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Introduction
I would like to begin this morning with a question.
Who here has created something?
Ask for examples
Do you feel like you have power to command what you created?
This feeling is one of authority.
You created whatever it may be, you have the power to command its behavior, thoughts, or opinions.
I know I am stretching things a little because what we create are not living beings but keep following with me for a moment.
You are the person in command over this creation.
Does this creation praise you for what you have done?
Does it praise you for the fact that you created it?
Now of course these objects of our creation can’t praise us but think with me for a moment to your own creation.
Each of us is a created being.
Do we praise our creator for His creation of us?
This is where I am directing our discussion this morning and I hope it lands heavily upon our hearts.
Paul and Timothy are writing for us here a hymn of praise because of what Jesus has done.
Our passage today is linked to the previous verse by a conjunction -
Linked to the previous verse with a conjunction - because/fore
We can praise Jesus because or for by Him all things were created.
Let me say that again ALL things were created
This is totality with a focus on individual components.
Down to the smallest detail.
Because of this we know that Jesus has all authority.
We can then in turn praise Jesus because of His authority.
Last week we looked at verse 15 and how we can praise Jesus because of His status.
Because He is the physical representation of God for us to see, He is God’s true template for humanity.
We saw how Him being given the title of firstborn, He carries out the work of bringing grace to all, carrying out the Fathers legacy and mission.
These are two reasons that Jesus has authority and we continue on to see more reasons today.
If you haven’t already, please turn in your Bible with me to .
We will read verses 15-20 again today.
Pray
Authority in creation.
Who here likes authority?
Let me rephrase that a little because I know my mind went to sure I like to be in authority.
Who here likes to be under authority?
It would probably be easier for us to raise our hands for the the question who doesn’t like to be under authority.
Needless to say, this is exactly what is being praised here.
Someone else’s authority.
Specifically Jesus authority.
Our passage first directs us to look at Jesus authority in creation.
By Him all things are created.
There is an important translation difference that needs to be noted here.
The ESV reads “For by Him all things were created.
The word by here is being translated in the instrumental sense.
Jesus is the instrument by which all things were created.
While this is a good and true translation it raises some concerning ideas in our minds.
One issue is that in this instrumental sense it can almost lessen the importance of Christ to simply being the instrument in which God created all things.
Or on the opposite end of the spectrum
To say ‘by’, here and at the end of verse 16, could imply, not that Christ is the Father’s agent, but that he was alone responsible for creation.
We know that this is not true because as Jesus states in
There may be a better way to understand this though.
If we translate the verse
Later in the verse we see a repetition of the instrumental sense when the verse states that “all things were created through Him.”
This other preposition - dia - is the primary one that Paul uses when he wants to talk about Jesus in the instrumental sense.
I don’t think it is likely that Paul in the hymn here is repeating the idea of Jesus instrumentality but is providing us with a different thought.
The word used at the beginning of verse 16 is the preposition en.
Paul uses the preposition en quite a lot in Colossians with Christ as its object; and most of them—perhaps even all of them—express the idea of sphere
This provides an argument for understanding the phrase in locative sense.
Jesus is the sphere, or location in which all things were created.
Jesus is the one in whom all things were created.
If we translate the verse literally word for word it states
“Because in Him He created”
By speaking in the locative (sounds like location) sense about creation Paul is making a general rather than specific point.
He wants to make the very general point that all of God’s creative work took place “in terms of” or “in reference to” Christ.
This gives Jesus the authority in creation.
Christ was “the location from whom all came into being and in whom all creation is contained.
So that is a bunch of technical talk to bring up the point, why should it matter to me?
It is important for a few good reasons.
It is important that we have a right view of Jesus.
I mentioned a couple of misguided thoughts a little earlier where Jesus was not placed equally with God the Father.
If we have a misguided view of Jesus, we won’t have a good relationship with him.
Who here has had a misunderstanding with a friend or family member.
Now take that and multiply it to the creator of the universe!
If we have an incorrect view or idea of Jesus we can’t truly represent Him to others.
Who has ever bought something because what was displayed on the packaging made it seem like to most amazing thing in the world.
This makes me think of some of the as seen on tv stuff - buy this amazing spray sealer and you can fix your boat so it floats!
Of course we aren’t buying and selling Jesus but you get the picture.
We must truly know Jesus to best represent Him.
We must have the correct image in our minds of who Jesus is and and what He has accomplished.
We must praise the authority that He has because He is our Lord, our Savior, our Creator, our God.
Our reason for praise is given further description in the verse.
This idea is given further description in the verse.
“In heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”
This is mention of the things that were created in Jesus.
The imposing list of powers visible and invisible created by Christ accents his all-encompassing role in creation—all things in heaven and earth.
In the ancient world heaven was not perceived as some distant outpost that had no impact on human life on earth.
Rather, invisible powers exerted their influences for good or ill
We see an example of the truth of this fact shown in Paul’s writing to the Ephesians in
But we can praise because all of these things are created in the sphere of Jesus.
He has power over all of them.
Whether we can see them or not.
Jesus power is displayed all throughout the gospels.
Think of the time Jesus is awakened to calm the storm by the disciples.
These were men who were accustomed to being on the water and yet they were scared to death.
Jesus has power over the wind and waves.
Think of all the demons that are mentioned having been cast out in the Gospels!
Wherever you look, or whatever realities you think of, you discover entities which, even if they do not acknowledge the fact, owe their very existence to Christ.
They are his handiwork.
Paul has here chosen to mention especially what we today call the power structures of the universe.
Paul is creating for us a structure here to understand the next phrases.
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