WHO IS JESUS?
COLOSSIANS 1:15-19
INTRODUCTION… Board Meeting in Heaven (p)
“I call this meeting to order!” says the Archangel Michael. The commander of the armies of the Lord tapped the small gavel on the table. The rest of the angels became quiet and looked to their leader to start the meeting. This was an important meeting. God, the Ultimate Chairman, was revealing His plan to the angels. It was the plan to fix humanity and pay for sin.
“I have in my hands the scroll from God Almighty. The title of the scroll is “Heaven goes to Earth.”
Immediately the angels began to talk amongst themselves. Who is leaving Heaven to go to Earth? Who are we going to send? What would be required of the one who goes? Who did God pick? All of these questions and more flew around the table as the angels talked amongst themselves.
“I call this meeting to order!” says the Archangel Michael. The commander of the armies of the Lord tapped the small gavel on the table. The rest of the angels became quiet and looked to their leader to continue the meeting. “It is not any of us. None of us are going to Earth.” All of the eyes of the angels got large with questions.
“Good,” said Gabriel. “I’ve been there giving messages. Heaven is where we want to be.”
“Who is He, our Great God Almighty, going to send?” one of the angels in the back of the room questioned.
Michael looked at his fellow angels with a long gaze. He looked at the scroll in front of him. He began to read the scroll that had been provided to him. “The Lord God Almighty wishes to inform His angels that the time has come for His will and plan to save humanity to move forward in a significant manner. Heaven will be going to Earth. I am sending…”
Michael paused. He could hardly read the words. The rest of the angels leaned forward in their chairs.
“Who is He, our Great God Almighty, going to send?” all of the angels in the room questioned.
Michael looked from the angels to the scroll and read, “The Lord God Almighty says I am sending…”
We are going to look more at Colossians 1 this week. As John mentioned as we began last week, we are looking specifically at Christmas through the eyes of Heaven and the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1. We saw last week that in Colossians 1, the passage explains so clearly as to why Jesus came… He came to qualify us, to claim us, and to rescue us. Jesus Christ certainly did all of those things. Today we are exploring who this Jesus is who qualified us, claimed us, and rescued us. Colossians 1:15-19 explains to us so clearly who Jesus was and is.
THREAD: We are asking the basic questions this morning: Who is Jesus? What child is this?
READ Colossians 1:15-19
“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…”
I. CHRIST IS THE VISIBLE GOD (verses 15, 19)
When you and I think about God and talk about God and study about Him, a basic True fact about God always comes into our conversations. That Truth is that you and I cannot see God. God says about Himself in Exodus 33:20 “no one may see Me and live.” John 1:18 echoes that when it says, “No one has ever seen God…” The Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:16 described God and says, “Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” God Almighty is God and we cannot physically see Him.
How then can we know Him? How can we know a God we cannot see or touch? How has the invisible all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present infinite God expressed Himself to us finite beings who cannot see Him or even get close to His presence? What grace has God extended to us so we can know Him?
First, we can know God through general revelation which means we can look at what God has created and we can see that He exists. Romans 1:20 says plainly, “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” You can look at stars, trees, mountains, animals, and all the created things of this world and see the fingerprint of God the Creator. The creation praises the Creator and identifies Him.
Second, we can also know the invisible God through His expressed written Word which is specific revelation from God. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that Scripture is “God breathed” and comes right from Him to us. Countless prophets and Holy Spirit inspired Biblical writers say, “this is what the Lord says” (Exodus 4:22, Joshua 7:13, 1 Samuel 2:27, Isaiah 7:7, Jeremiah 2:5, Ezekiel 2:4, Amos 1:3, Obadiah 1:1, Micah 3:5, Nahum 1:12, Haggai 1:2, Zechariah 1:3, Malachi 1:4). The Bible describes His will, His interaction with people, His miracles, His expectations, His covenants, and everything we need to know about Him. Choose any book of the Bible and you will find God expressing Himself through the living and active words on the page. The Scriptures express God.
Third, and what we are specifically looking at this morning, we can know God because of the person of Jesus Christ. Colossians 1 explains that Jesus Christ is the visual image of the invisible God. Jesus Christ is not some kind of carved idol or image or painting or substitution, but the Apostle Paul explains to us in verses 15 and 19 that Jesus is the exact expression and image of the invisible God. Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus is God. Hebrews 1:3 tells us, “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Jesus is God. That is why when Matthew writes about the birth of Jesus he cites a prophecy from the Book of Isaiah which rightly describes Jesus as God with us. Matthew 1:23 reminds us, "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." Jesus Himself says in John 14:9, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
The truth we find in Colossians 1 is that the Almighty God is unmistakably plainly revealed in Jesus Christ, but God Himself also remains apart and fully the invisible God. This means when we read about Jesus Christ of Nazareth we are reading about God. Jesus’ reactions and attitudes are God’s reactions. Jesus’ words and commands are God’s words and commands. Jesus’ will is God’s will. Jesus’ willingness to heal and forgive is God’s willingness as well. Jesus is compassion and love (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34) and so is God. Jesus is holy and just and fair (1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5, Matthew 9:12-13, 15:24-28) and so is God. Jesus is forgiving (Matthew 9:2, Luke 23:34, John 21:15-19) and so is God.
THREAD: We are asking the basic questions this morning: Who is Jesus? What child is this?
ILLUSTRATION… Christmas Hymn “O Come All Ye Faithful” (#145 in the hymnal)
As I reflected on a few of the Christmas hymns we sing, some of them reflect this truth that Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. What we sing is reflective of the truth. Note in “O Come All Ye Faithful” that we are singing “Come and behold Him, born the King of angels” and “Jesus to Thee be all glory given” and most importantly “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!”
ILLUSTRATION… Christmas Hymn “We Three Kings” (#166 in the hymnal)
We also sing about the wise men that traveled to see Jesus after His birth. The classic hymn “We Three Kings” shares with us some wrong thoughts about Christmas, but also some correct ones. The correct thoughts are of “Incense owns a Deity nigh,” “King forever ceasing never,” and rightly describes Jesus as “King and God and Sacrifice.”
THREAD: We are asking the basic questions this morning: Who is Jesus? What child is this?
Jesus is God.
READ Colossians 1:15-19
“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…”
II. CHRIST IS THE FIRST AMONG ALL (verses 15, 18)
This passage in 1 Colossians begins by explaining that Jesus Christ is the visible God. The Apostle Paul continues in the verses and describes, to be honest with very confusing language, that Jesus is first among everything in Creation. It is confusing because twice in this passage, Paul uses the word “firstborn” which is confusing when we use it in conjunction with Jesus Christ. It is confusing because the word in itself indicates something that is created. I think it has to do with the “born” part of “firstborn.” Something that is “born” is created. We know of course that Jesus is God and therefore is not created and was not created all of a sudden on His arrival at Christmas, and yet, He was indeed born into a created fully human body.
“Firstborn” was a term used commonly among Jewish people to indicate that something was #1 in priority or the best or the most favored when it comes to God. For example, the Israelites/Jews would refer to themselves as “God’s firstborn” because they were His covenant people. Also, in Psalm 89, there is a prophecy about the coming Messiah where He is called the “firstborn”: Psalm 89:26-29 says, “He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.' 27 I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. 28 I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. 29 I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.”
This same thought is directly applied to Jesus in Hebrews 1:4-6 which says, “So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him." Again the same thought is applied to Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:4-5 which says, “Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood…”
Well what does all this “firstborn” talk mean? We can sum up the meaning of the word “firstborn” as it relates to Jesus with several thoughts. First, Christ did not come into existence by being created because He is God and God was not created. Second, He existed prior to Creation because He is God. Third, implied and expressed in these verses is the truth that Jesus is first in authority and sovereign over all creation, every creature, and every person. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:16) over everyone and everything and has Divine Authority.
THREAD: We are asking the basic questions this morning: Who is Jesus? What child is this?
ILLUSTRATION… Christmas Hymn “Silent Night! Holy Night!” (#147 in the hymnal)
As I reflected on a few of the Christmas hymns we sing, some of them reflect this truth that Jesus Christ is sovereign and Lord over all. What we sing is reflective of the truth. The last words of “Silent Night, Holy Night” are clearly “Jesus Lord at thy birth.” Even as an infant, Jesus embodied all of the authority of God.
ILLUSTRATION… Christmas Hymn “Child of Love” (#156 in the hymnal)
“Silent Night” is certainly not the only Christmas song that reflects on Jesus being Lord over all. “Child of Love” is a song I’m not sure I have sung before, but the words are quite captivating. The words are simple and say: “Jesus blessed Lord Thou art, All men shall praise you, King of every heart.”
ILLUSTRATION… Christmas Hymn “Who Is He in Yonder Stall” (#168 in the hymnal)
The Christmas hymn “Who is He in Yonder Stall” also rightly helps us focus on Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The chorus of this song says “Tis the Lord! The King of glory! At His feet we humbly fall, Crown Him! Crown Him, Lord of All!”
THREAD: We are asking the basic questions this morning: Who is Jesus? What child is this?
Jesus is First.
APPLICATION
The application for these verses is two-fold.
First, the question must be asked if you believe and have accepted that Jesus is God and have you placed Him First in your life? Jesus Christ was born from the love of God so that you and I could have salvation offered to us by Jesus on the cross. If you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and been baptized into Him, I challenge you to read and study the Scriptures for yourself and discover that Jesus is God and He deserves to be first in your life.
Second, it is Christmas time. That means presents and shopping and songs and holiday expectations and travel and a whole host of traditions that change from family to family. The Christmas Holiday can be one of the most muddled holidays if you don’t keep your head on straight and keep your heart focused where it needs to be. Who or what do you say Christmas is about? When you talk about Christmas with neighbors or family or co-workers… what do you say about Jesus? Christmas is about God in the Flesh being born and we celebrate His birth for no other reason than to put Him First in our lives.
CONCLUSION
Board Meeting in Heaven (p)
“I call this meeting to order!” says the Archangel Michael. The commander of the armies of the Lord tapped the small gavel on the table. The rest of the angels became quiet and looked to their leader to start the meeting. This was an important meeting. God, the Ultimate Chairman, was revealing His plan to the angels. It was the plan to fix humanity and pay for sin.
“I have in my hands the scroll from God Almighty. The title of the scroll is “Heaven goes to Earth.”
Immediately the angels began to talk amongst themselves. Who is leaving Heaven to go to Earth? Who are we going to send? What would be required of the one who goes? Who did God pick? All of these questions and more flew around the table as the angels talked amongst themselves.
“I call this meeting to order!” says the Archangel Michael. The commander of the armies of the Lord tapped the small gavel on the table. The rest of the angels became quiet and looked to their leader to continue the meeting. “It is not any of us. None of us are going to Earth.” All of the eyes of the angels got large with questions.
“Good,” said Gabriel. “I’ve been there giving messages. Heaven is where we want to be.”
“Who is He, our Great God Almighty, going to send?” one of the angels in the back of the room questioned.
Michael looked at his fellow angels with a long gaze. He looked at the scroll in front of him. He began to read the scroll that had been provided to him. “The Lord God Almighty wishes to inform His angels that the time has come for His will and plan to save humanity to move forward in a significant manner. Heaven will be going to Earth. I am sending…”
Michael paused. He could hardly read the words. The rest of the angels leaned forward in their chairs.
“Who is He, our Great God Almighty, going to send?” all of the angels in the room questioned.
Michael looked from the angels to the scroll and read, “The Lord God Almighty says I am sending MYSELF.”
CONCLUSION & INVITATION … “What Child Is This?” Hymn
