The True Christ, I
Colossians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsIn Colossians 1:15-23, Paul teaches us two titles that only Christ can claim: King of Creation and Lord of Salvation.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Tonight, we’re going to start off in , verses 1-3 and verse 14.
How exactly did the world begin? How did all of the plants, animals, humans, stars, moons, planets, & galaxies come into existence? The answer to these questions has a serious impact on the course of our lives.
If you were a public school kid, like me, then you were probably taught two viable options to choose from: there was Creationism, which was outdated and only believed by the religious folk, and the Big Bang Theory, which had never actually proven, but pretty much understood by everyone to be true. So, as a young kid, I went with the crowd, chose the latter, and accepted that the entire universe just became something out of nothing.
And, that seems pretty harmless, right? What’s the big deal about how the universe began anyway? Well, the reality is that the answer to these questions has a serious moral impact on the course of our lives.
Think about it. If the universe literally just exploded into existence on its own accord, then what’s the purpose of life? Seriously. Why even live? You live your life, then you die, and your body gets eaten by worms. How inspiring. What’s the point of being a “good person”? Why even bother helping other people? If we follow this line of thought, the only logical thing to do with our lives is to do whatever we want, whenever we feel like, as much as possible! Because, in the wise words of Drake, “You Only Live Once”.
I want to modify that a little bit. According to the Word of God, “You All Live Twice.” Or if you’re from Central Florida, “Y’all Live Twice.” That one was for Justin.
Now let’s look at . Read with me in verses 1-3 and verse 14.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
According to verses 1-3 here, God created the universe. God created the heavens and the earth. And God created them through Jesus Christ. Truly, the answer to our questions about the creation of the universe has a serious, moral, and eternal impact on our lives.
Now look at verse 14 again: “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live on earth as a man. But don’t miss the rest of the verse: “We saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus Christ is the Son of Man, but more importantly, He is the Son of God.
The apostles knew Him well, but how well do we know Him? Of course, most of us are familiar with the gospel story, and some of the parables, and most of the miracles, and a lot of His words. But how well do we actually know Him? How well do we understand that He is not just the Son of God, but that He is equal with God? And, how does that understanding affect our lives?
The reality is that if we don’t continue to reinforce the foundation of our faith, then we will be prone to shift away from it. The apostle Paul was well-aware of this reality, and addressed it head on in his heartfelt letter to the church in ancient Colossae.
In , Paul teaches us two titles that only Christ can claim: King of Creation & Lord of Salvation.
WHAT / WHY
WHAT / WHY
HOW
HOW
WHO / WHEN / WHERE
WHO / WHEN / WHERE
Christ, King of Creation ()
Christ, King of Creation ()
Firstborn of all creation ()
Firstborn of all creation ()
Let’s recap where we’ve been so far.
INTERPRETATION
εἰκὼν - a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface.
Essentially, Jesus Himself is the visual representation of God.
22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
Cor. 4:4
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Cor. 4:4
Cor. 4:4
πρωτότοκος - preceding all others in time or space or degree; probably understood as still including all the rights and privileges that accompany being a physical firstborn.
Paul is saying that Jesus is before all created things and as a result, creation is His inheritance.
18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
Rev. 1:5
ἐκτίσθη / ektistheto bring something into existence.
aorist indicative verb; in the passive voice
Christ brought all things into existence - in the heavens and on the earth.
25 “Of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,
“I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
John 1:3
EXPLANATION
Firstborn from the dead ()
Firstborn from the dead ()
INTERPRETATION
ἀρχή - an agent that is the cause of something but does itself have a cause.
Christ is the agent of creation but was created by no one because He is God.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
εὐδόκησεν - to take a high degree of pleasure or mental satisfaction in.
Aorist / indicative verb; in the active voiceGod the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the fullness dwelling in Christ.:18Mark 1:11Luke 3:22
Aorist / indicative verb; in the active voice
God the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the fullness dwelling in Christ.
18 “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen;
My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased;
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
:18Mark 1:11Luke 3:22
22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
πλήρωμα - the state of having every necessary or normal part or component or step.
God the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the completeness dwelling in Christ.
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
:16Rom. 11:25
ἀποκαταλλάξαι - to restore a relationship back to the harmony it experienced before its fall.
aorist / infinitive verb; in the active voice
It brought great pleasure to God the Father to restore His relationship with creation through God the Son.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
εἰρηνοποιήσας - to cause a right or harmonious relationship.
God the Father restored His relationship with creation through the blood of God the Son on the cross.
Only usage in the NT here and in
EXPLANATION
Exhortation
Exhortation
Let’s recap where we’ve been so far.
We know that Paul sent this letter from house arrest in Rome to the city of Colossae, by way of Tychicus and Onesimus, sometime between 60-62 AD. We also know that Paul’s heir apparent, Timothy, is in Rome with him as well.
We know that Paul sent this letter from house arrest in Rome to the city of Colossae, by way of Tychicus and Onesimus, sometime between 60-62 AD. We also know that Paul’s heir apparent, Timothy, is in Rome with him as well.
WHAT / WHY
WHAT / WHY
After getting a report in person from Epaphras, the founder of the churches in Colossae, Hieropolis, & Laodicea, Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians, whom he had never met before, in order to encourage their faith and protect them against the growing threat of false teaching.
WHAT / WHY
WHAT / WHY
Back in verses 1-2, we saw how Paul introduced himself and how he connected with the Colossians on the basis of Christian fellowship. Then, in verses 3-14, we looked at Paul’s extraordinary prayer life as he encouraged the church by letting them know that he’s been praying for them and giving thanks for them continually. Now, in verses 15-23, we get to look at one of the most beautiful and rich portraits of Christ in all of Scripture, where Paul provides two titles that only Christ can claim: King of Creation and Lord of Salvation.
Read with me in , starting a little before in verse 13, which begins the transition.
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions 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 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
After getting a report in person from Epaphras, the founder of the churches in Colossae, Hieropolis, & Laodicea, Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians, whom he had never met before, in order to encourage their faith and protect them against the growing threat of false teaching.
HOW
HOW
Back in verses 1-2, we saw how Paul introduced himself and how he connected with the Colossians on the basis of Christian fellowship. Then, in verses 3-14, we looked at Paul’s extraordinary prayer life as he encouraged the church by letting them know that he’s been praying for them and giving thanks for them continually. Now, in verses 15-23, we get to look at one of the most beautiful and rich portraits of Christ in all of Scripture, where Paul provides two titles that only Christ can claim: King of Creation and Lord of Salvation.
HOW
HOW
Tonight, we’re only going to get through verses 15-20, where we find the first title that only Christ can claim: King of Creation… King of Creation.
Read with me in , starting a little before in verse 13, which begins the transition.
Christ, King of Creation ()
Christ, King of Creation ()
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions 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 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
Look now at verses 15-20.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions 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 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
The false teacher who was causing trouble in Colossae was attacking the deity of Christ. His doubt of God’s Word was similar to that of the snake in the garden of Eden in : “Is Jesus really God?”
HOW
HOW
To combat that, Paul deemed it best to fight evil deception with divine perception. Essentially, in this passage, Paul is saying this: “Jesus isn’t just God, but He is both God & King.”
Like we stated earlier, the answer to our questions about the origin of the universe has a serious, moral, and eternal impact on our lives. The Colossians had the right answer but they were being tempted to shift away from the truth to a lie. Let’s not think for a second that we’re not capable of doing the same thing!
Paul reinforces the truth that the Colossians knew well by asserting that Christ is the King of Creation. Verse 16 sums it all up: “All things have been created through Him and for Him.”
Christ is the means God used to create all of the universe, including heaven and earth, and He is the purpose of creation. All things have been made for Him! All of creation, including you and me, was made to result in Christ.
Firstborn of all creation ()
Firstborn of all creation ()
Tonight, we’re only going to get through verses 15-20, where we find the first title that only Christ can claim: King of Creation… King of Creation.
INTERPRETATION
Christ, King of Creation ()
Christ, King of Creation ()
INTERPRETATION
Look now at verses 15-20.
Understand “image” here as a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions 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 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Essentially, Jesus Himself is the visual representation of God.
2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
To combat that, Paul deemed it best to fight evil deception with divine perception. Essentially, in this passage, Paul is saying this: “Jesus isn’t just God, but He is both God & King.”
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Paul reinforces the truth that the Colossians knew well by asserting that Christ is the King of Creation. Verse 16 sums it all up: “All things have been created through Him and for Him.”
Christ is the means God used to create all of the universe, including heaven and earth, and He is the purpose of creation. What does “all things” mean in the Greek? All things! All things have been made for Him! All of creation, including you and me, was made to result in Christ. And as the Son of God, what is His inheritance? All things.
Paul proves
Furthermore, Paul explains why Christ alone can claim this title with two validations: that He is firstborn of all creation and firstborn from the dead.
πρωτότοκος - preceding all others in time or space or degree; probably understood as still including all the rights and privileges that accompany being a physical firstborn.
Why the title King of Creation? Simply because Christ is not only the Author of Creation, but the Ruler of it as well. Paul makes that abundantly clear in the passage we’re looking at now.
Throughout church history, there’s been a lot of debate on whether or not this section is from a hymn sung in the early church, or a poem, or a different existing source. Regardless, the structure of it is important for us to look at so we can actually understand what in the world Paul is communicating here.
In these first five verses, there are two thoughts that run parallel to each other: Verse 15 starts the first thought: “Who is the image of the invisible God”, and 18b starts the second: “who is the beginning.”
Verse 17 is the capstone of the entire section. In 12 words, Paul sums up why Christ alone is King of Creation: “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.”
The remaining verses, i.e. 16, 19, and 20, all serve to further develop this concept of Christ’s preeminence, His eternality, His dominion, over all things.
EXPLANATION
In addition to getting refreshed by this exposition of Christ, the Colossians would’ve picked up exactly what Paul was putting down here. Paul wanted to highlight Christ’s preeminence because the false teacher was preaching Christ’s eminence. The false teacher wasn’t denying Christ’s authority… he simply said that Christ is an authority, among others.
And that sounds similar to some false religions today, doesn’t it? Mormons say Christ is the Son of God, but is not God. Jews say that Jesus was a prophet of God, but is not God. Muslims say that Jesus was a messenger of God, but is not God. But here’s the thing: Christ is the One who created every single human that denies Him and He is the One who sustains every single breath that they take. Verse 17: “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.”
God’s infinite power, infinite wisdom, infinite judgement, and infinite mercy are on full display here. How could we not marvel at the mercy of God? Consider this again, that Christ is the One who created every single human that denies Him and He is the One who sustains every single breath that they take. Verse 17: “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.” That’s utterly profound.
With these truths, Paul makes it abundantly clear that there is only One who is in charge, One who creates, One who created: and that is Christ, the Son of God. He alone is deserving of the title “King of Creation”, and most importantly, He is worthy of it.
Paul is saying that Jesus is before all created things and as a result, creation is His inheritance.
And here in verses 15-20 of , Paul proves why Christ is worthy of that title with two proofs: He is the firstborn of creation and the firstborn from the dead.
Firstborn of all creation ()
Firstborn of all creation ()
18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
INTERPRETATION
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
The first proof is that Christ is the firstborn of creation… the firstborn of creation.
Look at verse 15 with me.
ἐκτίσθη / ektistheto bring something into existence.
Essentially, Jesus Himself is the visual representation of God.
aorist indicative verb; in the passive voice
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Christ brought all things into existence - in the heavens and on the earth.
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
25 “Of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,
“I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
πρωτότοκος - preceding all others in time or space or degree; probably understood as still including all the rights and privileges that accompany being a physical firstborn.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Paul is saying that Jesus is before all created things and as a result, creation is His inheritance.
18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
ἐκτίσθη / ektistheto bring something into existence.
EXPLANATION
aorist indicative verb; in the passive voice
This word “image” here can be understood as a visual representation of something, in all of its fullness.
Christ brought all things into existence - in the heavens and on the earth.
Firstborn from the dead ()
Firstborn from the dead ()
25 “Of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
INTERPRETATION
24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb,
“I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,
So essentially, Paul is saying that Jesus Himself is the literal visual representation of God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
ἀρχή - an agent that is the cause of something but does itself have a cause.
2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Christ is the agent of creation but was created by no one because He is God.
The apostle John sums this up well in the first chapter of his gospel.
18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
There is only one way to know God, and that is through knowing Christ. If you don’t know Christ, then guess what? You don’t know God.
Look at verse 15 again: “the invisible God.” God is Spirit, says, and we worship Him in spirit and truth. We can’t see Him! He is beyond our comprehension. All that we know about Him, we learn from His Word. Who is the Word? Remember from earlier? Christ is the Word! Truly, if you don’t know Christ, then you don’t know God.
Now look back at verse 15. Christ is not only “the image of the invisible God”, but He is “the firstborn of all creation.”
I don’t want to belabor this too long, but we have to clarify what exactly Paul means by “firstborn”.
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
There’s two ways to read this phrase, and one way makes you faithful, and the other way makes you a heretic. So, its kind of a big deal.
The heretic way would take this to mean that Christ is the first created being of all creation. That would imply that He has an origin, therefore making Him incapable of being God. This is what the false teacher in Colossae had been hinting at. So throw that interpretation out the window.
The faithful way would take this to mean that Christ is preceding all others in time or space or degree, receiving all of the rights and privileges that come with being the “firstborn”. How do we know “firstborn” is used this way here? Because in the ancient world, “firstborn” referred to whoever was given the full inheritance! Listen to .
27 “I also shall make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
This is a prophecy about the coming Messiah! Who was that coming Messiah? Christ Himself.
Or how about ? Listen to verses 15-18.
15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba.
15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven,
16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
And it all beautifully culminates in .
7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
Do you see? Christ is coming back to reign as the King of Kings. All the nations of the earth are blessed by Him in the gospel. And if we are saved by faith through this gospel, then we are co-heirs of the inheritance that is due Him. Why is he due that inheritance? Look at verse 16, back in now.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
That “by” there can be better understood as “in”. Whenever you see this preposition, it typically means “in the realm of”, or “in the sphere of”. What Paul is saying is that in the sphere of Christ, all creation was created.
There’s a lot to discuss there, and we’re going to revisit that, but for now look at the next two phrases: “in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible”.
What does “all things” mean in the original Greek? All things! All things just in heaven?
Nope. All things just on earth? Wrong again. All things in heaven and on earth? Bingo!
The truths here are incredibly lofty, but bear with me. Not only were all things created in the realm of Christ, both in heaven and on earth, but also understand that this includes the things we can see and the things we can’t see. What can’t we see? Everything in the heavens. It’s a spiritual realm that we don’t have any access to, because we’re humans on earth!
We also have enemies in this spiritual realm. makes that very clear. These angelic majesties are nothing to play around with, and have immense power that somehow was able to harm us on earth. But we can take comfort in the rest of the verse: “whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
Which leads us to Paul’s capstone, which we’ve already looked at. Verse 17:
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
By the power of His might, Christ keeps the universe in order. All things work in heaven and on earth because He keeps it together. Think about that! Every single droplet in a cup of water holds its form because Christ is actively holding it together. Our God is a mighty God.
And not only is Christ the Author & Sustainer of creation, He is head of the church, which is His body. Look at the first part of verse 18: “He is also head of the body, the church...”
This term “head” here can be understood of as the authority, or a person who is in charge.
Essentially, Christ is in charge of His church, which is His body.
3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.
1 Cor.
EXPLANATION
Now, the Colossians may have needed their head pastor to read these 3 verses back to them a few times, just so that they could digest everything they just heard.
With these words, Paul is debunking any theory that offers another solution outside of Christ. If the Colossians had any notion of doubt about the character of Christ before, then that doubt was evaporated.
εὐδόκησεν - to take a high degree of pleasure or mental satisfaction in.
Earlier, we asked why Christ is due the inheritance He is due. The answer? - Because “all creation has been created for Him.” All things in heaven and on earth were made for Him.
Think about this. No matter what you think, say, or believe, Christ is King of Creation. No matter what you think, say, or believe, you were made for Him. He is King whether you like it or not. He made you and He sustains you. These are facts. says that “every tongue will confess” this reality, whether in this life or the life to come. Eternity is real, both heaven and hell. So what are you going to do about it?
Aorist / indicative verb; in the active voice
God the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the fullness dwelling in Christ.
Firstborn from the dead ()
Firstborn from the dead ()
18 “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen;
My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased;
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
INTERPRETATION
11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
We’ve seen that the first title belonging to Christ alone is King of Creation. The first proof of why He deserves that title was because He is firstborn of all creation. The second proof is that He is firstborn from the dead… firstborn from the dead.
Christ is the agent of creation but was created by no one because He is God.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
πλήρωμα - the state of having every necessary or normal part or component or step.
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
God the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the completeness dwelling in Christ.
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
εὐδόκησεν - to take a high degree of pleasure or mental satisfaction in.
Aorist / indicative verb; in the active voice
ἀποκαταλλάξαι - to restore a relationship back to the harmony it experienced before its fall.
God the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the fullness dwelling in Christ.
aorist / infinitive verb; in the active voice
18 “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen;
My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased;
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
It brought great pleasure to God the Father to restore His relationship with creation through God the Son.
11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
εἰρηνοποιήσας - to cause a right or harmonious relationship.
Look now at the rest of verse 18. “He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He may become first in everything...”
πλήρωμα - the state of having every necessary or normal part or component or step.
God the Father restored His relationship with creation through the blood of God the Son on the cross.
God the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the completeness dwelling in Christ.
Only usage in the NT here and in
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
EXPLANATION
ἀποκαταλλάξαι - to restore a relationship back to the harmony it experienced before its fall.
Exhortation
Exhortation
aorist / infinitive verb; in the active voice
Christ is “the beginning”. Basically, He is the agent of creation, but was created by no one because He is God.
It brought great pleasure to God the Father to restore His relationship with creation through God the Son.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
εἰρηνοποιήσας - to cause a right or harmonious relationship.
Don’t miss the play on words in verse 18. Christ is the “beginning” in the sense that He has always existed and that all things exist in Him, but He is also the “beginning” because He is the first to return from the dead.
God the Father restored His relationship with creation through the blood of God the Son on the cross.
You’re probably thinking I just contradicted myself. Didn’t Lazarus come back from the dead? Didn’t Jesus raise a few kids from the dead? All correct. But they all rose just to die again. Jesus rose from the dead and lives. He hasn’t tasted death again because He has conquered death.
Only usage in the NT here and in
So Paul says here that Jesus is the beginning and is the firstborn from the dead. For what purpose? “So that He may become first in everything...”
There is not one aspect of anything that Christ is not first in. He is first in all things, hence why He alone can receive the title “King of Creation”! But don’t miss verse 19. Look there with me.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
“Good pleasure” is actually a verb. It reads better like this: “because it was well-pleasing...” We can understand this verb “well-pleasing” as to take a high degree of pleasure or mental satisfaction in something. Essentially, God the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the fullness dwelling in Christ.
11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
But in order to fully understand this, we need to know what exactly “all the fullness” means. Basically, “fullness” here means the state of having every necessary part or component or step. Completeness. So, God the Father took a high degree of pleasure in having all the completeness dwelling in Christ.
16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
However, if you look at verse 20, Paul includes a thought that runs parallel to verse 19. Not only did God the Father take a high degree of pleasure in having all the completeness dwell in Christ, but He took a high degree of pleasure in having Christ reconcile all of creation to Himself. Look at verse 20 now.
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
This is completely profound language here. Paul sums up the gospel in one verse! Understand “reconcile” here as to restore a relationship back to the harmony it experienced before its fall. So, God got great pleasure from restoring His relationship with creation through God the Son.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
The action here is reconciliation. What is the means of reconciliation? “The blood of His cross.” When Christ died on the cross, He didn’t just reconcile His people. Look at the rest of the verse: “all things… whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
And, what was the result of this reconciliation? Peace! “having made peace through the blood of His cross...” This idea is intrinsically linked to reconciliation. Reconciliation always results in peace. We know this from disputes with friends, family, you name it. But those are all temporal. The reconciliation that truly matters is God’s creation to God.
EXPLANATION
When they came across this passage, the Colossians would’ve been reminded of all they’ve been taught by Epaphras from the early days of the church. Why does Paul bother to rehash truths to them that they already know to be true? So that they can spot false teaching from a mile away.
How could any true believer hear these truths without responding in awe to how mighty, how glorious, how wonderful, and how transcendent our God truly is. Did God create the universe? Yes. Was all creation made in the realm of Christ? Yes. Was all creation made for Christ? Yes. So, will all rise from the dead because He rose? Yes.
So if Christ is firstborn from the dead, what does that mean for our lives? Simply this: Whether you die as a Christian or an unbeliever, you will rise again. Here’s the kicker though: Christians will be raised to eternal life, and unbelievers will be raised to eternal death. Let that sit for a moment. Now, let me ask this question: “Which way are you headed?”
Exhortation
Exhortation
Our time is gone. So far, we’ve seen that the first title belonging to Christ alone is King of Creation. We also looked at two proofs Paul provided for why Christ is worthy of that name. The first proof was that Christ is the firstborn of all creation. The second proof was that Christ is the firstborn from the dead. Next time, we’re going to look at the second title belonging to Christ alone, which is Lord of Salvation.
So, what can we take from this lofty portrait of Jesus, the Son of God? Here are a few insights that stood out to me from my studies in the passage.
CHRIST IS THE KING OF EARTH.
CHRIST IS THE KING OF EARTH.
This reality really leaps out at us from Paul’s words in this passage. Christ is not just the King, but He is our King. It doesn’t really get more simpler than that. Verse 16 made it clear: “all things were created through Him and for Him”. So will we accept this reality and repent of our disobedience to the King of the Universe, or will we continue on in blatant rebellion against Him?
CHRIST IS THE KING OF HEAVEN.
CHRIST IS THE KING OF HEAVEN.
Simply put, there are no other gods. There are no other superior beings. There is no one else to worship. There is nothing else to worship! There is God alone, through Christ alone. He is the ruler over all things supernatural. There isn’t an angel or demon or power or ruler that is above Him. He has conquered all. So why would we ever doubt His power? Why would we ever doubt His ability to care for us? Why would we doubt His able to protect and provide for us? gives us all the comfort we could ever need.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
CHRIST IS THE KING OF EVERYTHING.
CHRIST IS THE KING OF EVERYTHING.
The result of all things is Christ. There is no other reason for our existence. We were only created because of Christ. Why? So that His glory would be put on full display before all of His creation, in heaven and on earth and below the earth.
Understand this reality: heavenly beings were created to display the power of God. The body of believers in the church were created to display the grace of God. Unbelievers were created to display the wrath and justice of God.
These are all facts. God spoke it in His Word and His Word is truth, says. Jesus Christ is the Word Incarnate, says. To deny this words is to deny Jesus Himself. These truths are undeniable.
The question is this: Ultimately, how will you respond?
Really, that’s a rhetorical question. There’s only one response to make: submit to Christ, the Sovereign King of Creation. You can submit to Him as King and Savior, or submit to Him as King and Judge. The choice is yours. Pray with me.