Evening Service | 19th Dec | Colossians 1:15-20

Now again, we'll turn together in our Bibles to the book of Colossians.

Colossians chapter 1, and we'll read from verse 15 to 20.

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

And we'll consider Jesus as Lord of creation and new creation.

So again, let's hear the word of God.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn 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, all things have been created through him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things,

whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.

Amen.

So I can still remember the very first time in Bible college many years ago,

my mind was blown by a new truth about Jesus.

We were in a class thinking about the doctrine of Jesus Christ,

and our lecturer was using some works from early church fathers

and was helping us to see that the Christ child in the manger,

that tiny, vulnerable little baby, at one and the same time was sustaining the universe.

And that wasn't something I'd thought about before, and that was a remarkable truth.

And it made me realize then, and I hope I still realize now,

that my view and our view of Jesus constantly needs to expand.

We will never come close to grasping the full extent of the glory of God, of the glory of the Lord Jesus.

Even in all eternity, we will never cease to discover more of that glory.

It's a glorious passage, isn't it?

And it's written to a church in Colossae of young Christians,

of Christians who were under pressure, hearing false teaching,

tempted to look away from depending only on Jesus,

to add some other rules and regulations.

And here's Paul's wonderful response.

And there's such wisdom here, and Paul could easily say,

just don't do that, that's just a really bad idea to try and add anything to Jesus.

But what he does instead is he looks to give them this wonderful reminder of just how great Jesus is.

He gives this wonderful Christ hymn for them,

to say to them,

Jesus is supreme.

There is none greater than him,

therefore don't seek to add to him.

Jesus is sufficient.

To have faith in him means you don't need to have anything else for your salvation.

And this has always been the confession of the church.

This was a hymn already, it seems, in circulation.

So within a matter of decades,

this is what the church has been singing,

testifying about Jesus.

He is supreme.

He is fully God.

He is the only Savior.

Your Jesus is Lord.

Our starting point this evening is that I'm confident that we all need this text.

We all need to be reminded about the glory of Christ,

because like the church in Colossae,

we'll all be tempted in different ways towards taking our eyes off Jesus.

Perhaps for some of us that will be because of the pressures of life.

Sometimes it will be the temptation towards sin.

Perhaps it will be because of questions or doubts or fears.

And we can stop looking towards Jesus.

And we also need this,

because like me,

we always need to be reminded,

and to use the glasses or the binoculars of Scripture,

to have an appropriate vision of Jesus.

To recognize that Jesus is not small.

He's not a Savior that we can control.

Rather, he is the Lord of the universe.

So this hymn is written as a gift to the church to tune our hearts,

to sing the praise of Christ.

It's a wonderful text to study as we approach Christmas.

A text that shows us the extent to which Jesus is Lord over creation

and Lord over the new creation,

and to help us to begin to think why that matters for faith and life.

So let's think,

verse 15 to 17,

let's think together briefly about Jesus as Lord of creation.

Two phrases to pick out,

to focus on.

The first,

at the beginning of verse 15,

the sun is the image of the invisible God.

As B.B. Warfield,

the American theologian,

said,

Jesus makes the invisible God visible.

It's a wonderful reality,

isn't it?

And this was Paul's teaching.

Throughout his letters,

we can turn,

for example,

to 2 Corinthians 4,

and verse 4,

and we hear Paul say this,

the God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers

so that they cannot see the light of the gospel

that displays the glory of Christ,

who is the image of God.

So in the gospel,

we discover that Jesus is the image of God,

and we discover the glory of Christ.

And sadly,

the devil wants to keep people from believing that.

Then verse 6,

for God who said,

let light shine out of darkness,

made his light shine in our hearts,

to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory,

displayed in the face of Christ.

We see the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.

That's the testimony of John in his gospel.

That's why we read his introduction.

The word became flesh

and made his dwelling among us,

and we've seen his glory,

the glory as of the one and only Son,

full of grace and truth.

We've been thinking about it for the last few months

in John's gospel.

We've been hearing the words of Jesus.

He who has seen me has seen the Father.

I and the Father are one.

Jesus makes the invisible God visible.

And also,

when we think of that idea of image,

the image of God,

maybe for many of us,

our minds go back to Genesis 1,

where Adam and Eve are created in the image of God.

And their role was to rule and reign for God,

to spread, as it were,

the image of God in creation.

But, of course,

we know from our Bibles

that Adam and Eve fell into sin

and failed to do that

in the same way as we fail to do that.

But here is Jesus,

and he is the true and better Adam,

who does come bringing in the kingdom of God,

who does restore the reign of God,

who does spread the image of God

in the world that he created.

So Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

But then in verse 15,

there's also that significant phrase

that the Son, Jesus,

is the firstborn over all creation.

And this is a phrase

that we need to be careful with.

Jehovah's Witnesses, for example,

would use this text to say,

well, here's proof positive

that Jesus was the first created being.

How do we respond to that?

Well, we can perhaps,

to just think about the tone

and the teaching of this text,

what's it saying about Jesus?

It's saying something far beyond that,

isn't it?

It's expressing the fact

that Jesus is fully God.

The fullness of God dwells in him,

that he is eternal,

that he is before and above all.

Rather, the idea of firstborn

has to do with rank and place.

Think about the firstborn child.

They were the heir.

Here is Paul's way of saying,

remember, all creation belongs to Christ

because he is firstborn

in rank, first place.

In the Old Testament,

God said that Israel was his firstborn

in Exodus 4.

The Davidic king,

Psalm 89,

is God's firstborn.

Kings or nations

chosen with a special place

and a special role.

Jesus is God's firstborn

in the sense that he

perfectly represents his rule.

He is uniquely,

eternally loved by his father

and he is the heir of all things.

He has ultimate rule and honor

is the idea.

And that's made clear

from the phrases that follow.

So again,

if you have your Bibles,

take a look at these phrases.

Verse 16,

For in him,

in Jesus,

all things were created.

Jesus is the agent of creation.

God created through Jesus

his word.

And look at how comprehensive

the list is.

Things in heaven and on earth,

visible, invisible,

thrones, powers, rulers,

authorities.

All things have been created

through him and for him.

Jesus the Son is acting with

God the Father

and as God in creating.

And we also discover

that Jesus himself

is the goal of creation.

All things have been created

through him and for him.

Verse 17,

He is before all things.

He is the eternal Lord.

He's not part of the creation.

He was there before.

There was anything other than

Father, Son, and Spirit.

And verse 17,

In him,

all things hold together.

He is the Lord

who sustains

the universe he created.

He is the one

who controls.

Jesus is the unifying

theory of everything.

Now,

Paul is saying

these verses.

Our Christmas carols,

they sometimes ask

the questions,

What child is this?

Who is he

in yonder stall?

Look at the size

of the answer

that Paul gives here.

Jesus is the perfect

revelation of God

in all his glory.

Jesus is the Lord

of the universe,

the universe

that was created

by him,

in him,

and for him.

For a church

under pressure,

for Christians like us,

here is hope.

Here is hope

when the world

perhaps seems to be

spinning out of control

in our own experiences

as we look around society.

Jesus is in control.

Jesus is on the throne.

Jesus is working out

his purposes.

Here is hope

when our faith

feels weak,

when we wonder

if we can keep going

and we remember

that our faith

is dependent on Jesus,

the one who is

strong enough

to create this world,

is strong enough

to establish

new creation life

in us,

is strong enough

to keep us

in our faith.

Let's hope for us

as well

to recognize

it's this Lord,

the Creator Lord,

who has entered

into his creation

in order to save us.

his cause for praise.

So Jesus is Lord of creation,

but he's also,

as Paul moves on,

he's also Lord

of the new creation.

So let's again

look at some key phrases

in verse 18 to 20.

He begins there,

he is the head

of the body,

the church.

Now, boys and girls,

your classes are over

for the term,

but let's do some

very basic biology.

If you think about it,

we can lose a toe,

we can lose an arm,

we can lose a leg,

we'd have pain,

but we'd be okay.

But if we lose our heads,

then we have nothing.

Jesus is the head.

Jesus gives life

to the church.

Jesus is our command

and control center.

Just as our brain functions

to control our bodies,

Jesus is Lord

over the church.

And so it is vital

for the church,

it was vital for this church

that Paul is writing to,

to stay connected,

united to him,

just as it's vital

for us to be connected

to Jesus.

Verse 18 goes on,

he is the beginning

and the firstborn

from among the dead.

To help us to think about this,

a chap called Athanasius

wrote a book

on the incarnation

back sometime

in the 4th century,

I can't remember

exactly when,

but he said this,

wonderful,

helpful phrase,

I think,

there is no inconsistency

between creation

and salvation

for the one father

has employed

the same agent

for both works.

So let's just stop there.

Athanasius is reminding us

God's agent of creation

is Jesus,

God's agent in salvation

is Jesus.

So the father was effecting

the salvation of the world

through the same word

who made it

in the beginning.

So that same word,

Jesus,

who gives life to creation

is the same word

who gives new creation life.

that phrase,

the beginning,

I guess,

makes us think of

Genesis 1,

in the beginning

God created.

Jesus is the one

through whom

God creates

a new spiritual life.

And he is the firstborn

from among the dead

so that in everything

he might have

the supremacy.

So again,

firstborn has that idea

of first in rank,

first in authority.

Why is Jesus

the firstborn

from among the dead?

Tom Schreiner says,

well,

Jesus rules over death

because he was the first

to conquer death.

And as it goes for Jesus,

so it goes for his followers.

Being the firstborn

from among the dead

at the resurrection

is proof.

Jesus is

the author of life.

proof positive

that Jesus has the power

to give new life,

the promise of resurrection life

for all

who trust him.

We don't need to look

to

anyone

or anything else.

Verse 19,

God was pleased

to have all his fullness

dwell in him.

Everything essential

to being God

is found in Jesus

and belongs to Jesus.

the same words,

same ideas,

anyway,

in chapter 2,

verse 9.

For in Christ,

all the fullness

of the deity

lives in bodily form.

And then he goes on

to say,

in Christ,

you've been brought

to fullness.

Because you're trusting

in a saviour

who is fully God,

you can believe

that you have

a full salvation

and you're not

lacking anything.

Perhaps,

again,

boys and girls,

we can think about this

by thinking about

a bike.

If you've got a bike

or you can think about

a bike,

for a bike to be

full and complete,

it needs every part,

doesn't it?

It needs a saddle,

it needs a chain,

it needs pedals,

it needs brakes.

Otherwise,

it's not complete.

The Bible is teaching

Jesus isn't partly God,

Jesus isn't mostly God,

Jesus isn't sometimes God,

Jesus is totally God,

while also being totally man.

Jesus is eternally God.

All that is essential to God

is found in Jesus.

It's a reminder,

in the context of their false teaching,

if there's nothing missing from Jesus,

why would they try and add to Jesus?

And then verse 20,

through Jesus,

God was pleased to reconcile

to himself

all things,

whether things on earth

or things in heaven,

by making peace through his blood

shed on the cross.

The Lord Jesus

came that first Christmas

and he came to bring peace

on earth.

We learn some wonderful truths

about reconciliation

from this verse here,

verse 20.

We learn that reconciliation

is God's work.

A work of reconciliation,

making peace between

two parties

who are at enmity

with one another.

God takes the initiative

to make peace.

The coming of Christ

is all of grace.

We learn, too,

that reconciliation

is a completed work.

It was completed

at the cross.

Peace has been made.

Jesus said,

it is finished.

The sin barrier

is broken down.

That sin

that would separate us

from our God

that has been dealt with

for those who trust in Jesus

so that we can enjoy peace.

So reconciliation

happened

at the cross.

How does God make peace?

Through the blood

of his son, Jesus.

He makes peace

by way of sacrifice.

Again, there's a reminder

of why there's no room

for pride

in the Christian life.

It took

the giving

of Jesus,

it took the death

of his perfect son,

God the Father's

perfect son,

in order to reconcile

us to himself.

And also,

we're reminded

in this verse

that reconciliation

takes in all things.

It takes in

the church,

the people of God,

but also the creation,

the creation

that is under the curse,

that's been under the curse

since Genesis 3,

the creation

that is groaning

in Romans 8,

waiting for full

and final salvation

of the people of God

when the new heavens

and the new earth

are established

when Jesus returns.

So here to this

group of young

Christians

under pressure

to listen

to false teaching,

Paul gives them

this wonderful hymn.

Let's just,

before we close,

let's think

about some reasons

why this hymn

matters

for you

and me

as we think

about the glory

of Jesus

that it might

increase our worship

and increase our joy.

Let's just remind

ourselves

that when we're

thinking about Jesus,

considering Jesus,

we are recognizing

that Jesus truly

reveals God

as creator

and redeemer.

It has been well

said that if

God were our

creator

only

and we just

thought of God

as almighty

power,

we might run

from him

in terror.

But that God

is our

redeemer

through the work

of Christ,

that produces

a different

kind of fear,

that fear

that is awe

and wonder

and worship

that God

would love

so much.

Again,

to go even

further back

in early church

history,

second century,

Irenaeus,

like this,

God who formed

us in the beginning

also formed

us in the womb,

personal creation,

not just universal

creation,

God created

each one of us

and that same

God

sought us out

when we were

lost,

won us back

for himself,

carries us home

on his shoulders.

How do all those

wonderful pictures

of salvation

come to

fulfillment?

fulfillment?

They come to

fulfillment

through Jesus,

the Son of God

who is conceived

in the womb

of the Virgin,

made one of us

in order to

redeem us.

Jesus reveals

to us God

as creator

and as

redeemer.

This hymn

also reminds us

importantly

that Jesus

is Lord

over all

of life.

Perhaps

we have a

tendency

to put

God in a

box,

a tendency

to compartmentalize

our lives.

Perhaps

we can think

in terms of

spiritual

and secular

or regular.

Jesus gets

one but not

the other.

And whenever

we're doing that

we need to

understand that

our God

is far too

small.

the creation

and the new

creation

are His.

He is Lord

not just

over some

but over all.

Every part

is His.

And spiritual

wisdom

recognizes that

and looks

to live

in dependence

on Christ

because of

that

so that we

might live

to His

praise and

glory

in all the

circumstances

of life.

So whether

we're thinking

about how do

I approach

life at home

or how do

I make sure

that my

conversations

are pleasing

to God.

How do I

face my

work tasks?

How do I

spend my

money?

We need to

take all

of these

before the

Lord Jesus

to not

lean on our

own understanding

but to lean

on His

wisdom

because He's

Lord not

just over

some but

over all

of our

lives.

We're also

reminded here

that the

church exists

by the

grace of

God

shown to

us in

Christ.

Again,

Paul said

in Ephesians

1

that God's

people are

chosen in

Him,

in Jesus,

before the

creation of

the world

to be

holy and

blameless,

predestined

to be

adopted

as God's

children.

The church

is God's

plan.

The church

is the

house that

Jesus came

to build.

And the

Son of

God saves

His people.

He gathers

them to

Himself.

He makes

sure that

we persevere

in our

faith.

He is the

one who

promises to

bring us

home to

our Father.

The church

doesn't rest

on human

authority,

doesn't rest

on human

traditions,

additional

regulations such

as the

false teachers

would add.

the church

is built

on Christ,

the truth

of the

gospel.

And to

find ourselves

part of the

church is to

find ourselves

united.

First of all,

united to the

Lord Jesus,

He is our

head, but

also united to

one another as

brothers and

sisters in

Christ.

Here is the

basis for our

unity.

Here is the

basis for our

love for one

another.

And then

finally to

think about

this, that

faith, our

faith day

to day, it

depends on

this Jesus

as Lord.

Now we

are being

reminded here

that Jesus

is the one

who saves.

He is the

one who

comes to

establish peace

through his

blood.

Our

contribution to

the work of

salvation,

salvation is

to bring our

sin and our

guilt and our

need and to

acknowledge that

we cannot save

ourselves and to

trust in the

one who has

come to save

us.

We are called

again to

recognize the

only proper

object of our

faith is the

Lord Jesus and

that atoning work

that he came to

do.

We are being

reminded that

Jesus is a

sufficient

savior.

We don't need

to add

anything to

him.

We need to

look for

anything more

than him.

He is God's

gift of

grace to

us.

And so our

salvation rests

and receives

by Jesus

alone for

salvation.

And to

also remember

that this

Jesus who's

been described

here, he's the

one who

sustains

faith.

The same

Jesus who's

sustaining the

universe by

the word of

his power is

sustaining his

church.

We look to

him to keep

us, to keep

his church and

to bring us

home.

So as we get

ourselves ready

for Christmas,

I hope that

this wonderful

hymn will

serve to expand

our minds and

our faith and

our hearts as

we look to

prepare and as

we look to

worship.

Let me pray

briefly for us.

Lord, our

God, we

recognize that

your glory is

so great

that we

are only

ever

seeing

glimpses

of it,

that we're

only ever

scratching the

surface of

your truth and

your beauty and

your majesty

of your

lordship.

of your

grace and

mercy.

But Lord, we

thank you that

those glimpses

that we see

are capable of

filling our

hearts with

joy, of

putting songs

in our

mouths, of

giving strength

to our

faith.

And so we

thank you for

this wonderful

Christ hymn.

And we pray

that you would

help us to

appreciate and

draw deeply

to ourselves

the truths

that are

contained in

it so

that our

lives would

be built

on Jesus,

our Lord and

Saviour,

so that we

would be

sustained in

our faith as

we are

resting and

trusting in

him alone.

Lord, we

pray that this

would be a

time in our

life of

growing in

our faith,

of growing in

our love,

of growing in

our hope and

our joy,

as you continue

to show us

wonderful things

from your

wonderful word.

And we pray in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now, we

are going to

sing together

as we

close the

hymn Behold

Our God.

And we

are without

musical

accompaniment,

but should be

on the video,

so we should be

all right, so

we can stand

and we can

sing together

Behold Our

God.

We're going

to sing

together Behold

Our God.

Amen.

Thank you.