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Good morning friends,
Today let’s return together to Colossians chapter 1. You’ll remember Paul is writing to encourage a group of people he doesn’t know well, since he’d never been to their city, but he’d heard very good reports of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is taking root in Colosse.
The section vs. 15-23 is so rich, such powerful truth. This is one of those places in the Bible you will likely come back to often, especially if you are having a conversation with someone who is struggling to believe that Jesus Christ really is fully God. Look closely at what Paul writes: “He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (1:15) Let’s be sure we get this… God is invisible, because God is Spirit, and God is Omni-Present (everywhere simultaneously).
But Jesus came here, took on a human body, in part, so God could be seen, touched, heard, questioned. Sometimes when people looked at Jesus, with sweat running down His face, or when He went to a well and drank a jug or two of cool water on a hot day, or when He sat down to a big meal with friends…sometimes people forgot that He was fully God. So Paul makes it very clear here. You might want to look across the page and add Colossians 2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…”
Don’t let the phrase “…the firstborn over all creation” confuse you. This is not referring to Jesus’ incarnation in the Bethlehem stable. Rather, in the ancient world, the firstborn male in the family was the primary heir of the family estate, but also had primary responsibility and authority to carry on the family heritage and lead the family if the patriarch was unable. Paul is using the phrase ‘firstborn over all creation’ to indicate Jesus’ authority over all that has been created by God.
Verse 16 explains this further… “For by Him (Jesus) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” Does this mean that Jesus was present and active in Genesis chapter 1? Absolutely YES! Notice Genesis 1:26 where God said “Let us make man in Our image, in our likeness…so God created man in His own image….” You see the plural pronoun, right? “Us, We”? So who is that? It is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit, all working together.
Did you notice Paul wrote that Jesus created all things in heaven and on earth? What does that mean? Well… of course it means stars, moon, sun, the whole universe. And it means planet earth, oceans, continents, trees, animals, fish, birds, Adam etc. But it also means one other very important species. They live in heaven and sometimes come here to earth on a special mission from God? That’s right…angels.
Yes, Jesus created all the angels! How many…well the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us, but LOTS! And He created them before Genesis chapter 1. And yes, some of them are now ‘fallen angels’. These are the angels who rebelled against God and He threw them out of heaven, and created a place for them He calls hell. They are led by their chief evil angel, Satan, and often are referred to as demons, or evil spirits in the Bible. Many Bible scholars believe those words “thrones, powers, rulers, authorities” are actually titles or ranks of angels. Perhaps like the military… captain, major, colonel, general etc.
Now look at the next phrase: “…all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (1:17) All that God created has purpose. First and foremost, to demonstrate the magnificent glory of God. Secondly, to serve His purposes. Third to draw humanity to know God. Now think about that a moment. Nothing that God created is meaningless or without purpose. Note that Jesus existed before anything…God is eternal, no beginning and no end. Also notice Jesus holds everything together, He sustains the Universe, and even life itself.
And then this powerful statement from Paul: “And He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church…” (1:18) Jesus is the founder, leader and has full authority over this thing He called ‘My church’. Remember Jesus said “I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18) ‘The Church’ is people, all over the world, who have been redeemed by Jesus’ death and resurrection. We have Jesus in common, regardless of our ethnicity, our language, our geography. We have trusted Jesus to be our Savior and we are united in Him.
We may call ourselves Baptist’s, or Presbyterian’s, or Nazarene’s or Methodist’s or Messianic Jews, or even Muslim Background Believers, or Catholic’s… but if we have trusted Jesus to be our Savior and God has done the irreversible work of our Regeneration, Redemption, Adoption, Justification etc. then we are each and all, part of the people of God. We are Jesus’ Church and HE is the head of His church, both globally and locally. Thus, regardless of who is the human leader of your local church, JESUS is the ultimate authority and Head of His Church! Do I hear Amen?
Then do you see Paul continues: “…He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.” Here Paul is clarifying that Jesus Christ is the ONLY person who has ever been raised from the dead, never to die again. But “firstborn from among the dead” means there will be others who experience the same thing. Who are they? You and me and EVERY human being! Oh yes my friends, there will be two resurrections in the future. The first resurrection is for all those from all time whose bodies are dead, but they had trusted Jesus for their salvation and they are part of God’s family, and we’ve already seen that explained in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15. These Christians will be raised up from the dead and gathered together with Jesus into Heaven for all eternity.
The second resurrection will come later, and that is for everyone else, those who never trusted in Jesus, and they will be resurrected to judgment and eternal separation from God. John explains this in Revelation 20:5,11-15 and Jesus described it in Matthew 25:31-46, in His analogy of sheep and goats. You see my friends, Jesus has the last word! As Paul said “…in everything, Jesus has the supremacy”!
Paul again re-affirms that Jesus is fully God with this next statement: “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him (Jesus)…”. And then Paul explains this miracle of Jesus reconciling or restoring all that has been defiled and broken by sin, back into original and proper relationship with Holy God. Do you see it in vs. 20-22? “…and through Him (Jesus) to reconcile to Himself (God the Father) all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of evil behavior. But now, He has reconciled you, by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in God’s sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
Oh, this is big my friends! Jesus’ death on the cross was His payment in full for our sin, and thus God the Father can receive us back into restored relationship with Himself, because our sin has been paid for by Jesus! We go from having been enemies of God to being friends, and even sons and daughters, adopted by God into His family! Think of that! And more… we are no longer seen by God as stained by our sin, but now holy in His sight!
Oh…may I point out that when Paul writes “things in heaven”, Paul is NOT saying that the fallen angels, the demons, will be restored back to their holy state and welcomed back into heaven. Oh no! Jesus did not die for the angels, only for humanity. Satan and all the evil angels’ fate are sealed… hell forever! (Rev. 20:10)
And then lastly, do you see in vs. 23, Paul urges the Christians in Colosse, and of course us, to stand strong in our faith which is rooted in the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, which they and we, have heard and believed, and Paul has been writing about? Are you doing that my friends?
I hope our “Walking with Jesus” journey is nourishing your spiritual growth, deepening your understanding of God’s Word the Bible, and growing your relationship with Jesus.
I think we’ll stop here for today and just allow our minds and hearts to be overwhelmed with Jesus…and who He is in all His grandeur, and all He has accomplished for you and me, and all who will trust in Him for their salvation from their sin!
Oh Jesus…we praise you, and we search for the words to express our thanks to you!
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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