Series: Colossians: Supreme!
Title: “What’s the Big Deal about Jesus Christ?”
Scripture: Colossians 1:5-20; John 1:1-8, 14:9; Heb 1:3
(Commentary helps listed at the end)
Bottom line: Jesus Christ deserves our highest praise (worship) and deepest devotion (work, witness) because the gospel of Christ has rescued us from our rebellion and hopeless condition.
INTRODUCTION
Opening story:
God put the cookies on the bottom shelf when he came down as Jesus. He did this to make it easier for us to understand and comprehend more of who he is and what he’s like.
This translated note was translated Aug 8, 2021:
CONTEXT
The apostle Paul is going to hear about the Colossian church from Epaphras. He’s going to hear:
About their faith, love and hope.
About the false teachings that are moving in and infecting the church family.
It is in response to this second point that moves Paul to write this letter to them. He wants them to remain spiritually healthy in Christ.
The bullseye of discipleship at Grace CF is Christ-like character and competency. That’s high faith, love and hope according to Colossians 1 and Philemon 5.
This week we transition from the prayer of thanksgiving to a Christological hymn of praise that should move us to worship him in awe and gladly submit to him in obedience to his loving authority.
THEME
Absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the head of all creation and of the church.
3:1 Overall exhortation/application: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is (for now) seated at the right hand of God.”
2:6 Says it another way: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”
OUTLINE
Better questions: What’s the big deal about Jesus Christ?
Paul answers this question with a hymn sung to remind people why Jesus is supreme and therefore deserves all our worship, work, and witness.
Bottom line: Jesus Christ deserves our highest praise (worship) and deepest devotion (work, witness) because the gospel of Christ has rescued us from our rebellion and hopeless condition.
I. Jesus is the Lord of Creation (15-17)
A. He is the authority of creation (15)
Jesus makes the invisible visible (even thought limited by his humanity cf. Phil 2:6-8)
This alone makes him worthy of worship
B. He is the agent of creation (16)
C. He is the aim of creation (16-17)
Application: Christ must be first in our worship.
II. Jesus is the Head of the Church (18)
A. He is the source of the Church (18)
B. He is sovereign over the Church (18)
Application: Christ must be first in our work.
NEXT WEEK
III. Jesus is the Savior of the Cross (19-23)
A. He reveals the Father to us (19)
B. He reconciles us to the Father (20-23)
Application: Christ must be first in our witness.
CONCLUSION
Three Ways You Can Exercise Faith
The islanders were cannibals. Nobody trusted anybody else. His life was in constant danger. He had come to tell them the good news about Jesus. He wanted to translate John’s Gospel into their language, but he discovered that there was no word in their language for ‘trust’, ‘belief’ or ‘faith’.
John Paton (1824–1907), a Scot, had travelled to the New Hebrides (a group of islands in the south-west Pacific) determined to tell the tribal people about Jesus, but he struggled to find the right word for ‘faith’. One day, when his indigenous servant came in, Paton raised both feet off the floor, sat back in his chair and asked, ‘What am I doing now?’ In reply, the servant used a word that means, ‘to lean your whole weight upon’. This became the expression that Paton used. Faith is leaning our whole weight upon Jesus.
Bottom line: Jesus Christ deserves our highest praise (worship) and deepest devotion (work, witness) because the gospel of Christ has rescued us from our rebellion and hopeless condition.
Do you believe (fully leaning on) Jesus is Lord over creation? Does your worship reflect that?
Do you believe (fully leaning on) Jesus is Head of the Church? Does your work reflect that?
Pray
Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32
OTHER NOTES:
“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.”
Hebrews 11:27 NIV
https://hebrews.bible/hebrews-11-27
Outline Bible
I. Christ and the Church at Colossae (1:15-23)
A. Who Christ is (1:15): He is the visible image of the invisible God.
B. What Christ has done (1:16-23)
In regard to creation (1:16-17, 20)
He created all things (1:16) PAST
He sustains all things (1:17) PRESENT
He will reconcile all things (1:20) FUTURE
In regard to the Church (1:18-19, 21-23): He has been appointed head of the Church.
Kent Hughes outline
I. Christ: Supreme in eternity (15a)
II. Christ: Supreme in creation (15b-17): In 4 ways:
A. Firstborn (authority)
Sounds like first person created but ignores context
Creator of everything (from nothing) and eternal
Firstborn means first in rank/honor. Ex. 800,000 catalogued insects of which there are billions of species
B. Creator (agent)
C. Goal (aim)
D. Sustainer (atom)
III. Christ: Supreme in the Church (18)
Scott Pace outline (15-23)
Main idea: The glory of Christ deserves our highest praise and deepest devotion because the gospel of Christ has rescued us from our rebellious hearts and hopeless condition.
I. Jesus is the Lord of Creation (15-17)
A. He is the authority of creation (15)
B. He is the agent of creation (16)
C. He is the aim of creation (16-17)
Application: Christ must be first in our worship.
II. Jesus is the Head of the Church (18)
A. He is the source of the Church (18)
B. He is sovereign over the Church (18)
Application: Christ must be first in our work.
III. Jesus is the Savior of the Cross (19-23)
A. He reveals the Father to us (19)
B. He reconciles us to the Father (20-23)
Application: Christ must be first in our witness.
FF Bruce Outline
I. Christ the Agent in Creation (15-16)
II. Lord of the Universe and Head of the Church (17-18)
III. Christ the Agent in Reconciliation (19-20)
NT Wright
15
16
17 “And he is ahead (before), prior to all else…
18 “And he himself is supreme, the head over the body, the church
19
20
Describes who Jesus Christ is and why he matters to us with respect to authority, allegiance, and awe (worship).
In Hebrew, “head” has several meanings (like in English):
Jesus Christ is…
“First born” (15 & 18)
“Supreme” (17) = “head” or “before all things”
“Head” of there body = church (18)
“Beginning” = “head” (18)
If the Colossians are to grow as Christians, they need to know Christ is and what he has already done (and does)!
Centrality and Supremacy of Jesus Christ
God = Jesus Christ
This shows us how to live in and for him each day.
3 Things this poem/hymn points us to about Jesus Christ and what God has done in and through him:
By looking at Jesus we discover who God is.
While nobody has ever seen God, in Jesus God has
Come near, and
Become one of us
Jesus is the mirror image of the invisible God who is there but not normally seen
Seeing what Jesus did gives us a better view of who God is. (Rom 5:8)
Jesus holds together the old world AND the new, creation, and the new creation.
Jesus Christ is the one through whom creation was made, and
Jesus Christ is for whom creation was made.
When the beauty of our world causes you to catch your breath, remember it’s like that because of jesu. “Firstborn over all creation”
Also, he’s who heals the world from evil through live, cross, burial, resurrection and ascension. “Firstborn from the dead”
Jesus is therefore the blueprint (pattern) for the genuine humanness which is one offered through the gospel.
As head of the body, the Church
As first to rise again from the dead
As the one through whom cruel death God has dealt with our sins and brought peace and reconciliation
As the one through whom the new creation has now begun.
This is when Jesus has summoned us to experience genuine humanity.
My Notes
4 Christological passages in the Bible:
CHjOP:
C - Colossians 1:15-23
H - Hebrews 1:1-4
jO - John 1:1-18
P - Philippians 2:5-11
Gospel Transformation Bible
Christ is supreme over all things—visible and invisible
Christ is Lord over all
From creation of all things
To redemption of their souls
Christ is both
Transcendent Lord of all things far removed from them
Immanent Lord of all things near to them
Christ created all things and brings peace to all who trust him
Christ is head of
Creation (15-17)
The Church (18-20)
NIV Study Bible
Perhaps an early Christian Hymn on the supremacy of Christ used here to counteract the false teachings at Colossae.
2 Parts:
Supremacy of Christ in creation (15-17), and
Supremacy of Christ in redemption (18-20).
“Image of God” (15) cf. “radiance of God” (Heb 1:3)
This figure of image suggests 2 things:
God is invisible (“no one has ever seen God” John 1:18)
Christ, who is the eternal Son of God and who became the God-man, reflects and reveals him (cf John 1:18, 14:9) “Anyone has seen me has seen the Father”
1:15 “firstborn over all creation”—Just as the firstborn son had certain privileges and rights in the Biblical world, so also Christ has certain rights in relation to all creation—
Priority
Preeminence
Sovereignty
1:16 “by him all things were created” (cf John 1:3)—7x in 6 verses Paul mentions “all creation,” “all things” and “everything,” thus stressing that Christ is supreme over all.
Including “thrones or powers or rulers or authorities” Colossians heresy includes hierarchy of angelic beings.
1:17 “He is before all things” referring to time, as in John 1:1-2, 8:58
1:18 “Beginning” of the new creation. “Firstborn” Christ was first to rise from teh dead with regular body. Others raised from the dead in the Bible died again. (Raised vs Resurrected)
1:19 “fullness”
Gnostics = the summation of the supernatural forces controlling the fate of people
Paul = the totality of God with all his powers and attributes
MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:
Exalting Jesus in Colossians by Scott Pace
Preaching the Word: Philippians, Colossians and Philemon commentary by R. Kent Hughes
ESV Global Study Bible
Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel
Bible Knowledge Commentary
The Outline Bible, Wilmington
Paul for Everyone, The Prison Letters, NT Wright’s commentary on Philippians and Colossians
Gospel Transformation Bible
NIV Study Bible
