It’s been almost 38 years since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon. However, another man by the name of Werner von Braun was one of the great minds behind the space program. He was a leader in development of the engine which provided 9 billions pounds of thrust that sent Apollo IX to the moon. Von Braun grew up in church and knew God, but at the height of the space program said, “We need a greater Lord than the one we’ve had in the past.”
Some teachers in the church at Colossae were teaching that Jesus was less than Lord. They depreciated Him by making Him one among many spirit beings who bridged the space between God and man. In light of this, Paul sought to teach the saints at Colossae to “Let Jesus be Lord!”
Much of the time we make Christ so insignificant in our lives. We depreciate Him by our co-mmission and our omissions, by our delay and our disobedience. We don’t give Him the place of prominence and pre-eminence He should have. Nonetheless, Christ Jesus is just as much Lord in the 21st century as He was in the first century A.D. or Day one B.C. Jesus Christ is Lord! And as we bring to a close 2001 and bring in 2002 we need to “let Jesus be Lord.” (This message has been revised, updated and re-preached throughout my ministry.) There are several reasons why He is Lord - because:
I. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S SON v.15
A. As Son He is the Image of God “image of the invisible God”
Image means likeness or figure - something cut out like paper dolls. Jesus is the exact likeness to God. He is an exact representation like an image on a coin or a reflection in a mirror. Hebrews 1:3 says Jesus is "the express image of His person." He is a full length portrait of the invisible God, which means He manifest or declared what God is like. Now God is physically and mentally invisible as John 1:18 says, “no man hath seen God at any time...” Just as our children make known what we’re like, so did Jesus!
B. As Son He is the First-born “firstborn over all creation”
Firstborn means predecessor, first one in line. Jesus was and is before all creation. The emphasis is on primacy or priority in time. The Gaithers sing a song “He was there all the time, waiting patiently in line..” He is the eternal Son and holds a position of pre-eminence and pre-existence.
Firstborn also means representor, He sums up and represents all that follows. As God’s Son, Jesus makes God knowable because he is the image and first-born. And because He is God’s Son YOU should Let Him Be Lord and show the world what God is like in your life! We need to make Him knowable!
II. JESUS CHRIST IS THE UNIVERSE’S CREATOR vv.16-17
A. He is the Agent of Creation v.16a-b
Professionals have agents who do some of their work. God’s agent in creating was Jesus. This relates back to the first-born idea and shows that He is Lord over creation because He made it. Jesus is the Creator, not a created being as some said. John 1:1ff, clearly emphasizes that He is the Agent of Creation.
B. He is the Sustainer of Creation v.17c “by him all things consist”
He is the power and authority by which the universe is held together. Consist literally means hold together. He is the unifying principle and the personal sustainer. He is the principle of cohesion, who makes cosmos instead of chaos. He’s the glue that holds the globe together. He is as it were, the force of gravity. And He can hold our lives together if we’ll “Let Jesus Be Lord!”
C. He is the Meaning of Creation v.16c "...created
by him and for him ..."
Whatever meaning there is to this created life, it is to be found in Jesus Christ. Do you ever ask yourself what is the meaning to life or why am I on this earth? Jesus is the end for which all things exist. I urge you to find meaning in Him! He created life and is the only One who can give it ultimate meaning and purpose. Let Him be your Lord!
III. JESUS CHRIST IS THE CHURCH’S HEAD vv.18-19
One of God’s great concerns for the church is that Jesus be Head!
A. As Head He gives direction to the Body v.18a
By body, Paul refers to the church - ekklesia - assembly or the congregation of called out ones. As head He is the directing brain, it’s sovereign authority. It is He who guides and governs. The brain is to direct each part of the body to do it’s unique function. If the brain is not allowed to function, the body will not operate efficiently. Christ is the brain of the church. But it’s here that we usurp his authority and decide what we want done. As someone said, “True unity and effective endeavor in the body of Christ are due, not to re-organization of the members, but a renewed obedience to the Head!
B. As Head He is the Beginning v.18 “who is the beginning”
This goes back to the idea of creation again. There, He was the beginning in association with creation. Likewise He is the beginning in association with the new spiritual creation, the church as Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church."
Christ is the origin and source of the church’s life, the fount of its being.
C. As Head He is first-born from the dead v.18c
This gives Him the right to rule our lives as Lord. In His resurrection, the emergence of life over death, He established His being the first-born of the church. The idea here is precedence. He now possesses a new and higher life which we can share by uniting our lives with His Lordship by faith. He is Lord of Creation, Lord of His Church and Lord of His children!
IV. JESUS CHRIST IS THE WORLD’S RECONCILER vv.20-23
A. Reconciliation is made Possible by the Cross v.20
Here God did something for man that man couldn’t do for himself. And it was through the death of Christ on the cross that reconciliation was made possible. The cross, death and the blood all mean life given all the way. Christ sacrificially gave himself as our substitution, thereby making peace between God and man.
B. Reconciliation is made Personal by Christ vv.21-23
Because we all come into this world as sinners, we are alienated from God. But by the “body of his flesh” Jesus Christ effected reconciliation. He has made peace for us and brought us into a harmonious relationship with God. There’s a lot that needs to be changed in our lives. And there are a lot of broken relationships that need to be mended. That’s why He’s given unto us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). That is if we’ll let Jesus be Lord!
"Let Jesus Be Lord" because He is God’s Son, The Universe’s Creator, The Church’s Head and The World’s Reconciler. Astronomy, space exploration and technology are all teaching us that Jesus is a much greater Lord of a much greater Kingdom - But are you letting Him be Lord of your life?
