JESUS IS MY EVERYTHING Colossians 1:15-20

Where Does God Fit In?A schoolteacher in England tells a charming story. At Christmastime she supervised the construction of a manger scene in a corner of the classroom. The children participated happily in the project. They also enjoyed casting characters for the drama depicting the Nativity.The teacher noticed one boy was particularly enamored by it all and was forever going back and forth to the scene. At last, she asked him if there was anything bothering him. He said, “No.” She said, “Are there any questions you would like to ask?” “Yes,” he said, “what I’d like to know is—where does God fit in?”

That is a great question to ask ourselves today, “Where does God fit in?” Where does He fit into our lives? Where does He fit into Christmas?

I have noticed that certain television channels, including Hallmark, boast of their wonderful Christmas programs. So, I decided I would see how wonderful these Christmas specials were. Do you know what I discovered? I have discovered that there is not one single program dedicated to the true meaning of Christmas-Jesus Christ. With the lone exception of one viewing of The Little Drummer Boy (which has several theological problems), there has been no true telling of the Christmas event. So, where does God fit in?

Fortunately, we have the answer to the question in the Word of God. Today we will observe three reasons why Jesus is my and your everything.

Reason #1: Jesus is My Sovereign (1:15a)

Jesus is sovereign because Jesus is a divine reality. “He is the image of the invisible God.” I like the way the NLT renders it. “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.” The first thing we should notice about why Jesus is everything is the fact that He is the perfect image of God.

[Put up image of William Christopher “Dabo” Swinney-head coach of Clemson University football]

That image may look nice, but it is not perfect. It does not perfectly reflect the person whose facsimile it bears. It is an imperfect image of the current coach of the Clemson Tigers. It does not tell us anything about who he is. The only thing that image tells us that this is probably the head football coach of the Clemson Tigers.

In the same way, although we are Christians and although we are created in God’s image, we do not perfectly reflect the image and character of God. However, there is one who does. It is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only perfect image of God. Hebrews 1:3 declares, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

In other words, whenever you see Jesus, you see God. Everything that Jesus is, God is. Jesus in His very nature is God. That is why Jesus said in John 14:9, “Jesus said to him, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” Jesus is the only perfect image (ikone), the perfect manifestation of the invisible God. Jesus is the full and final revelation of God because Jesus is God. It is true that we have been created in the image of God. However, Jesus Himself is the image of God.

“Christ is the image of God because He makes God visible to us. Because of this we must be careful not to seek God elsewhere, for outside of Christ all that claims to represent God will turn out to be an idol.” John Calvin

Jesus is my everything because He is my sovereign who makes the invisible God visible to me.

Reason #2: He is My Sustainer (15b-17)

A. Jesus is Supreme over all Creation (15b).

The ESV calls Jesus “the firstborn of all creation.” It is at this point that I prefer the CSB because that translation fits the context better. The CSB rendering states, “the firstborn over all creation.” It is unfortunate that those who seek to deny the truth about Jesus try to use this as a proof text to support their denial of who Jesus is. Here is their argument. If Jesus is the firstborn of all creation, that means He is a created being. If Jesus is a created being, He cannot be the eternal God. Therefore, Jesus is not God. There is only one problem with this argument. It is wrong. It is wrong because that is not what the Bible teaches. That is not what the text is saying.

The Greek word “firstborn” is the term “prototokos.” It can mean chronology as it does in Luke 2:7 “Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” However, that is not the case here. The term can also refer to being first in priority. The term takes this meaning in Scripture most of the time. It means to be first in position or rank. Paul is speaking here of the preeminence and supremacy of Christ. Paul is referring back to Psalm 89:27-29 “I will also make him my firstborn, greatest of the kings of the earth. I will always preserve my faithful love for him, and my covenant with him will endure. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as heaven lasts.” Jesus is sovereign and supreme over all creation.

B. Jesus is the Creator of all Things in Creation (16).

Again, I prefer the CSB here as well. “For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things have been created through him and for him.”

Everything was created by Him. Everything was created through Him. Watch out! Everything was created for Him. Everything made was created for the glory and pleasure of the Creator, and that includes you and me. Most people have gotten this all wrong. The overwhelming number of people believe that life is to bring glory to the creation. Yet, it has never been about the creation. It has always been about the Creator. It has always been about bringing glory to Jesus and Jesus alone. This very day was created so you could get out of bed and bring glory to Jesus. Jesus is the Creator.

“When it comes to creation, Jesus Christ is the primary cause (He planned it), the instrumental cause (He produced it), and the final cause (He did it for His own pleasure).” Warren Wiersbe

C. Jesus Holds All Things Together (17).

Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.”

Because Jesus is eternal, Jesus has always existed. John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”” Jesus has never been a “was.” He has always been an “is.” Jesus is not the great “I was.” Jesus is the great “I AM.” Jesus is the eternal God. He is before all things.

Not only is Jesus the Creator of all things but He is also the Sustainer of all things. Without Jesus nothing that exists could exist. Jesus is the Sustainer of all things. He is holding it all together.

III. Jesus is My Savior (1:18-20).

A. Jesus is the Head of His Spiritual Creation (18).

Jesus is the head of His church. The Bible uses various metaphors to describe the church. The church is called a family. The church is called a building. The church is even alluded to in Scripture as a kingdom and a vineyard. Additionally the church is referred to as a bride. Yet I believe that the most important designation for the church is that of being a body-the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of His body, the church.

When you think about the human body, the control center is the head. The head controls and gives direction to everything the body does. Spiritually that is what Jesus the head does in the church here on earth. We are all parts of the body. Jesus is to have control over every part of the body as He gives it direction and life.

Sometimes we get this messed up. Sometimes an arm or a leg wants to seize control from the way Jesus has said His body is to operate. Sometimes a hand or a foot fights to have its way, thereby causing dissension and division in the body. Always remember and never forget that Jesus is the head of the body.

By definition and implication, if Jesus is the head of the church at large, and He is, then He is also to be head of your individual life as well. Is Christ truly the head of your life or is it the fact you are trying to operate as the head, and you are wearing a steeple-shaped crown on your head for adornment purposes. Is Christ truly controlling and directing your life, or are you trying to operate as the head? If you are a genuine believer and follower of Jesus Christ, the life you are living is not your life. The life you are living is His being lived through you. You are bought with a price and your life is not yours. You do not set the agenda of that life anymore, Christ does. He sets the agenda and if you will just follow the lead of the head, I promise you that He will bless your life like you could never imagine. Let Jesus be the head and you follow Him wherever He leads you.

Jesus Christ is first over creation because He made it. Jesus Christ is first over the church because He saved her. All of this has a goal- “that in everything he might be preeminent.” [ESV]

Jesus is not interested in being your co-pilot in life. He is to be first in everything. He is to be first in our worship. He is to be first in our witness. He is to be first in our work. He is to be first in our wants. Jesus is not interested in you giving Him prominence. He demands preeminence.

B. Jesus is Savior of the Entire World (19-20).

It is through the blood of Jesus that we are saved. It is by the blood of Jesus that we have been reconciled to God. It is by the blood of Jesus that God has made peace with us concerning our sin. Think about it this way. Because of our sin, we have declared war against God. However, God did not retaliate in kind. He came after us with a blood stained cross so that we could lay down the sinful weapons of our warfare against Him. It is through the blood of Jesus that we can be right with Jesus.

It is sad that so many do not understand the significance of the blood of Jesus Christ. One deluded feminist author writes, “There is nothing divine in the blood of Jesus.” I quickly and without hesitation disagree. I agree with the contrasting words of William Cowper, “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. How about the words of Lewis Jones when he writes, “Would you be free from your burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you o’er evil a victory win? There’s wonderful power in the blood.” Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Conclusion

Jesus is my everything! He is my Sovereign! He is My Sustainer! He is my Savior! He is my everything!

She lived through countless tragedies. Her oldest son was killed in war, while two others were assassinated. Life had turned her bitter. As a result she had turned to alcohol and pills. By her own admission she said, “I became a hard, cold individual.” One day her maid had made her mad. In a fit of anger, she said, “You make me so unhappy.” Her maid replied to Rose Kennedy, “Mrs. Kennedy, you will never be happy until you make your heart a manger where Jesus can be born.” Mrs. Kennedy, in a fit of rage, fired her maid. Years later she woke up and thought how miserable, cold, and empty her life was. It was then she got down on her knees and prayed, “Lord Jesus, I want to make my heart a manger for You to be born in.” She relates that was the point, “I was born again.”

Has your heart been truly transformed by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you truly allowed your heart to become a manger where Jesus can be born. That can truly happen to you today.

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