CHRIST IN RECONCILIATION
Colossians 1:15-23 (NIV)
When Paul was writing Colossians, a heresy was beginning to infiltrate the church. Teachings about Jesus that were not true. Some denied that Jesus was God in the flesh. Paul wrote the book of Colossians as a means to refute the false teachings concerning the Christ.
Today there are those who teach false things about Christ. There are too many heresies floating around the religious world today. What Paul has to say about Jesus is significant. As Christians, we must know who Jesus is.
This is one of the most complete descriptions of who Christ is in the New Testament. Today, we learn who He is: Most Holy God, Savior, Creator.
Vv 15 - 18 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. {16} For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. {17} 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 and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."
Paul tells us that Jesus is the Image of the invisible God.
The word "image" means a "portrait". This word comes close in meaning to our word "photograph". In Jesus we see the personal characteristics and the distinguishing marks of God. If you want to see God, look at Jesus
Jesus is God's image -- His exact likeness.
Paul tells us that Jesus is the Creator of all things
vs.16 "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."
All things were created by Him. There is nothing in this world that has been created that was not created by Jesus Christ. Jesus created the things in the heavens and on earth. He created the things that are both visible and invisible. He created thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities. Jesus is the agent in creation.
John 1:3 "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
1 Corinthians 8:6 "there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live."
Heb 1:2 Speaking of Jesus "through whom he (God) made the universe."
All things were created for Him.
Jesus is not only the agent of creation, He is the goal of creation. That is to say that creation was created to be His. It is His possession. As created beings, we must worship and love Jesus. Jesus finds honor and joy in our worship!
Jesus is the sustainer of all things.
Vs.17 "in Him all things hold together" Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is "sustaining all things by His powerful Word" Jesus is the "glue" that holds everything together. This means: Jesus is the agent of creation in the beginning. Jesus holds it all together.
All natural laws bring order to our world NOT chaos! They are the expression of the mind of Jesus. The law of gravity, and all other scientific laws are not only laws of science, but they are divine laws coming from the Son of God. Christ is creator, sustainer, and the final goal of the world.
Paul described Jesus as the Firstborn
He is the firstborn over all creation (v.15). "Firstborn" is a title of honor.
Psalm 89:27 God said "I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth."
That the highest honor that creation has belongs to Him. Jesus is the firstborn from among the dead. This is a reference to Jesus' resurrection from the dead. There are other resurrections mentioned in the Bible. Jesus is the first to have never returned to the grave after He had risen.
1 Corinthians 15:55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" Jesus' words as He triumphed over the grave. The One who has power over death is the One who has all authority. Christ is not merely someone who lived & died and of whom we read & learn. He is someone who is alive forevermore
We can meet Him and experience him. Jesus has conquered every opposing power. There is nothing in life or death which can bind Him. Paul had something else to tell the Colossians and us about the nature of Jesus.
Jesus "is the head of the body, the church" (vs.18)
This language gives us a visual image of our relationship to Christ. Christ is the head of the body. We are the body, his the church. The body is the servant of the head and is powerless with out it. The church is to live and move as Christ directs. Without Him the church cannot think, act, make decisions correctly.
In Paul's day some were de-emphazing Christ's place in the church. Many in our day are doing the same. We must realize that we are not the head of the church. The minister is not the head. The elders are not the head. The members are not the head. Christ is the head of the church. If the church does not acknowledge Him as head it cannot function.
Exalt the Christ of creation! Acknowledge His creative works. Acknowledge His power by worshiping Him. Obey Him! Jesus is nothing less than God in the flesh!
He is Creator, He is Sustainer, He is the Resurrection, He is the Head of the Church. Have you ever seen a child who was learning to walk reach up & take the hand of a parent? They want more stability. That is what Christ has done. He has done it for Jew and Gentile. He has done it for slave and master. He has done it for male and female. He has done it for me and for you.
Man & God have become separated. In the beginning of creation we had fellowship with God. In the book of Genesis we see that God walked among man in the garden, He had fellowship with man. We became alienated from God because of evil behavior. (Sin) Once sin entered the picture, intimate fellowship with God ceased. The good news of the Gospel is that God indeed wants to have fellowship with us!
He wants to walk with us in the garden again. He wants to lift us up when we fall. He wants to hold us when we need to be held. He wants to rejoice with us when we rejoice! He has made that possible by through the cross. The cross is the cure. The cross brings reconciliation with God. Now all of us can walk together. Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, bond or free
Ephesians 2:14 "For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." This great Lord & Savior is: the Creator of the Universe, the Sustainer of all that is, God in the flesh. He came to earth and died on the cross so that you & I could be reconciled to Him.
In the death of Christ, God is saying to us, "I love you enough to see My Son suffer & die for you." The Cross is the proof of Gods love. A love like that demands a response. If the Cross will not waken love, nothing will.
The real question is: What will you do with the Cross? The creator of the universe wants to be in fellowship with us so badly that He came and died a tortuous death. He rose from the dead demonstrating that He has the power to raise us also. The question: What will you do with Jesus?
I cannot answer for you, your mom & dad cannot answer for you, It
is a personal decision. What will you do with Jesus? Why continue to walk
alone? Today is the day that we can be reconciled to Him through the cross
of Calvary.