Last year (2015), Tesco, a British supermarket in Wrexham, England, posted a help-wanted ad, seeking a part-time worker with a very specific set of skills: a “Christmas Light Untangler.” The posting said that the supermarket was launching a new service, allowing customers to bring in their messy Christmas lights to be untangled.
The ad called for candidates that could untangle 10 feet of Christmas lights in less than three minutes, as well as check the bulbs for signs of breakage. The posting also said that the ideal candidate for the 36-hour-per-week job would also “be passionate about Christmas.” (www.upi.com/Odd_News/2015/11/05/British-supermarket-seeks-Christmas-light-untangler/4261446749389/)
I don’t know about you, but I would find it difficult to be “passionate about Christmas” while untangling Christmas tree lights. However, despite the troubles of life, you can enjoy the fullness of life no matter where you are. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Colossians 1, Colossians 1, where the Bible shows us how.
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (ESV)
If you’re going to enjoy a full life, then 1st of all you must…
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS LORD OF CREATION.
You must recognize that as the creator God, Jesus has the first place over all that He has made.
The Bible is very clear here. Jesus is God. “He is the image the invisible God.” When you look at a penny, you see President Lincoln’s image imprinted on that coin. He is invisible to us, but that image shows us what he looks like. Well, that’s the way it is when you look at Christ. He shows us what God looks like. He makes the invisible God visible.
John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made Him known.” And Jesus Himself said, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
One of early church fathers in the third century, Origen, had a great analogy. He told of a village with a huge statue – so immense no one could see who it was supposed to represent. Finally, someone miniaturized the statue so people could see the person it honored. Origen said, “That is what God did in his Son.” Christ is the self-miniaturization of God, the visible icon or “image of the invisible God” to use the language of Colossians 1:15. (Dale Bruner, “Is Jesus Inclusive or Exclusive?” Theology, News, and Notes of Fuller Seminary, Oct. 1999, p.4; www. PreachingToday.com)
In other words, Jesus is the visible God, showing us what the invisible God looks like.
And as such, He has the first place over all creation. He is in charge of it all! That’s what verse 15 means when it says, “He is…the firstborn of all creation.” This is not to say that Jesus was the first created in sequence, no! Rather, Jesus is the first in status. The word “firstborn” speaks of a person’s status within the family, not the sequence of his birth. It speaks of the primary heir in the family, i.e., the one who would lead the family.
There are plenty of instances in the Bible where the one who was born first did not become the primary heir and the head of the family. For example, Abraham’s son, Ishmael, was born first, but Isaac, his younger brother, became the primary heir. Isaac’s son, Esau, was born first, but Jacob, his younger brother, became the primary heir. And Jacob’s son, Reuben, was born first, but Joseph, the one born next to last in the family of 12 children became the primary heir. And on I could go throughout the Old Testament.
The one who was born first does not necessarily have the title, “firstborn.” That is to say he is not necessarily the primary heir or the head of the family. So when Colossians 1:15 says that Jesus is the firstborn of all creation, it does NOT mean that he was the first created; rather, it means that He is the head of all creation, the primary heir of it all.
Jesus is God. He is the Lord of creation, because He Himself created it all. Everything was created by him, through him and for him.
Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him. (ESV)
Jesus made everything there is, material and immaterial, visible and invisible. He even made all the angels, the various powers and authorities in the spirit world. And Jesus is the first cause, the instrumental cause and the final cause of all creation. He is its origin, the means by which it came into existence, and its purpose. Everything was created BY Him, THROUGH Him, and FOR Him. Jesus is the creator God!
In William Steig's children’s book, Yellow & Pink, two wooden figures wake up to find themselves lying on an old newspaper in the hot sun. One figure is painted yellow, the other pink.
Suddenly, Yellow sits up and asks, “Do you know what we're doing here?” So the two marionettes begin to debate the origin of their existence. Pink surveys their well-formed features and concludes, “Someone must have made us.”
Yellow disagrees. “I say we're an accident,” and he outlines a hypothetical scenario of how it might have happened. A branch might have broken off a tree and fallen on a sharp rock, splitting one end of the branch into two legs. Then the wind might have sent it tumbling down a hill until it was chipped and shaped. Perhaps a flash of lightning struck in such a way as to splinter the wood into arms and fingers. Eyes might have been formed by woodpeckers boring in the wood.
“With enough time,” Yellow says, “a thousand, a million, maybe two and a half million years, lots of unusual things could happen. Why not us?”
The two figures argue back and forth.
Then a man comes out of a nearby house, strolls over to the marionettes, picks them up and checks their paint. “Nice and dry,” he says, tucks them under his arm, and goes back toward the house.
Peering out from under the man's arm, Yellow whispers in Pink's ear, “Who is this guy?” (Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey, How Now Shall We Live?, Tyndale House, 1999, p. 97; www.PreachingToday.com)
I think that’s going to be the reaction of many when Jesus, our creator, shows up to judge our readiness for heaven: “Who is this guy?” they’re going to say. Well, “this guy” happens to be our Creator, not accidental chance.
Jesus is God, and as such He is Lord of all; He is Creator of all; and He sustains it all. He holds it all together.
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (ESV)
Think about it, if every atom in our universe contains protons in its nucleus. Tell me. What keeps those positively charged particles together when there are strong forces which cause them to repel each other? That’s what the scientists at Fermilab are trying to discover.
According to a July 2009 Parade magazine article, the scientists at Fermilab are searching for what they have nicknamed “the God particle.” They believe that there is a special subatomic particle that allows all the other particles in the universe to have mass and come together to form everything that is around us. According to one Fermilab scientist, without these so-called God particles… “atoms would have no integrity, so there would be no chemical bonding, no stable structures – no liquids or solids – and, of course, no physicists and no reporters.” (Stephen Ford, “The Race for the Secret of the Universe,” Parade magazine, 7-26-09, p.4; www.PreachingToday.com)
Well, the Bible tells us what that “God particle” is right here in Colossians 1:17. Only it is not a particle; He’s a person. JESUS holds everything together; and He is not about to let go, or else it would all go flying apart. Those positively charged protons in every atom would repel each other, and life as we know it would cease to exist.
Now, there is coming a day when Jesus will let go of His creation. 2 Peter warns us, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be [burned up]” (2 Peter 3:10). There will be a massive nuclear explosion, as the protons in every atom go flying apart, destroying the entire universe.
But until then, Jesus holds it all together. That means that Jesus holds you, the one He created for Himself. And that’s what gives you life meaning and purpose if you choose to accept it.
If you want the fullness of life despite the troubles of life, then 1st of all, acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of creation. Then 2nd…
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS ALSO LORD OF THE CHURCH.
Recognize that Jesus has the first place not only over all creation, but also over all His new creation, the body of believers that He is in the process of changing forever into His likeness.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church [i.e., He is its source and its leader]. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (ESV)
There’s that word “firstborn” again. This does not mean Jesus was the first one raised from the dead; He wasn’t. Before Jesus died and rose again, He raised a widow’s son from the dead in the town of Nain (Luke 7:11-17). He also raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11). No, Jesus was not the first one raised from the dead.
Rather, He is the Lord of all those who will be raised from the dead – the company of believers that make up His church. Christ is the source of the church. He is sovereign over the church, so that He might be supreme over the church.
You see, Christ is not content just to have a part of your life. He is not impressed when you give him just one hour a week at worship. And Jesus doesn’t even want prominent part of your life. Let’s say you give him a whole day every week or maybe an hour or two every day. No, that is not what Jesus wants. Rather, Jesus wants the supremacy, the pre-eminence in every part of your life. When you go to work on Monday, you work for Him, not your boss or you clients. When you take care of your family, you do it for Him, not them. Even when you have fun, He is the One you seek to honor. Everything you do is ALL for His glory and for HIS pleasure.
Jesus is Lord of the church. He is Lord of every believer, and the sooner you recognize that, the better your life will be.
Matt Woodley, in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, talks about playing in a men’s softball league years ago when an umpire made a call that that enraged his coach. As it turned out, the coach didn't agree with the ump's interpretation of a specific league rule. So the game stopped as they engaged in a heated discussion. Finally, the ump sighed as he pulled a rulebook from his back pocket and proceeded to read page 27, paragraph 3b, section 1.
“As you can clearly see,” the ump said, “this rule means that my call must stand.” But the coach was unconvinced. He yelled at the ump, “But you're not interpreting that rule correctly.” To which the ump replied, “Uh, excuse me, I think I should know: I wrote the rulebook.”
After an awkward silence, the coach walked back to the bench, shaking his head and pointing to the ref as he told his team, “Get ahold of that guy. He wrote the rulebook!” (Matt Woodley, The Gospel of Matthew: God With Us, InterVarsity Press, 2011, pp. 68-69; www.Preaching Today.com)
You see, Jesus not only enforces the rules; He wrote the rules. And the sooner we accept that, the more fun we’ll have playing this game called “life.” So quit arguing with the Lord, which only keeps you stalled out in life. Instead, just do what He says and you’ll discover that life is full of meaning and purpose, because that is what He designed it to be.
Jesus is Lord of the church. That is to say He is Lord of every believer, because He reconciled every believer to Himself. Through His death on the cross, He made it possible for everyone to be in right relationship with God. We who were once enemies of God can now be His friends because Christ shed His blood for us.
Colossians 1:19-20 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (ESV)
Jesus, who is fully God, died on a cross for our sins so we could be reconciled to Him.
Colossians 1:21-22 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him. (ESV)
The false teachers in Colosse were teaching that people could get closer to God through the worship of angels by obeying certain rules and regulations, but they could never promise total and complete reconciliation. That’s because no one could ever make themselves good enough for God.
On the other hand, Christ can! Christ alone can provide total and complete reconciliation. Christ alone can turn enemies of God into those who are special to Him – holy in His sight. Christ alone can turn sinners into those who are spotless or unblemished in God’s sight. And Christ alone can turn guilty criminals into innocent citizens who are free of all charges. This is not our work. This is the work of Christ in us when we put our trust in Him.
When the Gospel first came to the Alaskan Thlinkit and Sitka Indians in 1879, they accepted it right away. John Muir, the famous explorer and naturalist, after whom Muir Woods in California is named, tells why in his book Travels in Alaska, published in 1915. This is the story he tells:
Soon before the Christian missionaries arrived in Alaska, there was a bitter war between the Thlinkit and Sitka tribes. They were all great fighters and pretty evenly matched. So they fought all summer, sometimes under cover, sometimes in the open, watching for every chance to fire a shot. It got so bad that none of the women dared venture outside to the salmon-streams or berry-fields to get their winter stock of food. As the winter approached, one of the Thlinkit chiefs came out of his block-house fort into an open space midway between their fortified camps. He shouted that he wished to speak to the leader of the Sitkas.
When the Sitka chief appeared, the Thlinkit chief said: “My people are hungry. They dare not go to the salmon-streams or berry-fields for winter supplies, and if this war goes on much longer most of my people will die of hunger. We have fought long enough; let us make peace. You brave Sitka warriors go home, and we will go home, and we will all set out to dry salmon and berries before it is too late.”
The Sitka chief replied: “You may well say let us stop fighting, when you have had the best of it. You have killed ten more of my tribe than we have killed of yours. Give us ten Thlinkit warriors to balance our blood-account; then, and not till then, will we make peace and go home.”
“Very well,” replied the Thlinkit chief, “you know my rank. You know that I am worth 10 men and more. Take me, and make peace.”
The Sitka chief promptly accepted the offer. The Thlinkit chief stepped forward and was shot down in front of the warriors on both sides. Peace was thus established, and everyone hurried home to gather their supplies for the winter.
That Thlinkit chief literally gave himself as a sacrifice for his people. He died that they might live. Therefore, when missionaries came to Alaska telling how Jesus died that we might live, they had no trouble accepting it. They knew that they had sinned against a holy God. They knew that they were at war with Him, so when they heard that Jesus, the Chief of all chiefs, the Maker of all the world, gave His life to balance our blood-account with God, many of them put their trust in Christ and began to follow Him as their chief. (John Muir, Travels in Alaska, Houghton, Mifflin Company, 1915, p. 197; www.Preaching Today.com)
My friends, that’s the only way to find fullness of life even in the troubles of life. 1st, acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of all creation. 2nd, acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of His new creation, the church. Then…
TRUST HIM TO BE YOUR LORD.
Trust Him to have the first place, the preeminence, the supremacy in your own life.
Colossians 1 says, you experience full and complete reconciliation…
Colossians 1:23 “if indeed you continue in the faith” [or more literally, SINCE INDEED you remain in the faith].
There is no doubt here. Our reconciliation with God is not a question of “if.” It is a sure thing because of what Christ has done for us. All we need to do is trust Him with our lives, and the moment we do, He establishes us in the faith. That’s what the rest of the verse goes on to say.
Colossians 1:23 [Since INDEED] you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. (ESV)
The gospel is the good news of what Christ did for you on the cross; and the moment you trust Christ with your life, He firmly establishes you so that you are not moved from our hope in the Gospel.
The town of Colossae was in a region known for earthquakes, so these words were especially comforting for the Colossian believers. Some of them had probably had their homes “moved” from their foundations during one of the many earthquakes. But here they learn that when they build their lives on the foundation of Christ Himself. They are established on a firm foundation. They are unwavering, and they shall not be moved.
How a about you? How about me? Where have you placed our trust? If your trust is in yourself, then you will be moved and shaken every time your world is. But if your trust is in Christ, then nothing, not even the greatest earthquake, can move you from the foundation you have in Christ. It really is the only way to live.
If you want to enjoy the fullness of life even in the troubles of life, 1st, acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of all creation; 2nd, acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of His new creation, i.e., everyone who believes in Him. Then trust Him to be Lord of your life, each of you individually. It’s not enough to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord of everybody. You must trust Him to be YOUR Lord.
Greg Asimakoupoulos, a pastor near Seattle, Washington, carried boxes of Christmas decorations up from the basement of their home. Then he had to go to the church, so putting up the decorations would have to wait. In the meantime, his 5-year-old daughter, Lauren was content to play with a miniature plastic nativity set.
When Pastor Greg arrived home, the table was set for dinner with pieces of the nativity set at each person’s plate. Just then Lauren raced into the kitchen. “Oh, Daddy, Daddy!” Her voice was panicked. “Jesus is missing! We've looked everywhere and can't find him!”
She was right. Pastor Greg didn't see baby Jesus anywhere on the supper table. “We'll find him,” he said, sure that the baby Jesus was stuck under the couch cushions or behind a chair somewhere. “Let's look after we eat!”
And look they did. Low and high. High and low. Under the couch. In the plants. In the Barbie playhouse. They scoured Lauren's coloring desk cluttered with stickers, markers, crayons, and a half-full can of pop – everything but Jesus! Then Pastor Greg zeroed in on Lauren's backpack.
Much like her older sisters, Lauren carries her backpack everywhere she goes. All her treasures are there: Hairbows. Hats. Barbies. Her stuffed kitty. Her Polly Pockets. Her plastic wallet. Gummi Bears, so Pastor Greg decided to look in her backpack. And there, at the bottom of her treasure trove, was Jesus, ready to go with his daughter to preschool the next day." (Greg Asimakoupoulos, “Jesus Is Missing,” Christian Parenting Today, November/December 2001; www.PreachingToday.com)
For me, that’s a picture of the place Jesus wants in your life. He’s not content just to be put on display in a nativity set somewhere. He wants to be right there in the middle of it all, at the center of all your interests and activities. He belongs in your car, your briefcase, and your purse. He belongs in your office, your school, and your checkbook, so put Him there!
As you get ready for Christmas, don’t give Jesus just a part of your life, and don’t even give Jesus a prominent part. Rather, give Jesus the preeminent part in all you do. Take Him with you wherever you go!
