The Supremacy Of Christ

The Supremacy of Christ. Christ Church Winchester, 19.1.03 am

Colossians 1:15-20

One theological college in the USA hosted an annual picnic, to which they invited one of the greatest minds to lecture in the theological education centre. One year, the guest lecturer was a professor, who spoke for two and one-half hours "proving" that the resurrection of Jesus was false.

The professor quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded that since there was no such thing as the historical resurrection, the religious tradition of the church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who, in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He then asked if there were any questions.

After about 30 seconds, an old preacher with a head of woolly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium.

"Docta Professer, I got one question", he said as all eyes turned toward him. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it. CRUNCH, MUNCH, "My question is a simple question",....CRUNCH, MUNCH... "Now, I ain’t never read them books you read"...CRUNCH, MUNCH... "and I can’t recite the Scriptures in the original Greek"...CRUNCH, MUNCH... "I don’t know nothin’ about Niebuhr and Heidegger"....CRUNCH, MUNCH...He finished the apple. "All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate------was it bitter or sweet?"

The professor paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly fashion: "I cannot possibly answer that question, for I haven’t tasted your apple".

The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at the professor and said calmly, "Neither have you tasted my Jesus."

The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers. The professor thanked his audience and promptly left the platform. (from www.sermoncentral.com Contributed by: Jan Spencer)

It’s all about Jesus, this morning.

= unpacking v13 “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves”. Unpacking the nature of the Son… the king

- therefore the nature of the Kingdom

The Colossians were well taught by Epaphras (v7)

- but I reckon he’d told Paul of some problems they were having

o where misunderstanding Jesus had led to some strange practices

o (what you believe IS important)

- most scholars think had been influenced by Gnosticism

o didn’t DENY Jesus, but dethroned Him

o if you don’t know who someone IS, it affects how you act towards them

 Illustr: ever got heated with someone and the thought ‘I wouldn’t have if I’d known WHO…”

 At LBC singing on train?

o Ch 2:23 flogging or flaunting of body

 Because G denied value of flesh

o 2:20 adherence to extreme laws and ‘do’s’ & don’ts

o 2:18 worshipping angels (rather than Jesus)

but all these things were useless at doing them any good, as they had the wrong picture/relationship with JESUS. Simple as that

Our society/churches & religions are filled with people who shout about this or that

- but in the end the answer, reality = v simple

o it’s about Jesus and who He is

SO- it’s all about Jesus, this morning. I love that!

He is

The image of the invisible God

Seeing Jesus as He actually is is crucial in finding God

At a reception honouring musician Sir Robert Mayer on his 100th birthday, elderly British socialite Lady Diana Cooper fell into conversation with a friendly woman who seemed to know her well. Lady Diana’s failing eyesight prevented her from recognizing her fellow guest until she peered more closely at the magnificent diamonds and realized she was talking to Queen Elizabeth!

Overcome with embarrassment, Lady Diana curtsied and stammered, "Ma’am, oh, ma’am, I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t recognize you without your crown!"

SOURCE: Today in the Word, November 16, 1995, p. 23., from www.sermoncentral.com

We use the word ‘image’ in our language, but it doesn’t convey the fullness of its use, here

- ‘get myself a new image’

- ‘he’s the spitting image of his father’

But the word here is Eicon, from which we get Icon.

- conveys EXACT REPRESENTATION

- Heb 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

o In other words Jesus IS exactly God

- Also conveys REVELATION

o Conveyed in Heb 1:3 “the radiance of God’s glory”

 Radiates God. Reveals God. Shows God

• = how God is seen

o Illustr: in reading for this, read Gk letter “I attach my Icon, drawn by”,

 So the reader would know HIM

o JN 14:9 Jesus answered: "Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.