Jesus Christ is Supreme
Colossians 1:15-23
Last week we began our study of the Book of Colossians and we received the blessing that Paul gave to the Colossians when he said his standard greeting of “Grace and peace to you from God our Father.” It was not Paul’s grace and peace that he offered but God’s grace which we can never earn or deserve and a peace that flows out of God’s grace that surpasses everything we could ever imagine. We also saw in the first 14 verses that Paul thanked God for what He was doing in the lives of the Christians at Colosse. We also discussed the context of the culture and events that were taking place at the time Paul wrote this letter. If you remember, one of the reasons Paul wrote this letter was to refute the idea of the Essenes and what was later going to become Gnosticism which promoted the idea that everything that was spiritual was good, everything that was physical matter was evil, and that you could only get to heaven by “special knowledge” not through Jesus Christ. Today’s text will refute Gnosticism and every other false teaching in much the same way that the Secret Service refutes counterfeit money. I went to the Secret Service website and looked at the information they have to battle counterfeit money. The majority of the information on the site relates to actual, genuine currency. They don’t study all the different kinds and makes of counterfeit money so that they can identify the counterfeit. Instead, they study the real thing so that when they come across something that is not the real thing then they know that what they are looking at is a counterfeit. They give us pointers on how to identify the counterfeit. First, they recommend that you are familiar with and know the US currency. You and I need to know Jesus Christ personally and be intimately familiar with His Word. We do that by reading the Bible on a regular basis, studying His Word, prayer and praising and worshipping our risen Savior.
They always recommend comparing the suspected counterfeit to the genuine item. Here is another interesting point; they say to examine the portrait because the original appears lifelike and the counterfeit appears lifeless.
Paul writes in this passage regarding the Supremacy of Christ. He spells out very clearly for the Colossian believers then and for us today who Jesus Christ IS. I say IS because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, He lives today. He is risen and is active in our lives today through the Holy spirit who is Christ in us, He sits at the right hand of the Father and is coming again. Paul does not refute Gnosticism or any other false belief directly other than by refuting all of them by reminding us that Jesus Christ is supreme, that He is Lord of the heavens and earth and all that is in them.
Turn in your Bibles to Colossians 1:15-23 and follow along as I read the text:
15 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.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness 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.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
NIV
The Word of God tells us very clearly in this passage who Jesus Christ is, who we are in relation to God and what Jesus Christ did. These are the three areas we are going to investigate today.
Let’s look first at who Scripture says that Jesus Christ is. First of all, the text says that Jesus Christ is THE image of the invisible God. Adam, the first human, was created in the image of God and so are we. This means that we reflect some of the attributes of God. We are created in God’s likeness which means we reflect God in part. But Scripture says that Jesus IS the image of God which means that He is the complete manifestation of God, not in part but in His entirety. Jesus is referred to in John 1:1 as being with God in the beginning as the Word when John writes “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Later John tells us that Jesus took on flesh and dwelt among us. This is the incarnation, God in the flesh. Then after his crucifixion He rose again, ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus IS and always will be the complete image of God.
Secondly, Jesus is the first born of creation. This has a dual significance. First of all it means that Jesus existed from the very beginning of eternity before anything else was formed. He tells us in Prov 8:23 “I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.” But it also leads us into the supremacy that Jesus has over all of creation for it is the first born who typically is given authority over all things in a family. The first born has an inherent authority. So it is with Jesus. He is Lord over all creation because of who He is. The word supreme says it all. The definition of supreme is “above all others: greater than or superior to any other, especially above all others in power, authority, rank, status, or skill, holding supreme authority.” He has supremacy over all things because all things were created by Him, through Him and for Him. Nothing existed before Jesus. No kingdom, law, culture, government, country, nationality. Jesus has total authority over all creation regardless if we choose to let Him or not.
Then Paul emphasizes that Jesus is the head of the body which is the Church. The Church is the body of Christ and Jesus Christ is the One who has complete authority over the Church. It is only as the church stays under the authority of the Head that the church and its members will mature. Consider a newborn child for example. A newborn child can turn his head and look at a toy that he wants but he cannot control his arms or legs to reach out and get it. As the newborn matures and develops then the body will respond to the movements and commands of the head. So it is with the Church. As we stay connected to the body or the vine as is used in John 15 then we will mature under the leadership and lordship of Christ. But a body that continues to strive to do its own will apart from the head will never develop and will never accomplish its purpose. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church and all creation. He is the very Word of God. He is the only source of Truth and salvation. Apart from Christ the Church has absolutely no purpose or hope. If Jesus is the head of the church then the church, which is His body must have the same purpose as Jesus which is to “seek and save the lost”, to give people abundant life, and to glorify the Father.
In these first few verses Paul has laid out very clearly a defense of the deity of Christ. Paul did not refute Gnosticism by focusing upon Gnosticism and what that idea taught. He focused on Jesus and who He is. By doing so Paul also refuted every religion or faction that exists today that does not attribute deity to Christ. Paul refuted Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness, Christian Science, Islam, Buddhism, etc. none of which existed in Paul’s time. Jesus said that there would be false prophets but we need to stay focused upon the Truth.
Paul then shifts gears and turns the spot light on us and he makes a pretty powerful statement. He says that you and I were alienated from God. We were alienated because of our sin which originated in our thoughts. He says that our thoughts were evil in God’s sight. Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.” We were at war with God trying to get and have our own way. We were trying to live life and many times still are trying to live life the Burger King way, you know, “Have it your way” so that we can look back on our lives later and say that we lived life the Bing Crosby way, you know, “I did it my way.” Well God said no way to the Burger King way and the Bing Crosby way and gave us instead the Narrow way. Jesus Christ’s purpose was to “make peace through His blood, shed on a cross” and no matter what anyone else may say Jesus is the only way to receive forgiveness of sin and enter into a personal relationship with God.
Throughout the Old Testament the shedding of blood from a sacrificial lamb which was a first born without defect was used as a sin offering. The sacrificial lamb would be sacrificed on the altar by the High Priest. The people were not allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. This is where the very presence of God resided. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies or enter into the presence of God and then only once a year. The people were separated from God by a huge curtain. We were not allowed to enter into His presence, ever. God alienated us from Himself because of our sin.
But Jesus reconciled us to God. He made peace for us. He became our Mediator. When He was crucified He made atonement for our sin. At that moment God tore the curtain separating us from the Holy of Holies, separating us from Him, from top to bottom. And now as we walk past the altar we walk under the blood of Christ which perpetually flows for us and His blood covers us cleansing us from our sin and when we enter into the presence of God He sees the blood of His one and only begotten Son covering us. This is the picture that occurs when we initially receive Jesus Christ into our lives as our personal Lord and Savior.
At that moment in time we gave our Father in Heaven complete authority over every area of our life as we stand in awe of what He did for us. We then gradually resume control of specific areas of our lives very subtly and many times without even knowing and we become Lord of that area. God wants us to continue to grow and mature as part of the body of Christ which is the church.
When Margaret and I were preparing to go to seminary we gave the Lord complete control over our family. We were newly married, didn’t have children, didn’t have jobs yet since we were in the process of moving and we did not have a home. We were completely dependent upon Him. Then we started making our own plans. We decided that we would wait to have children until after seminary. That made good logical sense to us. During my quiet time after our first year of seminary I sensed the Holy Spirit prodding me and showing me that I was taking control of that area of our lives and not necessarily letting God have control. This went on for a couple of weeks and I decided to talk to Margaret about it. She said that she had been sensing the same thing so we decided that she would get a check up from a doctor (we thought there would be complications with us being able to get pregnant). The doctor said everything seemed to be fine and in 2 months we were pregnant with Stephen.
God has a perfect plan for every aspect of our lives. But it is very easy for us to miss His best by trying to do things our way rather than His way.
My wife has a friend that she has been pursuing an MBA with. Sometime last year this friend had a miscarriage. They were not in the last class together but Margaret helped her with some questions she had about the class since Margaret had already taken the class. The friend emailed Margaret back thanking her profusely for her help. She also shared with Margaret that she is 4 months pregnant and very nervous and anxious and worries a lot. Margaret took that opportunity to share with her friend where her peace comes from. The message Margaret shared with her friend is a message we all need to hear:
Glad I could help! No need to feel the need to "repay" for the "gifts" I have given you- glad to help. I regret that I never shared with you in person the best gift I ever received- a personal relationship with Jesus. He is the one who has given me peace in the midst of stressful, anxious times like you’re going through now.
"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people."
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
He has also given me strength through deployments and other tough times. I’m never worried about the future because He has promised me that He has a perfect plan for me.
"’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’"
His promises are ALWAYS true, so I know I can trust Him when He says he’ll give me peace and when He says He has a wonderful future planned for me.
Whether His answer to my present situations/questions are "yes," "no," or "maybe," I still have peace about the unknown future He holds for me. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."
Knowing Jesus as I do isn’t about religion; it’s about a relationship. It isn’t just having knowledge about whom He is or what He did; it’s realizing that He did it FOR ME and WHY He did it. He loves me more than any person ever can, more than even Ned. Even if I was the only person on the planet, He still would have died on the cross for me so that I can have a relationship with Him which has brought me a life filled with peace and joy while living here on Earth and will bring eternal life in heaven after. Deep, true, and lasting peace and joy can only come from Him.
If you want to know more about the most important gift I’ve ever received and how it can give you the deep peace and joy it has given me, let me know.
That is the point. The question isn’t if you are Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Episcopalian, Pentacostal or any other flavor of Christianity. In Paul’s day these faith groups did not exist. The question was very simple, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ or not?” The question is one of relationship not religion. Scripture says that one day “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Jesus also says “not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven.” He says he will send them away saying “I did not know you.”
The day every person dies they will find themselves in front of the One who created all the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He spoke the entire universe into existence and you and I will be in His presence face to face. We will be standing in front of the Almighty, All Knowing, All Powerful God of all creation who is so perfectly pure, and holy and just and so filled with love that He chose to take on human flesh, walk among us, be beaten for you and for me, hung on a cross and was crucified to pay the penalty for our sin was buried and rose again ascending into heaven where he purchased a place for you and me and offers us forgiveness of sin and eternal life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a free gift that you and I can never earn or deserve but He gives us the choice to either accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior or reject Him.
Everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord once they come into His indescribable presence. Those that knew Him personally before that moment will be with Him in heaven. Those who did not Jesus will say “I never knew you.”
Has there ever been a time in your life when you humbled yourself before God, confessed to Him that you are a sinner, repented of your sin and asked Jesus Christ to be Lord of your life? If you have never done that then I invite you to stay with me at the end of the service and together we can take care of that.
If you have already received Him as Lord and Savior is He supreme in every area of your life? We all have areas that we are in control of. Maybe it’s finances, pornography, lust, infidelity, job issues, anger, time management, parenting, etc. Whatever it is, allow God to have control and you will find peace in that area of your life.
