Putting Jesus First
Colossians 1:15-20 * 7/21/19
[Please contact me at kerry.n.haynes@gmail.com for sermon outline in Word.]
American society is moving farther away from traditional religion. For the first time ever, the “none’s”--or those expressing no particular religious belief--amount to about 30% of our population, tied with about 30% Catholic and about 30% Protestant, and about 10% of everything else. And the interesting thing to me is, even though there are more “none’s” than ever, there is also a higher number of people who identify as highly spiritual. They are spiritual, just not religious.
Now, when it comes to relationships, it’s dangerous to expect one person to meet all your needs. That’s just not going to happen. But what if all of our spiritual needs could be met in one person? Actually a God-person, Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul was writing to a young church in Colossae that had a lot of confusion over what it meant to follow God. And Paul set the record straight. He said, it’s all about Jesus. The word “Christian” means “little Christ.” If you want to be a Christian, you’re going to follow Jesus Christ. And Paul told these believers--and us today--that Jesus is pre-eminent; that is, Jesus comes first. Colossians chapter 1 mentions six specific characteristics of Christ. I’ve put them on your outline, along with an implication of each. First,
Jesus is...
1. The image of the invisible God - I can get to know God through him.
Paul writes in verse 15, “The Son is the image of the invisible God...” The Greek word here for "image" is "icon." I was raised to think that icons were evil, that they only referred to pictures or statues that people worshipped as idols. Yet, here Jesus is called an icon. An icon is an exact replication, or a perfect copy. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.
And in verse 19, he adds, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.” Hebrews 1:3 puts it like this: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God ... has made him known.” When the disciples wanted to see the Father, Jesus answered them in John 14:9, “...Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
Here’s what it all means: All the fulness of God dwells in Jesus. Paul was trying to clear up some false doctrine from a group called the “Gnostics.” They used the word “fulness” to refer to a combination of all supernatural influences. But Paul borrowed their own word to elevate Christ above all religious ideas.
As one child put it, “Jesus is God with skin on.” The implication is clear: if you want to get to know God, get to know the Jesus of scripture. Read through the gospels. You can easily read through the story of Mark’s gospel in one sitting. See what Jesus cared about, how he looked after the children, the sick, the oppressed; how he talked down to people who claimed to be religious but were really living a lie; how he consistently rooted for the underdog; how he loved everyone. When you see Jesus, you see the heart of God. Jesus is also...
2. The voice of all creation - I can trust any problem to him.
The last part of verse 15 describes Christ as “the firstborn over all creation.” The word “firstborn” here doesn’t mean that Jesus was created. No, he’s God. That was the first point. God creates, and everything else is creation. Jesus--God in the flesh--is highest over all. “Firstborn” then referred to a place of honor more than an order of birth. For instance, Jacob was given the status of “firstborn” over his older brother Esau. Here Jesus has the place of honor in all creation. Psalm 89:27 says God will appoint a Messiah his “firstborn.” That’s Jesus.
Verse 16 says, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. The voice at creation is the voice of Jesus. As the Son of God--God in the flesh--he has always been in coexistence with God. We call his Old Testament pre-birth experiences the pre-incarnate Christ. Pretty crazy to think about, I know. But who do you think that was who walked in the coolness of the day with Adam or Eve? Who was that fourth fellow in the fiery furnace with Daniel’s three friends Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego?
Here’s the point: If Jesus is over all creation, that means nothing is too big for him to handle! Nothing. You can trust any problem to Jesus, and he can handle it. All of creation is his; he can handle your relationship problem. He knows your medical condition. He know what you’re worried about. Trust it to Jesus. And Jesus is, #3...
3. The glue of my existence - I can give my chaos to him
Verse 17 says, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Jesus not only spoke the creation into being; he also maintains the universe. He is creator and sustainer. He holds it all together. I think of him as “the glue of my existence.” Jesus brings a singular focus to my life. Because he holds all things together, I can give him my chaos.
John Lightfoot, the Bible commentator, says it is Jesus who “impresses upon creation that unity and solidarity which makes it a cosmos instead of a chaos.” Hebrews 1:3b says Jesus is “sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
One commentator described these first three descriptions of Jesus as “Supreme in creation,” and then the last three we’ll cover as “Supreme in redemption.” We move from the cosmos to the individual. #4, Jesus is...
4. The leader of the church - I can commit my church to him.
Verse 18 says, “He is the head of the body, the church.” Paul’s favorite allegory for the church is the human body. He uses it several times in scripture. The point here is that Jesus is the brains of the church. He is the head. He is in charge. Now you and I have been in some churches where Jesus is not the head. That’s a sad picture indeed; it’s a sick, dysfunctional church or maybe not a church at all!
Since Christ is the head of the true church, then I can commit my church to him. It’s not really my church; it’s his church. The church is the spiritual body of Christ. We are all different, yet one in and through Christ Jesus, the brains of the operation. As we commit our church to him, Jesus will bring the growth however he wants. And #5, Jesus is...
5. The standard for eternal life - I can trust him for life forever.
The second half of verse 18 says, “He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” The Bible calls Jesus the second Adam. The first Adam sinned and led the human race toward destruction. The second Adam lived without sin and led the human race toward redemption. Jesus died a physical death, yet his spirit lived on. God raised him from the dead and gave him a resurrection body. He walked around the earth for about 40 days; showing up here and there; recognizable most of the time, sometimes not; eating fish along with the rest, to prove he wasn’t a ghost. Then he departed for heaven, his permanent home. And--get this!--Jesus became the first human body to enter heaven. Lots of souls there who will get new bodies later, but Jesus is the first to have a body there now. Lastly, Jesus is...
6. The payment for my sins - I can be right with God through him.
Verses 19 and 20 read, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 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.” God reconciles us to himself through Jesus Christ. This reconciliation is available to every human being, though only some will accept it. And it was accomplished as Jesus hung on the cross, taking on your punishment and mine. Through Jesus’ blood came forgiveness.
Pastor and author Tim Keller says, “Our real problem is that every one of us is building our identity on something besides Jesus.” I hope you see today that Jesus is not just part of your life; he IS your life! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the very essence of God in the flesh, constant companion and guide, and atonement for our sins. You can be right with God through him. As you exchange your sin for Jesus’ forgiveness, you enter God’s family.
Let’s pray: Jesus, thank you for being all of these awesome things, from creation to my salvation. Help someone here today find your love for them for the very first time. And help the rest of us to fall in love all over again with you, knowing that, as we follow you, we will never be disappointed. You do all things well! Amen!
Colossians 1:15-20
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through 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.
JOKE for welcome time:
I heard about this guy who was pulled over for speeding. The cop came up to his window and said, “Mister, did you know you were going 15 miles over the speed limit?
The man replied, “No sir.” To which his wife, in the passenger seat, replied, “Honey, you did, too! I’ve been telling you for the last ten miles that you were speeding!” The man said, “Shut up, woman!”
Then, as the police officer was looking over his documents, the officer said to the man, “Sir, did you know your registration is expired?”
The man replied, “No, sir, I did not.” To which his wife said, “Yes, you did! I’ve been telling you to get that renewed for the last six months!” The man turned and said, “I told you to shut up!”
The police officer looked to the woman and said, “Ma’am, does he always talk to you like that?” To which she replied, “Just when he’s been drinking.”
