What Child Is This? He Is The Lord OF ALL

If you would open up your Bibles to Colossians chapter 1, we're going to be looking at verses 15 through 20 this morning.

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

And as you're turning there, I just want to let you know what my family and I watched last night on TV.

The 1964 claymation classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

You know it.

Rudolph, with his nose so bright, remember he was a misfit from the start.

Yukon Cornelius, do you remember Yukon Cornelius?

That greatest prospector of the north.

And he's very quirky.

And then there was that elf named Hermie.

He didn't like building toys.

He wanted to be a dentist.

Well, the story goes that these misfits are trying to find their place in life.

And eventually, Rudolph, Yukon, and Hermie, they come across a body of water to a land of misfit toys.

Odd toys that no child would ever want.

Living in exile on the island of misfit toys.

The greatest desire of these toys is to be loved by a child.

And eventually, Rudolph and his gang, with the help of Santa Claus, of course, they take action.

And they reconcile these misfit toys to the children who would love them unconditionally.

Now, I think we can all identify with being a misfit.

We've all got our unique quirks, don't we?

And we all desire to be loved despite our quirks and oddities.

So we're all misfits in one sense.

But we're not misfit toys, are we?

Now, God in his word takes our misfitness.

And he takes it one step further than this 1964 claymation special.

Yes, God acknowledges our quirks.

But God in his word says we have a deep, dark, deadly disobedience problem called sin.

Sin is rebellion against God.

It's a prideful unwillingness to obey him, to live for him.

And so, in light of that, humanity is one big island of misfit sinners living in rebellion to the God who created us.

It's also known as the world.

Our sin has separated us from the God who created us.

Sin ruptured our relationship with the one true God.

And because of our sin, hostility entered our experience.

God is hostile towards our sin.

And not only was sin affecting our relationship with God, sin ruptured our experience of ourselves.

Have you ever heard someone say, I hate myself?

And it's not just within ourselves, it's relationships with other people.

Sin ruptures relationships.

Do you know why the holidays are often hard for people being with their family?

Because sin has ruptured relationships.

And of course, sin has ruptured our relationship with the rest of creation.

Adam and Eve, in the garden, they work the land with ease and peace.

But after they sinned, it was toil and hostility, sweat and threat.

As sinners, our disobedience to God has resulted in a comprehensive hostility in all of our relationships.

It's got a cosmic reach.

But the very God who we sinned against, out of an unconditional love for us,

God's plan to reconcile sinners back to himself took a decisive step 2,000 years ago.

I don't know how much the baby Jesus weighed when he was born.

Six pounds?

Seven pounds?

Maybe eight pounds?

But when that seven pound baby was born to a virgin in a town six miles outside of Jerusalem,

it was a turning point in history.

When that baby was born, God's plan took a decisive turn.

What child is this?

What child is this born unto us?

If you're looking at Colossians 1, verses 15 through 20,

Colossians 1:15–20

Paul says this is who this child is.

Let me read it for us.

He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of all creation,

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.

And he's before all things.

And in him all things hold together.

What child is this?

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

He's the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,

that in everything he might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell

and through him to reconcile to himself all things,

whether on earth or in heaven,

making peace by the blood of his cross.

Verses 15 through 20 are known as a hymn that exalts Christ.

And Paul has placed it here at the beginning of Ephesians,

Colossians, to help this Colossian Christians

understand rightly who this Christ is

so that they can discern false teaching.

There are two moves, two main parts to this hymn

in verses 15 through 20.

The first is Christ is the creator of all.

We see that in verses 15 through 17.

And the second part is Christ is the reconciler of all.

And then we see that in verses 18 through 20.

Another way you can say it is this.

Christ is Lord of all.

He's the creator of all.

He's the reconciler of all.

He's preeminent over all.

He's Lord of all.

Now, this morning I want to ask you a question.

Do you know who this child is born in the manger,

born in this stable,

this dark-haired baby boy,

born in some stable for animals in Bethlehem?

Do you not realize who he is?

He's the creator of all, your creator.

He's the reconciler of all.

He made a way for you to be at peace with God.

What child is this?

He's Lord of all.

Is he your Lord?

Let's look at this first part.

He's the creator of all, verses 15 through 17.

Now, I'm going to point you to two titles

and a handful of prepositions.

Okay, you ready?

Let's look at it.

He is the image of the invisible God.

That's the first title.

He is the image of the invisible God.

When you read that, that word image,

it actually is a translation of a Greek word.

And I'm going to teach it to you this morning.

It's the Greek word icon.

Can you say that?

Say icon.

One, two, three.

Icon.

And it is referring back to the Son.

In Colossians 1, 13, and 14, we read,

God 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.

This beloved Son, he is the icon of the invisible God.

Now, back in the day when I was working on my computer,

you know, maybe 10 years ago,

we didn't call them apps.

What we saw on the computer screen, we called icons,

and they were visible representatives

of the programs running on your computer.

So if you wanted to open it,

you clicked on the icon and you got to your program.

So it's possible to think here

that Jesus is the visible representation of God.

He's the icon of the invisible God.

And that's true.

But it goes beyond that.

Jesus is not just a visible representation of God.

He is fully God in the flesh.

Just take a look at verse 19.

We read,

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

Now look at chapter 2, verse 9.

We read this.

For in him, Christ,

the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.

The image of the invisible God,

the icon of God,

is God himself in the flesh.

And so how is this being used?

Well, icon is a title.

And it's got a lot of similarities

with what the passage we were looking at last week.

John chapter 1,

John 1 · chapter mention

talking about the Word.

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

That was a title.

Word.

So when Paul talks about Jesus

as the image of the invisible God,

the icon of God,

he is saying that Jesus

is the physical embodiment

of all the fullness of God.

He is the invisible God made visible.

It would be akin to what John says

in John 1.18,

where the Word is described as

making known the Father

who has never been seen.

So Jesus is the ultimate image of God.

When you become a Christian,

when you put your faith in Jesus,

when you turn from sin

and turn to Christ,

God calls you

to become more and more like Jesus.

to be more and more

formed into His image.

If you look at just chapter 3, verse 10,

you read this.

And put on the new self,

which is being renewed in the knowledge

after the image of its creator,

the creator being Jesus.

Jesus.

This first title

kind of unpacks the relationship

Jesus has to God the Father.

He's the second person of the Trinity.

Jesus is the visible manifestation

of the invisible God,

fully divine,

fully human.

Now let's look at the second title.

He is the firstborn of all creation.

See that?

He's the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn of all creation.

In verses 15 through 16,

there's a repeated word.

It's the word creation or created.

He's the firstborn of all creation.

For by Him all things were created.

And then at the end of 16,

all things were created through Him

and for Him.

Paul is focusing on the relationship

between the second person of the Trinity

made incarnate

to the rest of creation.

And he moves from talking about

Jesus as the icon of the invisible God

to the firstborn of all creation.

And we've got to be clear

on what Paul means by firstborn.

Because it's possible

that when you read

the firstborn of all creation,

you can conclude

that Jesus,

the second person,

is the first to be created

in all of creation.

But that would be a mistake.

And that's not a mistake

that's just made today

by Jehovah's Witnesses,

for example.

It's a mistake that was made

back in the fourth century

by a guy named Arius

who taught this.

This is a quote.

He said of Jesus,

there was a time

when the Son was not.

So Arius denied the Trinity

on the basis that Jesus,

the Son,

was a created being.

And so what he taught

became known as the

Arian heresy,

which just simply means

false teaching.

And the Council of Nicaea,

it's a church council

in 325,

they denounced it.

And out of that council

came what's called

the Nicene Creed.

And the Nicene Creed

is just a restatement

of biblical truth

for the good of God's people.

And this is,

let me just read you

a little part

of the Nicene Creed.

It says,

I believe in one God,

the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

and of all things

visible and invisible,

and in one Lord,

Jesus Christ,

the only begotten

Son of God,

begotten of the Father

before all worlds,

God of God,

light of light,

very God of very God,

begotten,

not made,

being of one substance

with the Father

by whom all things

were made,

who, Jesus,

for us,

men of our salvation,

came down from heaven

and was incarnate

by the Holy Spirit

of the Virgin Mary

and was made man

and was crucified

also for us

under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered

and was buried

and on the third day

he rose again

according to the Scriptures

and ascended into heaven

and sits on the right hand

of the Father

and he shall come again

and with glory

to judge the quick

and the dead

whose kingdom

shall have no end.

When Paul speaks

of Jesus

as the firstborn

of all creation,

he's not saying

that Jesus,

the Son of God,

was the first

to be created

of all creation.

No,

what Paul is doing

is he's giving

him a title.

He is the firstborn

of creation.

If you would open up

your Bible to Psalm 89,

flip back to Psalm 89

and we're going to look

at verse 27.

Paul is using this title,

firstborn,

in the same way

that God uses it

in Psalm 89, 27

when he speaks

of the Messiah.

speaking of the Messiah,

God says this,

and I will make him

the firstborn,

the highest

of the kings

of the earth.

When God says

he's making the Messiah

the firstborn,

he's not talking

about creating him,

he's talking about

installing him.

in the office,

with the title

of firstborn.

So Paul is using

this title,

firstborn,

the same way

that God uses it

in Psalm 89, 27.

So as the icon

of the invisible God,

he's not the first

to be created,

but rather is given

the title,

the firstborn

of all creation.

He's not a created being.

He's the uncreated one

who creates all.

In verses 16 through 17,

Paul shows us

how the eternal son

exercises his supremacy

over all creation.

You see that title,

firstborn?

It means to be supreme over.

Supreme over all creation.

And here's where I want

to show you some prepositions.

You ready?

For by him

all things

were created.

For by him

all things

were created.

Now,

you might see that word

by

and you start thinking,

oh yeah,

it's by Jesus,

the agent

of creation

that all things

were made.

But,

in all honesty,

that word by

is better translated

in.

Like,

Jesus

is the sphere

in which

all things

were created.

And what he's getting

at is this.

Jesus is the

founder

and author

of all things

that were created.

He thought it all up.

every created thing

in heaven and earth.

He thought it up.

He thought up

black holes.

He thought up

supernovas.

He thought up

cells

and mitochondria.

All created things

seen and unseen

come from him.

He's the source

of it all.

All things

were created

in him.

And it includes

angelic beings.

In verse 16,

we read,

he created,

all things

were created

by him

in heaven

and earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones

or dominions

or rulers

or authorities.

Paul's talking

right there

about angels.

Different kinds

of angels.

And you might

be thinking,

well,

why is he talking

about angels

right there?

Well,

that's part

of the false

teaching that

was happening

to this church

way back in the

first century.

There were false

teachers teaching

these people

that not only

do they need

Jesus,

they need angels

as well

to help them

in their pursuit

of God.

And what

Paul is saying

is,

no,

Jesus is the

creator of them

all.

All created

things seen

and unseen,

including spiritual

beings that

have been created

by God the

Son.

All things

created in

him.

And then we

read,

all things were

created through

him.

He is not

only the source,

but the means

of creation.

He did the

creating.

All things

are created

by him.

Not only

is he like the

architect that

thought up the

plan,

he's the

contractor who

put it into

practice,

put it into

play.

He did it.

And not only

were all things

created through

him,

all things were

created for

him.

You see that?

all things

were created

through him

and for

him.

Creation

exists for

the glory

of his

name.

In him,

by him,

for him.

Those are the

prepositions I

want you to

see.

And they all

point to him

being the

Lord of all

creation.

But then Paul

throws in a

couple other

things.

Look at

verse 17,

and he is

before all

things.

That word

before can

mean before

like as in

preeminent

importance,

or it can

mean before

just in terms

of time.

I came here

before my

wife came

here.

Every time

that Paul

uses that

word before

in the New

Testament,

it has a

temporal sense,

which means

this.

He's talking

about time.

So do you

know what he's

saying here?

He's saying

that Jesus

is before all

things.

He's talking

about the

preexistence of

the second

person of the

Trinity.

that the

second person

of the

Trinity has

always existed.

He is

before all

things.

And not

only is he

before all

things, he

holds all

things together.

It's getting

at the present

role of the

second person of

the Trinity,

Jesus, in

holding the

whole universe

together.

together.

If you flip

over to

Hebrews

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1,

the author

of Hebrews

says this

in a

beautiful

way.

And

long ago,

at many times,

and in many

ways,

chapter 1,

verse 1,

God spoke

to our

fathers by

the prophets,

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.

Verse 3,

he's 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.

Do you want

to think of

something amazing?

When Jesus

was one

year old

as a boy,

he, as

the God in

the flesh,

was upholding

the universe

with the word

of his power.

Does that

blow your

mind?

It blows

my mind.

He holds

all things

together,

and he

doesn't sweat

about it.

It's all

powerful.

What child

is this?

Who is this

seven-pounder

in the

manger?

He's the

Lord of all

creation.

He created

it all.

In him,

by him,

for him.

He's before

all things,

hold all

things together.

But,

let me just

ask this

question aloud.

What,

why would

he come?

Why would

he become

a man?

What's the

deal?

Why would

the second

person of

the Trinity

who created

everything

take on

human flesh?

Well,

something went

terribly wrong

with his

creation.

When Adam

and Eve

sinned against

God,

there were

cosmic

repercussions

of a

comprehensive

nature.

Rupture.

Rupture

in

relationship

to God.

Rupture

in your

relationship

with yourself.

Rupture

in our

relationships

with others.

Rupture

in our

relationship

to creation.

All that

the second

person of

the Trinity

had created

in beauty

and peace,

sin

distorted

and made

dangerous.

So the

second person

of the

Trinity

became a

man.

He took

on human

flesh

to reclaim

that

which is

rightfully

his

because he

created it

all.

even more

amazing is

how he

claims it.

His

claiming of

all creation

is a

work of

reconciliation

that is by

the blood

of his

cross.

So when we

sing joy to

the world,

the Lord

has come,

our creator

has come

to redeem

us as

far as

the curse

is found.

Whether

that's

God's

hostility

towards

our

sin,

he came

to make

his blessings

flow.

In a

relationship

with others,

he came

to make

his blessings

flow as

far as

the curse

is found.

Distortions

of cancer

on the

microcellular

level,

he came

to reclaim

it.

The

cosmic

collisions

of galaxies

that you

can witness

through the

Hubble

space

telescope,

he came

to make

peace

on a

cosmic

level.

What

child is

this?

He is the

creator and

sustainer of

all things

who came

to reconcile,

to make

peace

with the

things that

sin has

ruptured.

And so

we've

looked at

he is

the

creator

of all,

verses

17 through

15 through

17.

Now let's

look at

he is the

reconciler of

all,

verses

18 through

20.

Again,

this time

we have

three titles

in a bunch

of prepositions.

You ready?

Title

number

one.

And he

is the

head of

the

church,

the body,

the church.

It's a

title.

When the

Bible talks

about the

church,

we're

talking about

God's

people,

God's

new covenant

people,

the people

that Jesus

has individually

bought with

his blood.

Those

individual

people comprise

his body,

the church.

And so

what we see

happening in

verse 18

is Paul

making a

pivot.

He is

pivoting from

creation of

all things

to the

reconciliation

of all

things,

the new

creation of

all things

in Christ.

He moves

from being

Christ,

from showing

us Christ

as Lord

of all

in creation

to now

showing us

Christ as

the Lord

of all

redemption,

the reconciler

of all.

So,

I think

here's

what's

going on.

At the

end of

verse 17

we see

that the

second person

of the

Trinity

is holding

all things

together.

And then

Paul turns

in verse

18 to

Jesus is

the head

in whom

the body

is held

together.

The body

of Christ,

the church,

is one of

Paul's favorite

ways to talk

about God's

people in the

New Testament.

individual,

interdependent

members.

What I love

about the

nine people

that became

members this

morning,

as elders

we sat

down and

we listened

to each

of their

testimonies

and we

got a sense

of their

burdens

and giftings

and it's

such a delight

to think

about how

God is

going to

use these

nine for

the building

up of

this local

body under

the head

of Jesus.

Jesus.

But here's

what you

need to

know about

these people

coming to

Jesus,

becoming a

Christian.

In 2 Corinthians

5, Paul

talks about it

as a new

creation.

When somebody

puts their

trust in

Jesus, the

old has

gone and the

new has

come.

There are

new creations

in Jesus.

And so

his body

is a

group of

Christians,

new creations

in him

that he's

brought about.

And Jesus

is the

head.

And when

we talk

about the

head being

Jesus, we're

talking about

authority and

source of

life.

The body,

his body,

is under

and dependent

upon the

head of

Jesus.

And so

Paul has

pivoted from

talking about

Christ's

preexistent

work of

creation to

Christ's

incarnational

work of

making all

things new.

Salvation.

So that's

the first

title.

He's the

head of

the body.

Now the

second title

is in

verse 18.

He is

the beginning.

The

beginning of

what?

Now if

Paul had

placed this

title up in

verses 15

through 17,

we'd be

thinking, oh

yeah, he's

the beginning,

he's the

creator of

all, all

things were

made by

him, and

that would

be true

because it

is true.

But Paul

didn't place

that there.

Paul placed

this title,

he's the

beginning, after

he's the

head of the

church.

Paul doesn't

have the old

creation of

heaven or

earth in

mind.

He's got the

new creation

of all things

in heaven and

earth.

Christ is the

beginning of

the new

creation.

He is

salvation.

And the

next title

makes that

point even

further.

Look at

verse 18.

He is the

beginning, the

firstborn from

the dead.

Now we've

already encountered

that word

firstborn,

haven't we?

And verse 15,

he's the

firstborn of

all creation.

And what

Paul meant

by that

title is that

Christ is

supreme over

all creation.

All things

were created

in him, by

him, and

for him.

So what does

Paul mean

now?

Firstborn from

the dead?

Well, it's a

title.

And that

phrase, from

the dead, is

the reference

to which Christ

is supreme

over.

He reigns

over from

the dead,

whatever that

means.

You know

what that

means?

He's

referencing

resurrection.

being made

alive from

the dead.

Jesus is the

firstborn of

the resurrection

and understood

as a title.

He is

supreme over

all things

being made

new, being

brought to

life from

the dead.

Supreme over

the new

creation from

the deadly

effects of

sin.

Do you

remember in

John chapter

John 11 · chapter mention

11, the

whole situation

with Lazarus?

Jesus shows

up late to

Bethany and

Martha has an

issue with

him.

He's like,

where were

you?

And he's

like, well,

I'm here.

And she's

like, well,

if you were

here, you

could have

kept him

from dying.

And Jesus

says, well,

he'll be

raised in the

last day.

And she

said, well,

you can pray

to God now

and he'll be

raised.

And Jesus

says to her,

I am the

resurrection and

the life.

I am the

firstborn from

the dead.

I reign over

it.

And do you

remember what

he did in

order to

demonstrate his

authority over

death?

Lazarus come

forth.

He came

forth.

And if that

weren't enough,

Jesus said,

not only would

he die, but

he would be

raised.

And he was

raised from

the dead.

In his own

resurrection,

resurrection,

just verifies

his title as

being supreme

over death.

The firstborn

from the dead.

In verse 18,

there's a word

that.

He's the

beginning, the

firstborn from

the dead, that

in everything he

might be

preeminent.

His own

resurrection from

the dead declares

him supreme over

the dead.

to show that

in every way,

whether in

creation or in

redemption, he

is Lord of all,

preeminent over

everything.

That's who this

baby is.

He's the Lord of

everything.

That he might be

preeminent,

matchless.

Remember that

Christ is supreme

over all creation

because all things

were created in

him, by him, and

for him.

Remember those

prepositions?

Those prepositions

show up again.

They show up in

Jesus' firstborn

from the deadness.

In him.

Look at verse 19.

For in him all

the fullness of

God was pleased to

dwell.

Paul is circling

back to Jesus'

relationship to

God.

He's the second

person of the

Trinity.

Fully God.

Fully man.

Again, chapter 2,

verse 9, we read

this.

For in him, Jesus,

the whole fullness

of deity dwells

bodily.

So let me ask you

a question.

When did all the

fullness of God

come to dwell

bodily?

In Jesus.

Merry Christmas.

It's a reference

to the incarnation

of the second

person of the

Trinity.

But it's in the

context of

salvation.

Christmas is about

the incarnation of

Jesus.

And the incarnation

of Jesus is all

about our

reconciliation to

God.

Him making peace

by the blood of

his cross.

Christ is supreme

over salvation.

Because salvation

is in him.

He's the perfect

go-between.

God and man.

Because he's fully

God and fully

man.

That's why he came.

To make peace.

To reconcile all

of his creation.

salvation is in no one

else.

That's why he came.

That's why he came.

That's why he came.

That's why he came.

That's why he came.

No other name under

heaven has been given

among men

by which we must

be saved.

There's only one.

There's only one.

Salvation is in no one

else.

It's in him.

Because in him

is the fullness of God

pleasing to dwell.

So we've seen that this

reconciliation is in him

and it's also through him.

When we talk about

reconciliation, we're

talking about the

reuniting of people.

We're talking about the

reuniting of two people

or two people groups who

have experienced

disruption.

Do you remember the

island of misfit toys?

The exiled unwanted toys?

Reconciliation took place

when Rudolph reunited

these toys with the

help of Santa to the

boys and girls who would

love them forever.

Aw.

Here we're reading this.

For in him all the

fullness of God was

pleased to dwell.

And that word pleased

carries into the next

verb.

And was pleased to dwell

and pleased through him

to reconcile to himself

all things.

Here Paul is saying that

it pleased God to

reconcile all things

through Jesus.

Jesus is the

source of reconciliation

reconciliation and he is

the means of

reconciliation.

He's the one that

brings peace between

sinners and a holy

God.

Now how did that

happen?

If you look at the end

of verse 20, we're

told making peace by the

blood of his cross.

The reconciliation God

brought about came at an

extremely high price to

God incarnate.

He shed his blood on a

cross in order to make

peace between God and

sinners.

To bring shalom, peace

to his creation.

Specifically to men and

women, boys and girls.

It's through him.

And through him alone.

The separation and

hostility that exists between

God and sinners can only

be removed by the blood of

his cross.

It's the only way.

The blood of his cross.

Just to be crystal clear,

the blood that Paul is

talking about is the

blood of the baby boy that

was born six miles outside

of Jerusalem 2,000 years

ago.

That's the blood.

blood.

It's the blood of the

God man.

God incarnate shed his

blood on his cross.

The cross is a reference

to his death.

That's where he died.

He was crucified as a

common criminal in order

to reconcile common

sinners like you and me to

an uncommon God.

It's all part of God's

loving plan from the

foundation of the world.

not only would the second

person of the Trinity

become a man, but the

second person of the

Trinity, after becoming a

man, would brutally die on

a Roman cross.

And he did it voluntarily.

He did it for you and for

me.

He died in our place.

It was my sin that

disrupted my relationship

with God.

It's your sin that

ruptured your relationship

with God.

And because of that, God

justly condemns you and me

because of our sin to an

eternal death.

But Jesus, born in a stable,

so that through his death on

the cross, he could reconcile

you and me to God.

He made peace by the blood of

his cross.

God's wrath poured out on

Jesus so that we can

experience peace.

No more hostility between God

and sinners, those who

believe.

He's the perfect mediator.

Only his death could pay for

all your sin and everyone

else who would one day

believe in him.

And that's all you need to

do to respond.

Jesus became a man and

died on a cross in order to

bring everlasting peace to

those who believe.

And that's how you respond.

You can't earn it.

You receive it.

You receive it as a gift.

The birth of Jesus was the

first Christmas.

But the greatest Christmas

gift that God is offering

today is the salvation that

Jesus has made available through

the blood of his cross.

He makes it available to

everyone.

Our reconciliation is in him and

through him and it is to him.

We read that in verse 19.

For in him all the fullness,

excuse me, 20, in him all the

fullness of God who is pleased

to dwell and through him to

reconcile to himself all

things.

The himself is most likely a

reference to God the Father

because whenever the New

Testament talks about

reconciliation, we're being

reconciled to the Father.

But here's what I want you to

notice.

It's the scope.

It's the scope of his

reconciling work.

Verse 20, and through him to

reconcile to himself all

things.

All things.

Christ's death is his reclaiming

of all that he created that was

brutalized by the effects of sin.

At the cross, Jesus is saying,

it's all mine.

I'm reclaiming it.

It's all mine.

It's the decisive turning point

in history in which Jesus comes

and reclaims his own and not

just sinners, but all of

creation.

So the salvation that Jesus

accomplished through his death on

the cross has a cosmic reach

for as the curse is found.

So he will eventually recreate the

heavens and the earth with the

result of a full and lasting peace.

No more hostility for as the curse is

found.

Joy to the word.

So this work of peace which began at

the incarnation and was accomplished at

the cross, it will culminate when Jesus

comes back the second time.

His second advent.

When he returns and makes all things right.

When he comes to judge the world.

Every knee will bow.

Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

He comes back as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

You see, when he comes back, he will bring peace.

He will pacify all who oppose him.

When he returns in righteous authority and judgment,

all who were unwilling to bow to him on earth

will bow to him then.

He will establish a comprehensive and lasting peace

for the entire cosmos.

This morning we've seen that Christ is the creator of all

and the reconciler of all.

In short, you could say he's Lord of all.

What child is this?

What child is this in the manger and the stable?

He's the creator.

He's the peacemaker.

So this Christmas, worship him for who he is

in all of his fullness.

Your creator came as a man to make peace with you

by the blood of his cross.

And you know what?

That's worth telling others about.

Go tell it on the mountain.

Let's pray.

God, thank you so much for Colossians 1, 15 through 20.

God, thank you that your word gives us

a high and glorious view of our Savior and Lord.

God, would you press into our hearts

a worshipful delight in Christ,

our creator and reconciler.

And it's in his name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.