March 5th, 2023 – He Is – Colossians 1:15-20
Edit sermon notes
Copy text
What’s the difference between a committed and an uncommitted Christian - between a hot Christian and a lukewarm Christian - between the disciple who has Jesus in the driver’s seat and the disciple who keeps Jesus in the back seat?
It all comes down to what we really believe about Christ. People whose lives revolve around their relationship with Jesus are convinced that Jesus is the solution to every problem and the answer to every question; that Jesus is better – a better Savior, a better Satisfier, a better Guide, a better friend. That’s Paul’s point in his letter to the Colossians.
Paul wrote this letter from a Roman jail when he heard how the young congregation in Colossae was turning from their relationship with Christ to religion; from the real Jesus to counterfeit Christs; and from faith in what Christ had done for them to faith in what they could do for Him. The point of Paul’s letter is that the essence of Christianity is our relationship with Jesus and that relationship is to influence every aspect of life.
Today we’re shifting from Luke to spend a few weeks studying what the Apostle Paul is writing to this young church about who Jesus is. We’ve come to see that Jesus was promised, he was expected, that everything to do with his arrival is miraculous, and our life’s focus should be exclusively on him.
The passage that I’ve read to you is written in the form of a poem or song about Jesus. This song is about Jesus and all that he has accomplished for us as it summarizes the entire story of the Bible.
If we compared this song to one today, you might say that Colossians 1:15-16 and Colossians 1:18-20 are the verses of the song and Colossians 1:17 is the chorus; the part of a song that contains the big idea of the song.
The song ends and Paul applies the lesson of the song to the Colossians which we will investigate in our time together next Sunday. This song is the story of the Bible. It begins with creation and ends with the rescue and renewal of that creation and the hero of the story is Jesus.
This morning I want to look at two things this song tells us about Jesus and why he is better than anything we’ll ever find – and how believing he is better will transform our lives. We have preached and taught that we are saved by faith in Christ and we grow by faith in Christ and so Paul begins this letter by reminding the Colossians about who they actually received when they received Jesus.
Let’s begin with the chorus in Colossians 1:17 because this is the big idea of the song. Colossians 1:17 “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Paul could not make the point that Jesus is God any clearer because he describes Jesus in terms only God can be described by. Paul writes that Jesus is before all things - He existed before the creation of anything. Jesus was not created but existed prior to creation. Look at what the Apostle John writes in the Gospel of John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
There’s one other book of the Bible that starts with “In the beginning.” Can you think of it? It’s Genesis. Genesis 1 is about the beginning of everything that exists. Notice however that John doesn’t say, “In the beginning, the Word began as well.” No, in the beginning, the Word already was because the Word was with God and the Word was God.
Christians believe that the Bible teaches that God is a trinity of persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each equally God. And because Jesus is God, he is not dependent on anything because he existed before there was anything. All things exist and depend on him. That’s why Paul writes in the song’s chorus, “..in him all things hold together.” Jesus both created and maintains everything in the universe, controlling everything and sustaining everything. What we call the laws of nature, the Bible calls the power and wisdom of Christ. Nothing can happen without his permission or run beyond the boundaries he sets. He sustains and orders all that exists. The big idea of this song which the chorus expresses is that Jesus is greater than everything and everyone else because he is God. In other words, Jesus is supreme because he is greater than everything and everyone else because he is God. The two verses of the song celebrate his supremacy in creation and his supremacy in redemption. And Paul’s point is that because Jesus is the hero in the story of the Bible, he should be the hero of our story as well.
The first verse of the song is about Jesus’ relationship to creation. Colossians 1:15-16 “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.” When the Bible says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, it is referring to Jesus, the man. God created Adam and Eve and every human being in his own image. They were to reflect who God is. However, that image we reflect has been spoiled by sin. So the Son of God becomes a man who is the very image of God. That’s why Jesus said, John 14:9 “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” and why the Bible says John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”
How can anyone possibly know what God is really like? The Bible says by looking at Jesus.
It’s really important that we grasp on to this right now, because I think there are lots of so-called Christians who want to believe but really don’t know who Jesus is. We all have a basic starting point in life. It’s where an agnostic starts and where I think most of us start - we’re uncertain that there is a god. In our own way, we wonder, “How can I know if there’s a god? I mean, I can’t see him or hear him.” And this is what we have to come to terms with. We either accept or reject what Jesus claimed. Jesus said that he was God.
Now, Jesus was an actual, historical figure who can be investigated and observed. So a better question to ask would be, “Is there any evidence that Jesus is God?” Jesus is the image of the invisible God. We don’t have to ask God to reveal Himself. He already has. We need only look at Jesus.
God became a human to reveal himself to humans and to redeem us for the destiny for which we were created – which is why Jesus, the man, is the perfect image of the invisible God - and the Bible adds, that Jesus is also ”the firstborn of all creation.”
Now in the chorus, we already learned that Jesus is God, uncreated, without beginning or end, existing before all things; so how can Jesus be born? How can he be the firstborn of all creation since the verse goes on to say that he created everything that has been created? The firstborn of all creation doesn’t mean the first thing created. In the Bible, the firstborn son enjoyed a higher status than his brothers, received the largest share of the family inheritance and became the ruler of the family once his father died; so the term “firstborn” came to mean the ruler or heir and that’s what it means here. In Jesus’ case, the Father gives his Son all of creation to rule, which is why he is the firstborn of all creation. Here’s why Jesus is the firstborn or ruler of creation Colossians 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.” Everything we know, that we can feel and touch and smell and see was created by Jesus and for Jesus. So let me make this point, because I think it needs to be said. Jesus is as real as the seat you’re sitting in. He’s not a superstition. He’s not just a character in a story like Captain America or Superman. All things exist because of Jesus, all things are presently being sustained by Him and all things exist for Him.
I know what some of you are thinking. “This is pretty abstract, pastor. I just came for some practical help with my life.” You came to the right place, but according to the Bible, understanding yourself and how life works begins with understanding Jesus. Everything that is exists because of Jesus and for Jesus. He is the reason for everything, the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. Why does the universe exist? For Jesus. Why does the earth exist? For Jesus. Why do you exist? For Jesus. All creation was designed for him; and that includes us. He is the purpose of our life; we were designed by him and for him and we will never know real life until we find it in him and His purpose for us.
It’s Pastor Tim Keller who says, and I believe he’s right, that there are really only two approaches to God. We either approach God as the means or as the end. God is either the end which I seek or a means to another end which I seek. And how I approach God makes all the difference in whether I find him or not.
There was a guy who was sitting on a beach, heartbroken because a girl he had been dating decided she wanted to date another guy. He was devastated, he couldn’t live without her, he wondered about how could he go on. So he’s sitting there, gazing out to sea, tears forming a little puddle in the sand between his legs, when a couple of guys walk up and ask if they can talk to him about Jesus. The heartbroken guy says sure and so they sat down and began to tell him about Christ and what it means to surrender to Jesus. When they finished, the heartbroken guy only had one question. He asked, “If I give my life to Christ, do you think he’ll give me the girl I want?”
Now let me ask you a question. Was Jesus the end or the means to the end? He was only the means to the end. He didn’t want Jesus, he wanted the girl. What is it that you understand of Jesus Christ? Is he someone who could help you get what you want in life? I want to ask you to be honest because far too many have approached Jesus the wrong way. We come to Christ in the hope he will give us a spouse or a job or financial security or freedom from depression OR that he’ll give us heaven. Friend, did you come to Jesus because you wanted heaven? Are you contemplating Jesus because heaven sounds better than hell? Under any of those scenarios, Jesus isn’t the end, he’s just the means to some other end.
Friend, Jesus Christ is the end and purpose of our life and vastly superior to anything he might give to us. That’s what Abraham discovered. When God first speaks to Abraham in Genesis 12, he promises that if Abraham will leave his country, his relatives and his father’s house and go to the land God will show him, God will make Abraham’s name great and give him a son as well as a homeland. You heard me right… God told Abraham, “Pack your bags, load up, head out, and I’ll tell you where you’re going somewhere along the way.”
Abraham is 75 and his wife Sarah is unable to have children and the desire of Abraham’s heart is a son. So Abraham trusts God, leaves the familiarity of his homeland and follows God in faith. Was God Abraham’s end or means to an end? He was simply a means to an end. He promised Abraham that if Abraham would trust Him, Abraham would be greatly rewarded – and God kept all those promises. But later, God appeared to Abraham and said, Genesis 15:1 “I am your reward.” And that’s the ultimate lesson every person of faith has to learn. God Himself is our reward. He is our end; our purpose for living and the goal of our existence; because we were created by Him and for Him and contentment will elude us until we find that contentment in our relationship with Him.
Is Christ your end or a means to what you really want in life? Here’s how you can tell. How do you react when your prayers aren’t answered? How do you react when you do the right thing and bad things happen as a result? How do you react when you faithfully serve God and don’t get what you want? Do you become bitter or do you remember that you serve Jesus to get Jesus himself and not just what He can give you?
Again, citing Tim Keller, who illustrates it this way: Suppose you saw a pedestrian about to get hit by a car and you lunged and pushed him out of the way; but in the process, you tore your pants. You think, “Oh no, I tore my pants. I really liked these pants.”
Of course the guy whose life you just saved is grateful. “Thank you. You saved my life. I’m just so grateful; I don’t know what to say.” But you reply, “Yeah but I tore my pants.” What does that communicate to him - that my pants are more important than his life. That’s what we say to God when we get mad when he doesn’t give us what we think we deserve. In effect, we say to God, “I served you, I’ve been good, I’ve kept your rules – and yet you don’t give me the financial security I need. You don’t give me the marriage I want. You don’t give me the successful ministry I want. Why do I even serve you?” And Christ replies, “But you get me! Aren’t I enough?”
I think that’s the reason a lot of our prayers go unanswered. Christ wants to teach us that he is our reward, he is our end, he is the purpose of our life, because we are designed for him and we will never experience life and satisfaction until we find it in him. We don’t serve him to get something else. We serve him to get him. Anything I want more than Jesus is an idol and because we were designed for Jesus, making anything else our end or purpose will end up killing us and Jesus isn’t going to give us something that will kill us. If Christ is simply a means to get what I really want, I’ll end up getting neither.
But if Christ is my end and my purpose in life, then I get him and everything else. That’s what Jesus means in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” That’s what David means when he writes in Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Once we’re clear about the means and the end, once we live for Jesus, to know him and to serve him – he can give us everything because those things are no longer competitors.
In this song about Jesus in Colossians 1, the Apostle Paul is laying the groundwork for an argument he’ll make later in the letter. Greek philosophy taught dualism – a separation between the spiritual and the material universe; between God and creation. The Greeks taught that God was good and the spiritual world was good; but the material world was evil. Therefore, if you wanted to be spiritual, you avoided as much as possible anything material. The more you deprived yourself of the pleasures of this world – food, marriage, companionship – the closer to God you got. That’s not Christianity. Jesus is not detached from his creation. It exists because of him and for him and he sustains it all. He designed us to need food, companionship, pleasure, work, exercise and all the other things we need. But those things should lead us to him, not become substitutes for him. That’s the difference between seeing Jesus as the end and merely as the means to some other end.
Yvette and I have been married for almost 18 years but I still worry when we’re apart. When she and I are separated, I have these fearful thoughts for her safety that enter my mind that I have to dismiss by reminding myself that she is not my life. Jesus is my life. He is the One who makes me happy. But I also remembered that Jesus gave me Yvette. She is one of my greatest reminders of God’s love and concern for me. In my heart, she is not Jesus’ competitor but rather an example of his goodness. My love for her leads me back to my love for him, just as his love for me makes me love her. Realizing that Jesus is not the means of my life but the end of my life, that he is a better purpose for living than any other purpose is one practical example of believing the first verse of this song about him and how the better we know him, the better we understand ourselves.
The second verse of this song completes the story of the Bible. This creation – as good as it is – isn’t what God created it to be. God didn’t create a world of death and violence; a world where we eventually lose everything and everyone we care about, the world of injustice and cruelty which we see today. Sin entered the world God created and along with sin came death and the story of the Bible is how God rescues creation and people from evil and death and restores creation to what he originally created. And in that story, the hero is Jesus. Jesus is the hero of creation and the hero of redemption – which is what the second verse of this song is about. Colossians 1:18-20 “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. 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.”
Not only is Jesus the ruler of all the creation, he is the head of the church - he is the King of the new creation. Jesus is the beginning of the new creation because he is the firstborn from the dead. The reason that Jesus is the beginning and the firstborn of the new creation is because he is the first born from the dead – the first man to conquer death. How was Jesus the first? What about the kid Elisha raised from the dead or Jairus’ daughter whom Jesus raised from the dead or Lazarus? There are a number of people who were raised from the dead before Jesus weren’t there? Technically, none of those were raised from the dead – their mortal body was temporarily resuscitated but each eventually died. But Jesus rose from the dead in an immortal body never to die again so that we might rise as well. He is the beginning of a new, immortal humanity and creation free from death.
Jesus is preeminent, he is everything, he is first place in everything. Jesus is first place in the old creation, first place in the new creation, because it pleased God to dwell fully in Jesus the man; meaning Jesus is fully God and fully man – which is why death could not hold Him! “And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” That’s the story of the Bible and the gospel in one song.
God was in Jesus, rescuing and renewing all creation through the work of Christ; saving that creation from evil and from death. It was sin that brought death into the world and Christ’s death for sin made peace between God and us and eventually with the entire creation. Through Adam, sin came into the world and death through sin. Through Christ – sin and death are conquered; first in every human who puts their trust in Jesus and one day, throughout the creation when Jesus returns to reign as the Perfect Man and death and pain and tears will be no more. Jesus is the hero of the whole story of the Bible, the beginning, the middle and the end.
So how does getting to know Jesus change me? Only as I see that not only is he the hero of the Bible, he is the hero of my story as well. Here’s a way of looking at Christ and the story of the Bible. The story of the Bible is in four acts: creation, fall, redemption and restoration - and every person’s story has those same four acts.
Creation: Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here? How should things be?
Fall: Why aren’t things the way they should be? What’s wrong with the world? What’s wrong with me? Who is to blame?
Redemption: What’s the solution to what’s wrong with me and the world? Who or what will rescue me from what is broken in my life?
Restoration: What am I hoping for? What will the world or I look like when my problem is solved?
Before I came to know Christ, my story would have sounded like this. For as long as I can remember, I was driven by a longing to receive my parent’s affirmation and blessing. I think that this went back to the fact that neither of my parents knew the Lord and specifically my father wouldn’t give me his blessing. I wanted him to love me. I got all the grades in school, was president of every club and class imaginable, I checked all the boxes that I could to win blessing to make me feel significant in my father’s eyes.
So, Creation: Who am I? Someone who was designed to pursue a father’s affirmation and blessing to get his love.
Fall: What’s wrong with me and with the world? There was no accomplishment that I could earn that would bring enough honor to my family to receive my father’s blessing. There wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t driven to succeed or win at something. Yet none of what I did brought what I was looking for.
Redemption: Who will rescue me from my problem? Who was my savior? Whatever I could credit to myself as worthy of honor.
Restoration: What will life look like once this problem is solved? Easy street. Cloud nine. But the thing is, none of what I accomplished satisfied the desires of my heart. With every grade or award or designation that my dad scorned, I lost another savior. Going into college as someone who was yet a Christian, I had a wonderful resume of accomplishments but none of them could bring what I was looking for.
I wasn’t designed to be loved by my earthly father, I was designed to be loved by Christ. I do need to be loved and nurtured – but not by any human. I was made for him and my problem was that my sins separated me from him and I didn’t have the relationship I was created for. But when I understood the gospel and what Christ had done for me and surrendered my life to Jesus, acknowledging him as King of all, I finally began to experience the love and the satisfaction I had been looking for. And for the first time, I was able to be loved, not because of what anyone could give me but because of how Christ in me could love others through me.
We become Christians through faith in Christ and we grow by faith in Christ. The difference between committed Christians and everybody else is that the committed Christian is convinced that Jesus is better; in this case, the better purpose for life and the better solution for all that ails us. Whether you are a Christian or not, I would urge you to look at yourself and your story through the four acts of the story of the Bible to ask yourself, who is the source of your hope?
If your answer is anything other than Jesus, let me warn and encourage you with this… Jesus is better and you‘ll find that to be true one way or another.