This is the start of a new 3 part series that is designed to teach the 3 dimensions that we all must experience in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
When you think of dimension, what comes to mind? Maybe those funky glasses that you used to put on at the movie theater so you could see the movie in 3D. Or the careful measurements of some special project you’ve worked on.
If you were asked the average person on the street, “What does your whole life revolve around” This is what they would say…
- Hugh Hefner would say, “Women”
- Donald Trump would say, “Money”
- O.J. Simpson would say, “Me!”
- Anna Nicole before she died would say, “Pleasure”
- Terry Bradshaw would say, “Sports”
- Budweiser would, “Go for the gusto!”
How shallow!
What is your entire life built around? I will tell you what my entire life is built around… Jesus Christ! And the way I see everything is first connected to him! As a Christian, our entire life in glued to the belief that there is no one or no one thing that compares to the person of Jesus Christ!
John 10:10 “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy; I come that they (sheep) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
This one verse gives most of us plenty of struggle, lots of mystery and (if we are honest) this verse even exposes our doubts.
“Abundantly” = more sufficient, beyond measure, extraordinary. This verse is the only one of 22 verses when it’s used that it does not primarily mean overflowing.
Daniel 5:12 “Inasmuch as an excellent sprit, knowledge, understanding…were found in him.”
Before we can understand the sufficient, abundant life – we need to sufficiently, abundantly believe in an extraordinary God!
I used the word “portrait” for a good reason…because based on your personal portrait of God that determines your personal possession of Jesus Christ. Do you even have Him included in your painting – the cults do not – let no one fool you!
Do you believe in the deepest part of your heart, that Jesus Christ is one of a kind, an extraordinary Savior? Now, if you “Amen” that statement, then your life should reflect that “amen”! Our lives should reflect the 3 dimensions of abundance through our relationship with Jesus on a daily basis!
The first dimension to abundance is found in the portrait of the Savior!
In all of human history there never has been anyone like Jesus Christ! More than 2000 years ago there was man born contrary to the laws of life. This man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. Only once did He cross the boundaries in which He lived. As an infant he startled a king, and in childhood He puzzled doctors. In manhood He ruled the course of nature. He never wrote a book and yet all the libraries in the world cannot contain the books written about Him. He never wrote a song but more songs have been sung about Him then anyone else. He never founded a collage, but all the schools put together could not boast of having as many students. Though time has spread many years between the people of this generation and the scene of His death – yet He still lives. Herod could not destroy Him and the grave could not hold Him. He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed by God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by demons as the living Christ, our Lord, our Savior and our God!
There is nobody like Jesus Christ! And if he is all that – surely He can give us abundant life! Hebrews 1
1. Jesus Is Unique Because He Created The Universe. Vs. 1, 2
Now just don’t blow by that bold statement – that ought to raise our interest! That is one of the most important fragments to one of the most important sentences ever written!
You say, “Why is that so important?” Because the Christ of the New Testament is the God of the Old Testament! That means the baby in the manger 2000 years ago is none other than the God who created everything you see today and will see in eternity!
Colossians 1:16 “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.”
The stamp of Christ is on everything! Without His stamp nothing exists! That’s truly amazing! Now, I know that this is foreign to many here! I know that this is contrary to evolution – but let me remind you that it takes more faith to believe in the evolution of nothing than it does to believe that God created out of nothing!
But maybe you’re thinking… Geneses 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” Is that God or is that Jesus? Yes!
“God” is “Eloheim” (a plural noun in Hebrew) and it literally “Gods”.
Now even though this is a plural noun, in the Bible it is always followed by a singular verb. Now in English that’s not real good grammar! For example – If I said, “We are going to church” - that’s good grammar. But do you know how God would say that, “We is going to the store”.
You say – “that’s terrible grammar” - but its great theology! So who created, “God the Father?” No, it was God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
Verse 2: Heir of all things! He holds the title deed to every planet and every universe in the deepest space!
Romans 11:36 “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things…”
Listen: Mohammed, Buddha and Confucius could never make that claim!
2. Jesus Is Unique Because He Controls The World. Vs. 3
So the One Who put this world together is the same One Who holds it all together – without using super glue!
Colossians 1:17 “And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”
Before creation Christ already existed! The world “consist” is “To hold together.”
Now don’t miss this – because what is true about the world is true about your life! The only one who can bring your life together, keep your life together and sustain your life forever is Jesus Christ – now if He can do all that without using super glue – don’t you think He should be believed when He says, “I have come to give you abundant life”?
Frankly I don’t know how people keep from falling all apart without Jesus Christ! There was a little boy who was giving Dad a hard time at home and so Dad though he could buy a little time by giving his son a make shift puzzle. He ripped a page out of a magazine that had a picture of the world on it, and then Dad tore it into lots of small pieces and handed it to his son. He said, “Son after you get this picture puzzle of the world together and in the right order, then we will go and play ball.” So his son goes off to his room and then returns just a few minutes later – to Dad’s great surprise. So Dad says, “Son how did you put that puzzle together so fast?” His son said, “Well dad, it was easy. On the other side of the world was a picture of a man and if I brought the man together, then the world comes together!”
Doesn’t that say it all about Jesus! When we get the man Jesus right then our world comes together so much easier! How about when the storm came up and His disciples were freaking out – Jesus only has to speak
3 words, “Peace be still” and the disaster responds!
- He had control over demons… “Thou art loosed!”
- He had control over disease… “Women be healed!”
- He had control over death… “Lazarus come forth!”
Now I want to ask you, name any other person who could do that? If there is, I’ll devote my entire life to him!
Verse 3: Seated at the right hand of authority, power and control!
Folks, that means Jesus is not just a king, He’s king of Kings! He not just a Lord, He’s lord of Lords! Jesus is everything to everyone anywhere! He is our source of abundance!
3. Jesus is Unique Because He Connects Us To God. Vs. 1, 2b
I had a conversation with one outside the post office last week and they said they really heard the voice of God! Well, I’ve had Jill yell at me and I was sure that it was the voice of God!
This verse is either a flat lie and Mohammed was the last prophet that God spoke through or the Bible is right on in it’s claim and what help me determine who’s telling the truth are the distinctive claims that Jesus made and Mohammed could not claim!
Now Islam does say that Jesus was a great Prophet but that could be said of anyone – He was more than a prophet, He was better than prophet, He was greater than a prophet – let me tell you why – a prophet is God’s messenger, Jesus was a God’s Messiah, a prophet is God’s spokesman, Jesus is God’s Son, from the prophet you hear the voice of God, but in Jesus you see the very person of God!
Jesus said “If you have seen Me you have seen the Father.” And that’s why Jesus is the last word to the human race! Now this really mind boggling to me – follow this – after Jesus even God has nothing more to say! Even God has to say, “I’m done talking!” That’s because when you say “Jesus” you’ve said it all! Amen! Think about it, even the vocabulary of God is exhausted because of Jesus!
Verse 3: Jesus Christ is God. “Express image” = in English it’s one word,
“Character”. Something that is used to engrave or stamp with. Folks, the writer here is absolutely saying…
Fact: Jesus Christ is the exact image of the person of God and the perfect imprint of the nature of God. They share the same DNA!
Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God.”
“Image” = the English word “icon”. Jesus Christ in the flesh was the exact reproduction of God! Listen very carefully, when Jesus Christ was born in a manger He did not become God, He became man – that is, He has always been God but He has not always been man! Now, let me tell you why this is so important – you go through the 4 gospels, you never find where Jesus corrected anything He ever said or anything He ever did! Jesus never had any sin in his body, mind or soul!
Let me ask it this way – “What were Jesus’ strong points?” Trick question – He didn’t have any, because to have strong points you have to have weak points! Jesus Christ was complete PERFECTION! He was perfectly sinless and sinlessly perfect! Try that on!!
You and I can’t have God without Jesus and you and I can’t have abundant life without Jesus! And that’s why He is the only One who can connect us to God! And if He can connect us to God then He alone knows best what God’s word means and when He said, “I come to give life more abundantly” – He meant it and if you and I try by way of any other religion to experience abundant life – it’s a fake job!
Norman Geisler wrote, “Jesus Christ is the only who lived who claimed to be God, and proved to be God. When I compare this to all other claimants, of all other religions, it is like the poet who said, ‘The night has a thousand eyes and the day has but one, the light of the whole world dies with the setting of the son.’”
“At the midnight of human ignorance there are a lot of lights in the sky, but at noon time there is only one, and that is Jesus Christ the Light of the world. So I cast my lot with Him, not with Confucius who claimed wisdom, or the one who claimed enlightenment like Buddha, or the one who claimed to be a prophet like Mohammed, but the One who claimed to be God in the flesh…and proved it.”
