Colossians 1, 9 through 20. Sermon will be on verses 15 through 20. Hear the word of the Lord. And so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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. And He is before all things. And in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. As an apostle of Christ, Paul is one of the most long-winded writers, if that is such a thing, out of all of the New Testament authors. Although it was written in Greek and there are no punctuations, there are still indicators in his grammar that tells us he was just writing one long, run-on sentence. then there is a break. And today we have come to a break. After he wrote a long run-on sentence which began back in verse three, praying that the Colossians would grow in spiritual maturity, living to please God and giving thanks for what God has done in his beloved son, it's like he just busts out in song. Many scholars have agreed that the structure of verses 15 to 20 indicates that this is a hymn. Throughout the centuries, Christians have called this a Christ hymn, similar to Philippians 2.5 through 11 and 1 Timothy 3.16. So just imagine in your mind, He tells his scribe, Timothy, to write this prayer, which includes a portion of thanksgiving, then a portion of petition for the Colossians. And once he gets to the reason behind why they ought to be thankful, this truth leads him to sing a poetic hymn about Jesus Christ. In this sense, he sounds much like a charismatic, because he was passionate. but he was passionate about the right things. He was passionate about the things of Christ. He was passionate to relate to the Colossians what was of most importance for their Christian lives. This hymn includes the most helpful reminders as to why they are to continue in their walk, what they needed to know, and what we need to know is who Christ is, what He has done, and why that is important for us. Today, we're just going to do a bird's eye view of verses 15 through 20 before we narrow in on the fine details later on. So what is it that you need to know and believe for the Christian life? First, that Christ is the image of God. Second, that Christ is the creator. Third, that Christ is supreme over the new creation. And fourth and finally, that Christ is the reconciler of all things. First, Christ is the image of God. We know this language. It is familiar language when speaking about human beings in general. We know this language from Genesis chapter one, verse 27, where it says that God created man in his own image. Man is made in the image of God. But there is a major difference between man being made in the image of God and Christ being the image of God. Here, he wasn't made in the image of God. It says he is the image of God. For how long has he been the image of God? Was it only when he was on earth? Was it only when he took on flesh? and became a man? If we were just speaking about his human nature, yes, we can say he was made in the image of God. But is that what Paul is saying here? Now, if you consider the context, verses 15 through 17 is speaking of Jesus's eternality. Verse 17 says that he is before all things, that is, he existed before all things. In Paul's thought process, we haven't gotten to the incarnation yet. We haven't arrived at the point when Jesus takes on flesh and becomes a man. So when we read that he is the image of God, what the text is saying is that he was, is, and always will be the image of God. Now what does it mean? What does it mean for Jesus to be the image of God? We can consider what it means in a few ways. He is the image of God in the sense that he reflects God's character. He manifests God's presence. He represents God. The word for image is the same word we get the word icon from. It speaks of a representative symbol or icon. And to put it in simple terms, he reveals God. In catechism language, he is the eternal mediator of God. Because listen to what it says. It says this, he, the beloved son of verse 13, is the image of the invisible God. Remember when Paul told Timothy that God alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. For those who are still learning the Shorter Catechism, what does question 4 ask? What is God? Answer. God is a spirit, which means He is invisible. He cannot be seen. So when we say that Jesus is the image of God, we are saying that he reflects, manifests, represents, and reveals God. This is why he is called the Word in John chapter one. John chapter 118 says, no one has ever seen God, the only God, who is at the Father's side. He, the only God, has made him known. Because he is the eternal and preexisting image of God. The transition from Old to New Testament is not, now you see me, now you don't, but it is reversed. It is, now you don't see me, and now you do, in Jesus Christ. This is what led the Reformers to conclude that every time God revealed Himself in the Scriptures, He is doing so through the image, which is the second person of the Trinity, the Son. Have you ever wondered why the book of Revelation hardly ever mentions the Father? Because it is the revelation of Jesus Christ, who is the image of God. That is why when Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus replied, have I been with you so long? And you still do not know me, Philip. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Now, this doesn't mean that the Father and the Son are the same person. They are distinct persons, but Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, the Son, is the image of God who reflects God, manifests God, represents God, and ultimately reveals God. How? Well, because He is God. So when we consider Adam, he was made in the image of the image of God, if that makes any sense. Secondly, Paul says that Christ is the creator of all things. And to explain this, Paul addresses Jesus' status, his relation to creation, the extent of his existence, and his power over creation. Paul says that Christ is the firstborn of all creation. When he says firstborn, he is not saying that he was born first. Nor is he saying that he is the first of creation, meaning that he was the first to be created, no. In other places in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, the firstborn is given this special status over the other children. And that is where we get this word from, but it doesn't always mean first to be born. The word firstborn is speaking of status here. He is the firstborn, as the New King James Version says, over all creation. He is preeminent or supreme over creation. Psalm 89 verse 27, which is a messianic psalm, helps in understanding what Paul is saying. When the Lord prophesies the coming of the Messiah, it says, and I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. So this text is speaking of his status in relation to creation. He is not equal with creation. He is not a created being. Rather, he stands above creation. He is, in fact, the king of creation. Why and how is he over all creation? Well, because he created all creation. Listen to Paul. 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. This ought to remind you of what John said in John chapter 1 in the opening words. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. All things were created by Him, through Him, and for Him. He is the creator of all things, for by Him all things were created. He is the means that God the Father used to create all things. Remember, God spoke everything into existence in Genesis 1.1, using the Word to create all things. As the psalmist said, for He spoke and He came to be. He commanded and it stood firm. All things were created for Him, for Jesus. This section reminds me of another time that Paul busts out in doxology in Romans chapter 11, where he said, for from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. And Paul attributes that doxology to Jesus here. So what he is saying is that Jesus is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end of all things created. There is no creation apart from Him. Everything that you see has on it the name and the claim of God's beloved Son. His fingerprint is on everything. Also, Paul speaks of the extent of Jesus' existence. As we mentioned earlier, he is eternal. Paul said that he is before all things. That is, all things created. Paul is just repeating what Jesus said when he claimed to be the I am of Exodus chapter three, but from his perspective. Notice, he said he is before all things, not he was before all things. Either Paul doesn't have good grammar, Or Paul is purposely stating that there is no limitation of time when it comes to the Son of God. He is eternal. He is who he is and always was and always will be. Jesus told the Jews, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. There you go again. Either Jesus doesn't know proper grammar and the difference between past tense and present tense, or he is explicitly stating that he is the eternal God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who existed before Abraham. In Jesus' high priestly prayer, he said to his father, now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory I had with you before the world existed. Which created being could say this? Remember Isaiah 42, which we read from earlier. I give my glory to no other. I believe it was C.S. Lewis who said that you cannot say that Jesus was just a good man or just a good prophet going around teaching good morals and how to lift up humanity. If you were to actually consider what Jesus said about himself, He would either be a narcissistic psychopath, or he was who he said he was, or better, who he said he is. Remember what the author of Hebrews said, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And lastly, Paul speaks of his power over creation. Paul says that in him, in the beloved son, all things hold together. This means that all things are sustained or upheld by Him. He is sovereign over everything that He has created. He gave all created things life and He upholds life in every atom. By His providence, He governs all things. The author of Hebrews attributes this sovereign power to Jesus when he said that He, that is Jesus, upholds the universe by the word of His power. So to say the least, without God's Son, we would have never existed. Paul is trying to remind the Colossians and us of who our Creator is. So what this section does so far is establish the deity of Christ. Christ is not just a man or just a prophet who came to preach the word of God. He is not a created being who existed before the creation and was given a little more power than everyone else. Rather, he is the creator of the creation. He is the Word of God. He is God. That is essential to believe for the Christian life. His deity is what is behind His power and authority to deliver His people from Satan, sin, and death. This is what Jesus revealed throughout His entire earthly ministry. And His deity forms the foundation of the believer's faith. Let me ask you this. What hope of heaven do you have if Christ was not divine, if He was just a created being? What would be your assurance? What would be your hope? Where would your hope be placed in the moment you closed your eyes in death? Would it be placed in yourself? In what you have accomplished? I don't know about you, but I don't think I accomplished much at all. Would it be placed in merely a man? Or would it be placed and the creator of all things. Paul is saying that the son of God is the creator of the old creation. And so this means he is the creator of the new creation as well. He is the creator of all things. And he told his disciples, that he was going to prepare a place for them. Yes, he has that much power to do so because he is the creator who created all things out of nothing. And he has gone to prepare a place for all who have believed in him for eternal life with God. So thirdly, not only is Christ the creator of the old creation, he is also supreme over the new creation. But not only because he is the creator of the new creation, because beginning in verse 18, Paul moves from speaking of Christ's deity to speaking of Christ's humanity. So that he is not only preeminent, that is a supreme being above all in his divine nature, but he is also preeminent, supreme, above all in his human nature. So Paul moves from the old creation to the new creation, from Christ's deity to Christ's humanity. He speaks of the Son of God who took on flesh in Jesus Christ in three ways. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. Jesus Christ is the beginning of the church. And Jesus Christ is the firstborn from the dead. First, he is the head of the church. Now, what does it mean that he is the head of the church? Well, he is the head of the church just as a head is to the body. Try walking around decapitated. It doesn't work. I don't say this from experience, although sometimes it feels like I do. But you need a head to govern the rest of the body. So this means that he has supreme authority as her ruler. He rules and governs the church. But also he is the head of the church as her source. He is the head of the church as he is the source of all things. But for the church specifically, he is the source. of her spiritual life. In our confession, it says that Christ is the Head and Savior of the Church, and in time, His people would be redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified. And so, if we are united to Christ and He is our Head, This means that as believers, we have fellowship and communion with Christ and with one another. Listen to our confession when it speaks of what it means when Christ is our Head. All saints that are united to Jesus Christ, their Head, by His Spirit and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory. And being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other's gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man. See, the church is not just a social club. The church is not a cultural or national gathering. It is not just a place we get together with people who have earthly things in common. In fact, it's not like any other gathering on the planet. Why? Well, because we share the most important thing in common. Christ is our head. That is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. You see, human beings are prone to look for shiny badges of honor, to separate themselves from everyone else. You think of the Colossian context. The false teachers were looking to national identity markers in Israel to set them apart from everyone else. But Paul is making clear here that what sets them apart from everyone else is that Christ is the head of the church, just as a husband is the head of his bride. He cares for her, he nourishes her, he is not harsh with her, he loves her, he gave himself up for her, and he cleanses her from all blemish. He gives her all that she needs in preparation for that great wedding day. Second, he is the beginning. of the church. This means that the church exists because of Christ. He is the beginning, as in everything begins with him and everything is centered around him and everything will end with him. When Jesus was crucified, it was a dark day and a dark occasion for his disciples. But three days later, when he rose, it's like the sun bursted out of the horizon and their hope was realized. Now listen as the author of Hebrews expressed this hope that we have in Christ. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now, this is what it means that He is the beginning of the church. He has gone before us into the heavenly inner place as He awaits the coming consummation of all things when He returns for us. Third, He is the firstborn from the dead. Again, the word firstborn doesn't mean that he was the first to be born from the dead or the first to rise from the dead, but rather, he is over all who rise from the dead. Again, He is preeminent, He is supreme, He is sovereign over all who are raised from the dead. This is Paul's way of communicating that since Christ was raised, all who belong to Him will be raised as well. And we will be raised by His power. His resurrection secured our resurrection and final salvation. Like Paul said to the Romans that Jesus Christ our Lord was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. He would say to the Corinthians, for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. And just as in the Bible, the firstborn son is considered preeminent or superior to the rest of the children that come after, Jesus Christ is superior to God's children who are raised after him. Now, this is how Paul concluded this verse when he said that in everything, he might be preeminent. He is preeminent, that is supreme, sovereign, greater than all things. He is preeminent over the old creation, as he is the creator, and he is preeminent over the new creation, as he is not only the creator, but also as he is the head of the church, the beginning of the church, and the firstborn from the dead, which makes way for the new creation. He is preeminent over everything. Why? Because it pleased God. because it pleased God. For those who are on the outside looking in and they hear of God's plan of salvation and how God chose some to redeem, they tend to falsely conclude that God is this big, mean tyrant. But God is not a big, mean tyrant. He is a good God. And it pleased Him to send His Son to redeem His people and bring them back to Himself. And this is our third point. Why is it important for us to know all this about who Christ is? Well, because now we get to know what he has done for us in that Christ is the reconciler of all things. And Christ was made the reconciler of all things because it pleased God. Paul said, For in him that is in Christ, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. Remember, Jesus couldn't accomplish what he accomplished for us if he didn't have a divine nature. He couldn't do what he did if he was just a man who was a little more empowered than everyone else. No, all that he accomplished was derived from the fact that all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in him. Paul is using Old Testament language here. He's using temple language found in Psalm 68, verse 16, which says this, Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for His abode? From the Greek Old Testament, it is translated, God was well-pleased to dwell in it, that is, Mount Zion. Yes, where the Lord will dwell forever. Remember that in the Old Covenant, God's dwelling place was on the Temple Mount Zion. And what was the function of the temple? It not only mediated the presence of God to His people, but also its main function was the temple sacrifices. The temple sacrifices were made so that God's people would be reconciled to himself and enjoy his presence. So Paul also said that it pleased God not only to dwell within the temple of Jesus Christ, but also through him, through Jesus, to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. To reconcile means to restore a relationship or to make someone or something acceptable. Now, this is speaking of a universal restoration of all things that He created. So through Christ and what He has done on the cross, what this text is saying, summarily, is that He introduced a new creation. which consists of a new people who were bought by His blood and a new place to dwell, a new Israel, a new Jerusalem. This is how Jesus brought about the kingdom of God. It wasn't through bombs and weapons of war, but only by the blood of the cross. He made peace between God and man and peace between God and the creation as the creation is groaning until it shall be set free one day. Because this kingdom that he introduced is a kingdom of peace. And this kingdom is what we should all be looking forward to. So Christian, have you realized that the words of this supposed Christ make up the anchor of your soul. The truth in these verses is what you need for your daily walk as a Christian. This is the foundation that you need to build your whole life on. There is no eternal life without it. These are Christian essentials. This is why Paul's entire argument about the need for Christian spiritual maturity is grounded in these words. So there are three points of application I have for you today. As this portion of Scripture is believed to be a hymn, then it is proper to say that the first point of application would be to praise Christ for who He is. Praise Christ for who He is. Now this text is clear in telling us that He is the God of heaven and earth. He is the one who created all things and all things belong to Him. He is eternal. He is sovereign and has power over all creation. He is preeminent. So all praises of worship and adoration belong to Him. Second, Find your comfort and joy in the one who not only created all things out of nothing, but who also died for your sins. Imagine, the creator of all things took on flesh and died for sinful creatures such as ourselves. He is both the sustainer of all things, who in the moment of your trial upholds all things by the word of his power, and also he is the guarantee of your final salvation and entrance into the new creation that he prepared for the saints. Have you ever considered the fact that if you believed in Christ, and since he is both creator as well as redeemer, that nothing can truly harm you? whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities, which are speaking of demonic powers in the heavenly places, He created them all. And He is sovereign over them all. No one needs to claim anything for Christ, because it's already all His. And no one can truly harm the saints. They can kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. And third, look to Christ because He is sufficient. Look to Him because He is the source of all of your spiritual and physical needs. He will provide both exactly what you need when you need it because He has been chosen by the Father to be your head. So not only are you called to submit to Him in obedience, but remember also that He has been chosen as your head to care for you, to love you, to nourish you, and to cleanse you from all sin. He is the beginning of the church and the firstborn from the dead. Trust that He will care for you when you need Him most. And if you're worried or scared, that you haven't been faithful enough, or that you haven't done enough, or that you haven't obeyed enough. Remember, what Christ has accomplished on your behalf is sufficient. Don't look to yourself. Don't look to your own progress or regress in the Christian life. If you have progressed in the Christian life, good. Praise Christ. Look to Christ for your perseverance. If you have regressed in the Christian life, that is bad. But look to Christ by faith and repentance. Let us never say to the one who makes progress, well, you have arrived. And let us never say to the one who has regressed, well, you have no hope. Rather, look to Christ. Don't look to yourself. Paul placed this text here for a reason. It is for your spiritual maturity. He is saying, look to Christ and what He has done on the cross for you, because His sacrifice is sufficient to make peace between you and God. You will never lose that peace. unless you can undo Christ's sacrifice, which you can't. Look to Him and rest in His work alone, not your own.