THE ABSOLUTE SUPREMACY OF JESUS CHRIST Colossians 1:15-23
Proposition: One fully acknowledges the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ after one has trusted Christ and made a full commitment to giving Christ preemin-ence in every area of one’s spiritual life. .
Objective: My purpose is to challenge God’s people to give their absolute supremacy to our Lord Jesus Christ.
INTRODUCTION:
Illus: In a recent year a Washington Post tells about a church in the state of Maryland. Using market research and focus groups, this denomination has designed weekly services that deliberately de-emphasizes Jesus Christ. One of the founders of the church has said, “The sad fact is the name of Jesus Christ has become for many people exclusionary.” Using Hindu and Zen, intermingled with a few verses from the Bible and recorded music by Willie Nelson, the leader of this group is quoted as saying, “We’re enabling people to discover God themselves, maybe through Jesus, maybe through Buddha, maybe through any number of ways.”
Colossians is about Jesus Christ & is the most Christ-centered Book in the Bible. Its message is built around the theme of the supremacy of Christ. “Supremacy” means “a position of authority or authority over all others.” “Absolute” means “unbounded” & “out-and–out.” He is the exalted Christ, the sovereign Christ, the supreme Christ, & the One who is the Lord of all & over all. Christianity is a about a Person & that Person is Jesus Christ. It is important to note that much of the false teaching taking place in Colossae had to do with the minimizing of Jesus. Many people thought He was important but not essential. They had given Him a place in their lives, w/o recognizing that He demands 1st place. Jesus was prominent to them, but not preeminent. Here Paul refutes false teachings which were going around at the time. The 1st teaching going around taught that God did not create the world, because in their view matter was evil & God cannot create evil. Another, believing that matter was evil, argued that God would not have come to earth as a human in bodily form. Also, there was the teaching did not believe that Christ was the unique Son of God, but rather one of many intermediaries between God & people. These views eliminated the Incarnation & nullified Christ’s atoning work. These denied that He was the God-man, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins.
Illus: David Jeremiah, “The Bible was written in 66 installments over a period of 1600 years in 3 languages on 3 continents. It has more than 40 authors from all walks of life, writing under diverse conditions, & writing on 100s of controversial topics. Yet it all fits together, seamlessly & w/o error or contradiction. When we hold the Bible in our hands, we aren’t holding an anthology or a bundle of scattered & miscellaneous thots. We’re holding 1 comprehensive, cohesive volume with a logical beginning & ending, telling us 1 story centered around 1 person—Jesus Christ.”
I. A PORTAIT OF REPRESENTATION: He is the Manifestation of God (v. 15) “He is the image of the invisible God”-- The Gnostic teachers claimed that God made the worlds through a series of “emanations.” Paul asserts that Christ is not an emanation from God, but God Himself! “Image” means “the exact reproduction.” Note that Christ is the very manifestation of God.
1. His image as God (v. 15a) “He is the image of the invisible God”— Image means “an exact representation and manifestation.” The writer to the Hebrews affirms that Jesus Christ is “the express image of His Person” (Heb. 1:3). Jesus was able to say, “He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). In His essence, God is invisible; but Jesus Christ has revealed Him to us (John 1:18). Paul says, "Jesus is the portrait of God. In Him you see the personal characteristics & the distinguishing marks of God. If you want to see what God is like, look at Jesus.”
Illus: A little boy looked up & asked, "Is God up there?" When his mother assured him that He was, he replied, "Wouldn’t it be nice if He would put His head out & let us see Him?" What the boy didn’t understand was that God has let us see Him. We don’t have to guess what God is like. We have seen Him when we see Jesus.
2. His identity as God “the first-born over all creation”-- What does this mean? Some false teachers suggest that the Lord Jesus is Himself a created being, that He was the first Person whom God ever made. Some of them are even willing to go so far as to admit that He is the greatest creature ever to come from the hand of God. All this was contrary to the teaching of the Word of God. He is prior to, distinct from & highly exalted above. So, "First-born" denotes that Christ was before all creation in time & He is over all creation in authority.
Illus: In Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper, our Lord’s hands are empty. He dedicated 3 years to it, determined that it would be his crowning work. Before the unveiling, he decided to show it to a friend. The praise was un-bounded. “The cup in Jesus’ hand,” he said, “is especially beautiful.” Disappointed at once he began to paint out the cup. Astonished, the friend asked for an explanation. “Nothing,” he explained, “must distract from the figure of Christ.” Da Vinci focused
attention solely on Christ with out-stretched hands as if to bless & command.
II. A PORTRAIT OF REVELATION: He is the Creator of Life (vvs. 16-17)”All things were created through Him and for Him.”— George Buttrick called Christ the one who split history into before and after.
1. His procedure as the Originator (v. 16a) “for by Him all things were created”—The Gnostics would teach that the Lord Jesus was a created being. Paul states that the Lord Jesus is not a creature, but the very Creator. 1). Christ caused “For by Him all things were created”-- Here the thought is that the power to create was in His Being. He was the Architect and Agent of creation. Christ was the cause of all creation. The phrase “for Him" affirms that Jesus is the final & complete explanation of everything. All that has happened & ever will happen is moving through time toward that climactic hour when every tongue will confess the lordship of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 2:5-11)
2). Christ centered “All things were created through Him”-- Paul goes to great lengths to emphasize that all things were created through Christ, whether things in heaven, or things on earth. This leaves no loopholes for anyone to suggest that although He created some things, He Himself was created originally. All the creation centers in Him since it was by Him.
3). Christ controlled “All things were created…for Him”-- The Gnostics taught that there were various ranks & classes of spirit beings between God & matter, & that Christ belonged to 1 of these classes. Here Paul vigorously refutes this by stating in the clearest possible terms that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator of angels—in fact, Christ is in control of all that is created.
2. His process as Sustainer (v. 17) “In Him all things consist”-- Jesus is not only "before all things" but "in Him all things hold together."
1). The priority (v. 17a) “He is before all things”-- Paul says, “He is before all things,” not “He was before all things.” The present tense is often used in the Bible to describe the timelessness of Deity. The Lord Jesus said, for instance: “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). This means that He is the Sustainer of the universe & the Source of its perpetual motion. He controls the stars and the sun and the moon. Even while He was here on earth He was the One who was controlling the laws by which our universe functions in an orderly manner.
2). The preservation (v. 17b) “In Him all things consist”-- Christ is the Sustainer of creation ("hold together"). Christ is the Person who preserves & maintains the existence of what He has created. He is the principle of cohesion in the universe. He impresses upon creation that unity & solidarity which makes it a cosmos instead of a chaos. Jesus did not create the world & then walk a-way. Were He to take His hands off us for a minute we would fall apart. He is the One who keeps things going. He makes the sun to shine, the rain to fall, the earth to rotate, the seasons to come & go. He is the One who continues to grant life to US.
Illus: Why are we here? Listen to words of Stephen Jay Gould, "We [exist] because one odd group of fishes had a peculiar fin anatomy that could transform into legs for terrestrial creatures; because the earth never froze entirely during an ice age; because a small and tenuous species, arising in Africa a quarter of a million years ago, has managed, so far, to survive by hook and by crook. We may yearn for a ’higher’ answer--but none exists." Listen to what the Bible states, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)
Illus: When your world seems to be falling apart, look to Jesus who holds everything together.
III. A PORTRAIT OF RELATIONSHIP: He is the Head of the Church (vvs.18-19) “He is Head of the body” Paul speaks of the image of a physical body since the head is the controlling part. A body is not much good w/o a head. It is an essential part of the body. Paul is saying, "He is the boss, He is the ruler, He is the head, He is the controlling factor of the body."
1. His leadership “He is the Head of the church”-- One of the things we need to ALWAYS keep in the forefront of our minds is the fact that Jesus and Jesus alone is the Head of the church. Just as a human body is a vehicle by which the person expresses himself, so the Body of Christ is that vehicle which He has on earth by which He chooses to express Himself to the world. The head speaks of guidance, dictation, control. Many times we speak of my church, but we need to remember that He is the Head & will direct His people in doing His will.
2. His life “The firstborn from the dead ”- He rose as the Head of a new creation and is the pledge that we will also rise. It proclaims Him as supreme in the spiritual creation. The expression simply means that He is God’s Son by an eternal relationship. It is a title of priority of position, & not simply one of time.
3. His loyalty ”That in all things He may have the preeminence”—
This means that we put Christ first in our lives and make Him the Boss of our lives. As we read that in all things He may have the preeminence, it is only proper that we should ask ourselves, “Does He have the preeminence in my life?”
4. His likeness (v. 19) “In Him all the fullness should dwell”—
The phrase “all His fullness” is a term in the vocabulary of the Gnostic false teachers. It meant the “sum total of all the divine power & attributes.” Paul uses this term (8) to show the believers that Jesus is the fullness of God, & no one else. The fullness of God dwells “in Him.” It was not around, upon, or under Him; rather it was in Him. The word “dwell” means to “take up residence” & points to the incarnation. Note 2:9: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”
Gnostic heretics taught that Christ was a kind of “halfway house” to God, a necessary link in the chain. But there were other, better links on ahead. “Go on from Him,” they urged, “and you will reach the fullness.” “No,” Paul answers, “Christ is Himself the complete fullness!”
IV. A PORTRAIT OF RECONCILIATION: He is the Peacemaker (vvs. 20-23) “Having made peace”-- To reconcile means: “The restoration of friendship and fellowship after estrangement. It also means to change thoroughly from one position to another.” The Bible never speaks of God as needing to be reconciled to man, but always of man being reconciled to God.
1. The plan of reconciliation (v. 20a)“To reconcile the world to Himself”-- Even tho we chose to sin & disobey God, He saw our condition & was not content to simply do nothing. He was not content to leave us in the sad situation in which we found ourselves, even though we deserved it. His plan was to act in & thru the Lord Jesus Christ to restore friendship & fellowship between man & God.
2. The price of reconciliation (v. 20b) “Having made peace through the blood”-- Jesus paid the price of reconciliation. We read in John 3:16 that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die for us. God sent Jesus to pay the price for our reconciliation. This is the means of reconciliation. He would pay the price thru the Cross-- thru His blood shed on the Cross. This speaks of His death. The significance of His blood being shed was that His life was poured out. He died for you and me!
Illus: Several years ago a group of Christian missionaries met in Delhi, India, with reps of other religions. In the course of their talks, a member of a major non-Christian religion said to a missionary, “Tell me one thing your religion can offer the Indians that mine can’t.” The missionary thought for a moment & replied, “Forgiveness! Forgiveness!” Unlike the followers of all other world religions, those who put their hope in Christ have full assurance that their sins are forgiven.
3. The power of reconciliation (v. 21) “Who once were, alienated & enemies of Your mind by wicked works”-- Paul reminds the Cols. that reconciliation in their case was already an accomplished fact. Before their conversion, the Colossians had been Gentile sinners, alienated from God & enemies of His in their minds because of their wicked works (Eph, 4:17-18). They desperately needed to be reconciled, & the Lord Jesus Christ, in His matchless grace, had taken the initiative.
Illus: A certain man used to stop by a clock shop & stare at one clock in the window. One morning the owner of the store came out & remarked that he had seen the man stop there every day to look at that "beautiful" clock. The stranger replied, "I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I stop here every day because my watch is not very accurate. Every morning I synchronize my watch with this clock. You see, I am the time keeper at the factory & I am the one charged to blow the whistle at 4:00 to denote quitting time." The shopkeeper began laughing, saying, "I must admit that this clock is not very accurate either. Every day I set it by the 4:00 whistle at the factory."
4. The purpose of reconciliation (v. 22) “To present you holy”-- The wonderful result of this reconciliation is expressed in the words to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight. What marvelous grace, that ungodly sinners can be delivered from their past evil life and conveyed into such a realm of blessing! Well might C. R. Erdman say: “In Christ is found a God who is near, who cares, who hears, who pities and who saves.” Your holiness is the purpose of reconciliation. God desires to present us to Himself as a holy people. We are to be holy in His sight. We are to be without blemish. We are to be free from accusation.
5. The proof of reconciliation (v. 23) “grounded & steadfast “--Continuance is a proof of reality. Yet there is always the danger of backsliding, but a Christian falls only to rise again (Pro_24:16). He does not forsake the faith. This is the evidence of reconcialiation. Your faithfulness is the proof of reconciliation.
Illus: A man, not too-educated, got his words mixed up in speaking to his mini-ster. He said they were having "martial problems" when he meant "marital prob-lems." He did find out they were at war after all. Then he said, "Pastor, me & my wife need re-cancellation. He meant reconciliation. We need a re-cancellation of our sins--sins were cancelled at the cross.
CONCLUSION: In closing, remember:
1. Christ is present in many lives through redemption.
2. Christ is prominent in several lives through consecration.
3. Christ is preeminent in a few lives through a full
commitment. Do you make Jesus supreme in your life?
Illus: David Dykes tells this: Years ago at Morehouse Univ. a freshman named Alvin attended his 1st philosophy class. The prof. began to explain the course of study & to preview some of the great individuals from history. He said, “But you must know that what you’ve heard about Jesus in SS or at your church is wrong. Jesus was a great teacher, & a wise man. He did many good things, but he was Not the Son of God.” Then paused. A hand shot up from the back of the classroom & when the prof. called on him, Alvin said, “Yes, He is!” The prof. said, “Young man I know what you’ve been taught about Jesus, but I will prove to you that He is merely a good man. Class dismissed.” As they walked out, a friend said, “What are you doing? This man is the prof. & you’re just a student. Don’t ruin this class for us, just shut up & do your work.” Alvin said, “This man is smart, & he knows a lot about philosophy, but I can’t just sit back while he tries to convince everyone that Jesus is less than He really was. I’m going to speak up.” The next time the class met, the prof. started his tirade about Jesus again. He claimed the Bible was written by misled individuals & there had been other people who claimed to be born a virgin & to perform miracles. Then he said, “Jesus was NOT the Son of God.” Alvin’s hand shot up immediately. The prof. tried to ignore him, but Alvin persisted. Finally the prof. called on him and said, “Yes, Mr. Jackson, do you have another sermon for us today?” Alvin said, “Yes, He is!” Throughout that entire semester Alvin continued to speak up whenever Jesus was mocked. For every time the prof. said Jesus was not the Son of God, Alvin said, “Yes, He is!” Years later, Alvin Jackson, the Pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis was speaking at the General Assembly of the Christian Church. At the conclusion of his message, many people gathered around him to tell him what a powerful message he had preached. After the crowd dispersed, there was one man who stood before Alvin–his old philosophy professor. With tears in his eyes, the old man walked up to Alvin, hugged him and said, “Yes, He is!” I’m here to tell you YES HE IS! He is the image of the invisible God! He is the ruler of the Universe! He IS the Creator. He IS before all things! And He IS the force that sustains life! He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is the Lily of the valley and the Bright and Morning Star. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is God! “Yes, He is!”`
