2.8.09
THE UNIQUENESS, SUPREMACY AND SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST Colossians 1:15-23
INTRO
Have you ever considered how much an adventure is the Christian life? It could be likened in some ways to a good marriage. Whereas once we were on our own, after making covenant vows we begin a life together that becomes an adventure.
But our ‘partnership’ with Christ is in a different league. We are by no means equals with Christ. Nevertheless through Christ we have fellowship with God who leads us in the way.
That journey is not always like an exotic holiday. We often find ourselves on a mission – in training on the job – with the objectives of advancing God’s Kingdom, gaining territory for God and making disciples of Christ. And who knows where that may lead us?
The Apostle Paul refers in his letters to all manner of experiences including that of being imprisoned on account of his faith in Christ.
QUESTION
If you or I were imprisoned on account of our faith what would our letters from prison read like? What Paul writes is both surprising and revealing.
READING Colossians 1:15-23
POINT
Paul writes from his prison cell in Rome to a church in the town of Colossae (modern day Turkey) about the uniqueness, supremacy and sufficiency of Christ.
Far from being taken up with his confinement and circumstances, Paul’s focus is on Christ. It is Paul’s appreciation of who Jesus is that keeps him going,
and he is anxious that the Christians in Colossae appreciate just who Jesus is also.
APPLIC
How do we tackle the difficult situations of life?
When we appreciate just who Jesus is it helps
BACKGROUND
COLLOSAE - A ’small town’. A former centre of the woolen industry, now in industrial decline. (Motherwell)
Cosmopolitan = Jewish and Greek population.
A former trading centre.
The church was probably founded by Epaphrus who became a church planter after listening to the teaching of Paul in Ephesus.
Problem
A people who came under the influence of a variety of religious ideas.
Paul knew of the greatest danger to the welfare of the Christians in Colossae. It was the danger of their understanding of who Jesus is being corrupted by ideas and philosophies that were just not true.
The Christians in Colossae faced the twin dangers of being influenced by Eastern speculation and Jewish legalism.
e.g. They were being led to believe by others that evil lay in created matter and that only ‘spirit’ was good.
The outcome of this was that:
• Some would consider the body something to be treated harshly (like those who wore hair shirts or those who beat themselves.
• Others would consider that their spirit had been made pure by God and therefore they could do what they liked with their body (and be gluttons, drunkards and adulterers) without harming their spirit.
• Worse than this was the way their view of Jesus was affected. Since Jesus had a body he could be thought of as less than God – an inferior Jesus who had more of the status of an angel than the Son of God.
APPLIC
Our beliefs about who Jesus has a direct effect on how we go about living the Christian life.
e.g. If we do not recognize that Jesus’ atoning death for our sin was a sufficient sacrifice to save us, we will forever be trying to save ourselves from sin.
As Dick Lucas said: ’If no objective work was done by Christ’s death the gospel is not "good news"; - it is simply an appeal!"
So Paul was eager to make it clear to the Church at Colossae that Jesus is:
1. UNIQUE
v. 15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”.
The word Paul uses for "image" is a unique word that occurs only six times in the Greek New Testament. The word expresses two different ideas. One is "likeness" and the other is "manifestation."
What Paul is trying to teach the Colossians is that God, who is invisible, is made visible by Jesus.
‘The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Heb 1:3 NIV)
i.e. Everything we see in Jesus we learn about God.
• Looking at the love of Jesus (on the cross) we see the love of God
• Looking at the justice of Jesus (on the cross) we see the justice of God.
• Looking at the power of Jesus we seek the power of God.
• Or, as we read in Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
APPLIC
Just as in the church of Colossae Christians in our day and age are in danger of having our own faith corrupted by non-Christian world-views that are prevalent in our culture.
Our cultural thinking is full of ‘isms’ such as:
Materialism, hedonism, atheism, agnosticism, Darwinism, pluralism and relativism. And through these we can discern Satan’s tempting whisper: ‘You don’t really believe that Jesus is the unique Son of God do you?’ ‘What with all these other religious what makes you think that you have the absolute truth?’
Just as in the garden of Eden, or in the wilderness temptations of Jesus the strategy is the same – to introduce doubt in order to gain power over us with a lie.
Don’t be deceived – The Christ of our Bible is unique.
Jesus is not only unique as the Son of God – He is also:
2. SUPREME
He is: "the firstborn over all creation,"
The word Paul uses which is translated, "firstborn," is the word," (prototokos) which refers to status.
POINT
The firstborn son in the family had special status. The firstborn was given jurisdiction in the family. And so Jesus, the Son of God, exercised his jurisdiction with the status of a firstborn.
He was the agent of creation:
Col. 1:16-18
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.
POINT
Jesus is uncreated. On the contrary, Jesus is the creator of all things.
He is supreme – pre-eminent over all things.
Look at the references to ‘all things’.
in him all things hold together.
If you have access to the internet type in ‘Laminin’ along with Louis Giglio and you will find an amazing truth about Laminin – the element involved in holding matter together – it is in the shape of a cross!
APPLIC
If all things were created not only by him but also for him –
In order that in all things he might have the supremacy, then Jesus deserves our worship.
And just as Thomas knelt before Jesus when he was the risen Lord and said to him, ‘My Lord and my God’ so we worship him through the power of the Holy Spirit as creator and sustainer of all things.
Finally – we should not leave this passage without making reference not only to the UNIQUENESS of Christ and the SUPREMACY OF CHRIST, but also to the
3. SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST
Col. 1:19-20
For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, [20] 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.
POINT
Jesus eventually gave up his life for us, shedding his blood on the cross.
And while the love of Jesus was directed towards us, the sacrifice of Jesus was directed towards God the Father.
1 John 2:2 tells us ’He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world’.
POINT
Theologians use a particular word to describe Jesus death for us on the cross:
’Propitiation’ = An atoning sacrifice that satisfies the just wrath of God against human sin.
POINT
And so Jesus Christ, through his sacrifice for sin, has made it possible for us to be reconciled to God.
ILLUSTR
Have you ever been in a relationship that has broken down and you longed in your spirit that the obstacle to the other person being reconciled to you might be removed?
If the other person was a fault we might consider it right that they make the first move. But sometimes they are powerless to do so, and it may mean that in order for reconciliation to take place we have to make a first sacrificial move.
But even if we do, the other party must respond before reconciliation finally takes place.
APPLIC
Reconciliation to God waits on human acceptance NOT human achievement!
Christ by his sacrifice has made it possible for us to be reconciled to God. He is UNIQUE, SUPREME and his sacrifice for our sins is SUFFICIENT for us to be reconciled to God.
CLOSING
In the film ‘Saving Private Ryan’ soldiers are sent out to find him and bring him home because his brothers have been killed in the war. It was an act of mercy for his mother’s sake. Several of the soldiers who seek for him are killed – and one whispers his dying words to Private Ryan ‘Earn this’ . The final scene of the film is of an old Private Ryan in the cemetery of the war dead asking himself the question, ‘Did I earn it? Was I worthy?’
But Jesus did not say from his cross as he died for us, ‘Earn this’. He cried out ‘Accomplished’. He did not require us to earn our salvation. His sacrifice was sufficient to save us completely. We need add nothing to it for there is nothing to add. However, surely our response to his cross is that we not only accept his free and full salvation, but also seek to honour God in the way we live our lives – not to ‘earn this’ but because he is worthy to be praised.
Jesus is unique, supreme and his sacrifice for your sins and mine is sufficient. He waits for us to accept him as Saviour and Lord.
[Closing gospel appeal]
