and everything was ready, he told the boy to keep an eye on some object at the other end of the field and aim straight toward it. “Do you see that cow lying down over there?” he asked. “Keep your eye on her and plow straight ahead.”

The boy started plowing and the farmer went about his chores. When he returned a little later to see what progress had been made, he was shocked to find, instead of a straight row, something that looked more like a question mark. The boy had obeyed his instruction. The trouble was, the cow had moved!

Jesus is an object that will not move. He is the foundation of our faith, the faithful Rock who never moves, never changes in his love for believers.

Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 49.

Transition: We can be sure that if we set our eyes on him, our path will be straight!

Application: Where are your eyes focused? If they are not focused upon Jesus, you have not made Him Lord. He cannot be an after thought. He cannot be on the back burner in your life. He must be first and primary for your life. He is Lord means you do as Jesus wills and leads in your life.

Transition: Lastly, We know Jesus as Savior

We Know Jesus as Savior (vv.11-12)

“11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

Paul contrasts the ritual of circumcision with that of baptism.

Circumcision- was the act which identified the Jewish as the people of God

Paul says, that this act is no longer necessary because of the work of Jesus. Paul says it is the act of baptism that now identifies the believer as having accepted the Lord and as people of God.

Transition:

Illustration: When the final second had ticked away, and the thrilling football game had ended, an exhausted fan in the bleachers turned to his friend and exclaimed, “Boy, we really played well today!” The fact was that he hadn’t played at all. He wasn’t wearing the pads. He wasn’t on the field. Yet he identified himself with the eleven men on the team.

So should it be for believers. Christ was the One who died on the cross, Christ was buried, and Christ rose again. Yet we are identified with him.

Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).

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Application:

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