Who is Jesus Christ?

George Clayson

Colossians • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Colossians 1:15–20

Christ

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Seven truths about who Christ is.

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Introduction

A W Tozer said- “what you believe about God, that is the most important thing about you.” We could say what you believe about Christ, that is the most important thing about you.

Paul wrote this letter to the Church at Colosse. The church there was being put in danger by a heresy that tried to belittle the character of Christ.

Paul recognised that the Church needed a proper view of Christ in order to have a proper view of anything.

In order for people to be saved they need to trust in Christ, in order for people to trust in Christ they must know that He is trustworthy. If people do not believe correctly about Christ their soul is in danger.

John Newton, the famous hymn writer, wrote-

What think ye of Christ? is the test. To try both your state and your scheme; You cannot be right in the rest, Unless you think rightly of him; As Jesus appears in your view, As he is beloved or not, So God is disposed to you, And mercy, or wrath are your lot.

To try both your state and your scheme;You cannot be right in the rest,Unless you think rightly of him;As Jesus appears in your view,As he is beloved or not,So God is disposed to you,And mercy, or wrath are your lot.

You cannot be right in the rest,

Unless you think rightly of him;As Jesus appears in your view,As he is beloved or not,So God is disposed to you,And mercy, or wrath are your lot.

As Jesus appears in your view,

As he is beloved or not,So God is disposed to you,And mercy, or wrath are your lot.

So God is disposed to you,And mercy, or wrath are your lot.

And mercy, or wrath are your lot.

A right view of Christ is paramount for the eternal well being of your soul.

In our text this morning Paul reminds the Colossians about who Jesus Christ is.

This section; is believed by many to be a hymn about Jesus Christ, that Paul used in his letter. Whether it was original to Paul or whether he used and adjusted it we don't know, but we do know that it was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Hymn can be split into two parts.

I. V.15-17 Jesus is Lord of creation

II. v.18-20 Jesus is Lord of salvation

In this hymn we have several truths about who Jesus Christ is.

As mentioned a moment ago, what we believe about Jesus has eternal consequences and so the truth about Christ in these verses are important for each one of us here to grasp.

I. Jesus is Lord of creation v.15-17

Firstly then we will look at the first part of the hymn. v.15-17. The title for this section could be Jesus is Lord of creation. In this section we find three truths about who Christ is. We see that Jesus is the image of God, He is the Firstborn over all creation and He is the creator of everything.

The first truth.

1.Christ- The image of God

Verse 15 begins with these words “He is the image of the invisible God”

Paul begins by telling the Church at Colossae that Jesus Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God.

The word image used by Paul is the same word that Jesus Christ used in when he was being tested by the Pharisees and they asked him whether they should pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus told them to bring a coin and said these words “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They replied Caesar’s.

The word likeness is the same word as image here. On a denarius there was an image of Caesar. Paul is saying when we look at Christ we see the image of the invisible God.

Paul is saying to the Colossians that Jesus Christ has all the attributes of God. He is the exact representation of the invisible God in bodily form.

That is why Jesus in could say “whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

Describes Jesus like this “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature”

This is what Paul is saying to the Colossians.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

This shows that Jesus Christ is God.

He is the perfect representation of the invisible God. The Bible tells us that God is Spirit.

Here Paul tells the Colossians that though God is Spirit He has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ.

App: The obvious application of this truth to us here this morning is that if you want to know what God is like look at Jesus.

Read the Gospels. See how Jesus had mercy and compassion on people, that’s what God is like. See how Jesus had righteous anger over sin, that’s what God is like.

There are many today who have a mistaken idea that God the Father is angry but that God the Son, Jesus Christ is loving. That is not true. They both have the same attributes, they both feel same about sin, they both have the same love for people.

The First truth that Paul gives about Christ is that he is the image of the invisible God. The second truth is also found in verse 15.

2. Christ- The Firstborn of all creation.

The second truth about Jesus. Christ- The firstborn of all creation.

Look with me at verse 15.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation”

Here Paul is reminding the Colossians about the preeminence Jesus Christ has over the things that have been made.

The Word Firstborn needs to be explained.

This verse through out history has been used by false teachers to teach that Jesus Christ was created and therefore not eternal and so couldn’t be God.

This is often done by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I have spoken to many in the past and they try to use this verse to prove their false beliefs about Jesus.

They point at the word Firstborn and say look Jesus was the first to be created.

Maybe you have come across this when speaking to them yourselves.

But that is not what this verse mean.

So what does the word Firstborn mean in this verse when Paul used it?

Well in the Bible the word firstborn can be used to mean the one who was physically born first.

We see this in lots of verses , are just two examples.

But the title can also be given to people who were not physically born first.

In Hebrew culture the Firstborn son was the one who was the heir to the Fathers wealth. The Firstborn would get the inheritance.

The Firstborn was classed as first in rank over the household.

The term first born then can be used to refer to a person who has the privileges of the firstborn son even though they were not physically born first. It can be used as a title to show prominence, they have prominence over the others in the household.

We see that this term can refer to position or rank with out referring to physical birth in the Bible.

speaks of the Messiah, the coming Saviour and God says this about Him “And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Here in this verse it clearly isn’t speaking about being physically born first because although Jesus Christ has always existed as the eternal Son of God. When he entered space and time 2000 years ago there had been a countless number of kings before him. The verse itself explains that the word Firstborn is referring to rank, it says he will be the highest of the kings of the earth.

the highest of the kings of the earth.

It is in this sense that Paul uses the word Firstborn in and the strongest evidence for this is found if we just keep on reading.

In v.16-17 Paul gives the reason for why Jesus Christ is the first born. He says because he created everything seen and unseen. Everything was made through Him and for him.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

So if he created all things then he cannot be created because he obviously didn’t create Himself. v.17 says that he was before all things.

Now the Jehovah’s witnesses know that these verses prove that Paul is speaking about rank and not about Jesus Christ being created and that’s why they add the word other in four places in v.16-17. Their translation says He created all other things, he is before all other things, by him all other things exist. The word other is not the in the original greek, they have added it to try and prove their false doctrine.

What Paul is telling the Colossian believers is that Jesus Christ is the Firstborn over all creation.

Jesus Christ has supremacy over all creation.

He is preeminent over everything that he has created.

“At the name of Jesus Chirst every knee should bow, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth.” .

App-

The question is do we give him the rightful honour that is his?

Next in v.16 Paul goes on to give the reason for the two statements about Christ he has just made. Here we have the third truth about Christ.

3. Christ- the Creator

Look with me at verse 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 and for him”

In these verses Paul continues to remind the Colossians that Jesus Christ is the preeminent One, by telling them the truth that he is the creator.

Paul says that Jesus Christ created all things and then goes on to emphasise this to leave no room for anything that wasn’t created by Him.

He created everything-

in heaven and on earth

The word heaven in this verse more than likely does not mean the dwelling place of God. But is referring to the skies above the earth. The word for both is the same in greek.

Paul here is saying that the entire universe was created by Christ.

In heaven- the starts, the planets, the galaxies.

On earth- the trees, the birds, human beings- every strand of DNA, every single cell.

He goes on and says Christ created everything material and everything spiritual, He says;

Visible and invisible

The things we can see and the things we cannot see were created by Christ. Christ created the body and he created the soul.

Paul goes even further to explain this point with a list of spirit beings or angels.

Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities

Here Paul lists different ranks of angels, he is referring to the entire angelic realm.

Paul emphasised the point that the angels were created by Christ because false teachers had come into the church at Colosse and were trying to teach angel worship .

Paul here is proving angel worship to be worthless because Christ Himself created the angels and He alone is to be worshipped. He is the all sufficient Saviour.

Why look to created beings for salvation when Jesus Christ created them and He is the one sent by the Father to save us from our sin.

Then the Apostle Paul rounds up the list by restating that Christ created everything and then he gives the purpose of creation.

The end of v.16;

all things were created through him and for him

Paul says here that everything exists for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He created everything and they were created for His glory.

This is another proof that Jesus Christ is God. Everything exists to bring glory and honour to Him.

App- Do you live to bring glory to Jesus Christ? That’s the reason that you were created.

Do you believe in Him as your Lord and Saviour? and if you do live for Him?

Finally, as Paul reminds the Colossian church that Jesus Christ is the Creator of everything he finishes this theme by stating two facts that naturally follow this truth.

Look with me at v.17;

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

a) Firstly he reminds them that Christ is eternal, he has always existed, he had no beginning. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

That is why Jesus could say to the Jews in “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Before Abraham existed Jesus Christ had always been.

There has never been a time when Jesus Christ has not existed.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Yes he became a human being, he stepped into time and space but before that He has always existed in the Godhead. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Co eternal, Co equal.

b) Secondly he reminds them that Christ is the one that is keeping the universe in existence.

Jesus Christ is the one who holds all things together. It is in Him that everything consists and has its being.

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Christ not only created everything but He is also the One who is sustaining it and keeping it going.

App- That means that He is the one who is keeping you alive this moment. He is the one who is sustaining your life.

That means that we should honour

Jesus Christ is Lord of creation.

He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation. He created everything for His glory and He is the one who holds everything together.

App- That means that He is the one who created you. He is keeping you alive this moment. He is the one who is sustaining your life. I wonder if you give Him the honour and the worship that he deserves.

If your a believer this morning does he occupy first place in your life? or is he just one of many interests? As the eternal God who not only created but also died for you upon Calvary your whole life should revolve around Him. Is your life consumed with Him?

If your not a believer this morning then the question is; will you believe on him? Will you give your life to Him?

Without Christ you have nothing. Jesus said “if you do not believe that I am he you shall die in your sin.”

Jesus also said “he that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live”

In Jesus Christ their is everything you need.

Jesus is Lord of Creation- the image of God, the firstborn of all creation, the creator of everything.

In the second part of the hymn v.18-20 Paul tells the Colossians that Jesus is Lord of Salvation.

II. Jesus is Lord of Salvation v.18-20

In the second section of this hymn Paul reminds the Colossians of four more truths about Christ.

4. Christ- the Head of the Church

The first truth in this section is; Christ- the head of the church.

In v. 18 Paul says;

“And he is the head of the body, the church.”

Here Paul is reminding the Colossian believers that the same one who is the creator and sustainer of everything is also the head of the Church.

By church Paul does not mean the building people attend each week, he means the people who are born again by God’s Spirit and are believing in Jesus Christ.

By calling Christ the head of the body, the Church Paul means that Jesus Christ is the ruler of the Church, just like how the brain controls the body, so Christ controls the Church.

As the head, Christ is also the source of life for the Church. As soon as the head is severed from the body the life is gone. So it is with Christ and the Church.

A picture of this union between Christ and the Church is found in where Jesus describes himself as the vine and his disciples as the branches. The branches must remain on the vine in order to draw nutrients and bear fruit, so believers must remain in union with Christ in order to bear fruit in their lives.

Paul here is reminding the Church at Colosse that whatever these false teachers offer, apart from Christ there is nothing. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, the body of believers, in Him they have life.

App-

Knowing this truth, it becomes obvious that the greatest need of this church and indeed every church; Is that Christ is kept at the centre of everything. Jesus Christ must have his rightful place in every aspect of the church. Jesus must be preached, he must be loved, he must be obeyed, he must be proclaimed to those outside the church, he must be put on display in our lives.

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church.

The next truth. Christ- the firstborn from the dead.

5. Christ- the Firstborn from the dead

Paul continues in v.18;

“He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead that in everything he might be preeminent.”

Here in v18 Paul reminds the Colossians about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul calls Christ ‘the beginning’ and then he explains what he means by this with the following phrase ‘the Firstborn from the dead’.

Paul is saying that Jesus Christ is the one who began the church, he started the new creation and he did this by his resurrection from the dead.

Christ was the first to rise from the dead and because of his resurrection the believers in Colosse can have assurance that they will have resurrection life as well.

The resurrection of Christ guarantees the resurrection of believers.

Paul explains this truth to the Church at Corinth in ;

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ”

So Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected from the dead and when he returns the believers who have died will be resurrected too.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

App-

What this meant for the Colossian believers it means the same for us who believe this morning; Because Christ has risen from the dead we can be sure that we too will be resurrected to new life. We too will receive resurrection bodies, “when we see him, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is.”

Is your body aching with arthritis? One day you will have a glorified body, with no pain.

Do you have cancer? One day you will have a resurrection body with out sickness.

Those of us who know Christ can be certain of this because He is the beginning the Firstborn from the dead.

At the end of v.18 Paul states the reason why this has happened;

“that in everything he might be preeminent.”

Paul tells the Colossian believers that the purpose of Christ being the Firstborn from the dead, the first to be resurrected is so that he would have supremacy, the first place, the preeminence in everything.

Both in creation and in salvation.

Jesus Christ is the preeminent one.

Paul continues, he hasn’t exhausted the attributes of Christ yet.

The next truth Paul reminds the Colossians about is; Christ- the fullness of God.

6. Christ- the fullness of God

Look with me at verse 19;

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell”

Here Paul gives a powerful declaration of Christ’s deity. The fullness of God was in Christ.

Fullness- all of God.

God determined that the fullness of Deity would dwell in a human body, God became a man.

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”

“Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles., .

Paul is again reminding the Colossian church that Jesus Christ is the all sufficient Saviour.

They did not need to trust in anyone or anything outside of Him.

What this amazing truth means is;

The man who hung naked upon the cross had the fullness of God dwelling in Him. Fully God and Fully man.

This is important for the Gospel.

The Saviour had to be fully man because only a human can pay for the sins of other humans.

The Saviour had to be fully God because only a divine being could bare the wrath of almighty God and survive.

Jesus Christ is the divine Saviour fully man and fully God.

Illustration- Some take him a creature to be, A man, or an angel at most: Sure these have not feelings like me, Nor know themselves wretched, and lost; So guilty, so helpless, am I, I dare not confide in his blood; Nor on his protection rely, Unless I were sure he is God.

A man, or an angel at most:

Sure these have not feelings like me,

Nor know themselves wretched, and lost;

If Christ was not God he couldn’t have died to save us from our sin. But, because He was God manifest in the flesh we can trust in his death for our sin. He is the all sufficient Saviour.

So guilty, so helpless, am I,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

I dare not confide in his blood;

Are you trusting in His finished work this morning? Is he your Lord and Saviour?

Nor on his protection rely,

Next we have the final truth given by Paul, the fact is he has only scratched the surface. Christ- the reconciler of all things.

Unless I were sure he is God.

7. Christ- the reconciler of all things

Paul concludes the hymn in v.20;

“ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

In this final verse of the hymn Paul speaks about the work of Christ. What it was that Jesus Christ came to do.

The verse is saying that God worked through Christ to reconcile all things to himself.

This verse highlights the work of the Trinity in salvation. It was Planned by the Father, who sent the Son to earth to make an atonement for sin and elsewhere in the Scripture we learn that the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to apply the work of salvation to those who are saved.

The word reconcile means to take away the hostility. To make enemies friends again. Which is shown by the phrase making peace. Christ was sent to make peace between the sinful creation and the Holy Creator.

Paul here reminds the Colossians that all of creation will one day be restored to perfection. All of creation was affected by the fall and all needs to be reconciled to God.

Ofcourse this verse is not teaching universal salvation. The Bible is clear that with out Christ there is no reconciliation.

Only those who repent and believe in Jesus Christ will be forgiven for their sin. The Bible is clear that their is a hell and sadly many people will go their.

But God in His grace has made a way to be reconciled back to Him, this verse tells us that Christ did this through the blood of His cross.

When Jesus Christ died upon the cross He died to pay for our sin. He took the punishment for our sin. He paid our debt in full.

Sin must be punished because God is a just judge. The Bible says without the shedding of blood their is no remission of sin. This verse tells us that Christ shed his precious blood in our place so that we can be forgiven.

Paul here is reminding the Colossian believers that salvation is only to be found in Christ. The Church at Colosse was being threatened by a heresy that was trying to say Jesus Christ wasn’t enough.

You needed Christ and you needed to keep certain OT laws. You need Christ and also a special kind of knowledge.

But here Paul is making it clear that Christ is all that a person needs. He has made reconciliation through the blood of His cross.

App-

The question is do you have Christ?

If you are relying upon your own goodness this morning, if you think that being a good person will take you to heaven then you don’t have Christ.

But if you are trusting in Him alone and his shed blood to pay for your sin in full well then you have Christ.

Which one describes you this morning?

Jesus Christ is the Lord of creation and the Lord of Salvation. He is the Preeminent one, the all sufficient Saviour.

If you have Christ you have everything, if you don’t have Christ you have nothing.

He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation, the creator of all things, he is before all things and in him all thing hold together, he is the head of the church, the firstborn from the dead, the preeminent one, the fullness of God, the reconciler of all things.

Conclusion

So in conclusion.

Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is the Lord of creation and the Lord of Salvation.

If you have Christ you have everything, if you don’t have Christ you have nothing.

He is the all sufficient Saviour.

If you have Christ you have everything, if you don’t have Christ you have nothing.

If you are a believer this morning. The question we must ask ourselves is; is Christ the most important person in my life?

In other words do you live for him? Do you obey Him? Do you tell others about him? Do you live to make him known? or is he just one interest among many?

He is preeminent. The question is, is He preeminent in your life?

If you are not a believer this morning. Then I want you to know your greatest need is Jesus Christ, he alone can forgive your sin because he died on the cross to pay for it in full.

You need to turn from your sin in repentance and you need to put you wholehearted trust in Jesus Christ.

I will finish with the final verse of that hymn by John Newton.

This should be our response in light of who Christ is.

If ask'd what of Jesus I think, Although my best thoughts are but poor; I say he's my meat and my drink, My life, and my strength, and my store, My shepherd, my husband, my friend, My Savior from sin, and from thrall, My hope from beginning to end, My portion, my Lord, and my all.

Although my best thoughts are but poor; I say he's my meat and my drink, My life, and my strength, and my store, My shepherd, my husband, my friend, My savior from sin, and from thrall, My hope from beginning to end, My portion, my Lord, and my all.

I say he's my meat and my drink, My life, and my strength, and my store, My shepherd, my husband, my friend, My savior from sin, and from thrall, My hope from beginning to end, My portion, my Lord, and my all.

My life, and my strength, and my store, My shepherd, my husband, my friend, My savior from sin, and from thrall, My hope from beginning to end, My portion, my Lord, and my all.

My shepherd, my husband, my friend, My savior from sin, and from thrall, My hope from beginning to end, My portion, my Lord, and my all.

My savior from sin, and from thrall, My hope from beginning to end, My portion, my Lord, and my all.

My hope from beginning to end, My portion, my Lord, and my all.

My portion, my Lord, and my all.

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