One of the most interesting and revealing questions you can ask someone is, "Who do you think Jesus is?" That question will reveal a lot about someone's understanding of history and theology. It will also reveal a lot about someone's faith.
Over the past few decades, there has been a gradual cultural shift away from reverence and respect toward Jesus. With more regularity, I hear Jesus used in the punchline of jokes. I have also seen Him treated as if He is a caricature for cartoons or comedic t-shirts. But I'm convinced that if we truly appreciated who Jesus is, that would be far less common.
Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have lived in perfect unity as One for all eternity. When God the Son took on flesh and was born as a man, He didn't stop being God. He became 100% man and 100% God at the same time. Theologians call this miracle the "hypostatic union."
But because Jesus became a man, there's a large portion of this world that forgets He is God. Sometimes I wonder if we as believers don't think about this enough as well. In fact, there seem to have been some misunderstandings about the nature and the character of Jesus that the apostle Paul felt the need to correct as he wrote to the believers in the city of Colossae.
As we look at what Paul taught and clarified about Jesus in Colossians 1:15-23, it might be helpful for us to ask the question, "Did I know this about Jesus?" There might be a few things about Him that this Scripture helps clarify for you, just as it did for the believers living during the days of the early church.
I. Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe
““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.””
I enjoy studying history. That was something my family realized about me at an early age. I still remember surprising my grandmother as a little kid when I pointed to her Hoover vacuum cleaner and asked her, "Is your vacuum named after Hoover the president?" I was little, so she was shocked that I even knew there had been a President Hoover.
One of the things we're used to when it comes to studying history is the concept of events having a beginning and an end. World leaders are born and then they die. Nations are founded, but then they crumble from within or get invaded by stronger nations. But Jesus isn't like the nations or leaders we're used to. He has no beginning and He has no end.
In fact, Scripture is clear that Jesus created all things, visible and invisible, physical and spiritual, and He sustains everything He created. That means this world, the universe, the angels, and human beings were all created by Jesus. And by His divine power, all creation is being held together. Theoretically, if He stopped sustaining what He created, it would fall into chaos and crumble. It would cease to exist.
When Paul refers to Jesus as being "the firstborn of all creation," he isn't speaking of Him as the first thing created. He's using a term that tends to be used in a royal sense. Just as the firstborn son of a king possesses authority to rule, so too does Jesus who has existed eternally as the Son of God. When He came to this earth, He made God visible to us. When He returns, we will also see the clearest demonstration of His divine authority and power over what He has created.
When we think of Jesus, how often do we think about Him being the Creator and Sustainer of the universe? Most often, we think of Him as the divine Son of God who came to this earth as our Savior, but He's more than that. When Jesus came to save us and restore this lost creation, He was coming to rescue what He made in the first place.
Knowing this to be true, how does this impact the way you perceive Christ's crucifixion? In that moment and in the moments leading up to that event, Jesus was being mocked and beaten by people He made. He was nailed to a cross made from wood He created, with metal spikes that were being held together by His sustaining power. The lives of the people who tortured Jesus were being sustained by Him. How amazing is that to ponder? What does that reveal to us about His great patience and love for His creation?
II. Jesus is the head of the church
““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.” ”
The other day I received a message from a pastor who occasionally asks me for ministry counsel. He's been discouraged for a long time, but he remains faithful in his pastoral role. At present, he is serving a church that doesn't seem very interested in reaching out to people in their community. Their primary concern is to protect their traditions, maintain their property, and keep things as comfortable as they can for as long as possible, even though this approach has contributed to a gradual, but noticeable decline in the church over the course of time. My friend confessed to me that the only hope he sees for this church is that maybe someday soon it will die and be replanted with a new vision and new internal leadership.
His local church isn't the only one struggling. I think it can be rather easy to pick on the church in general. I will confess my own irritation with the church at times, especially over the course of recent years. I see this era of history as a great opportunity for the church to demonstrate a powerful blend of compassion and courage. But instead of seizing that opportunity, I'm seeing a lot of churches cower in fear because their leaders, as far as I can tell, either lack support, wisdom, faith, or a backbone.
And as easy as the church can be to pick on sometimes, Jesus still loves her. She's still His bride, and He isn't ashamed to call her His own. Jesus is the head of the church. The church consists of those He has redeemed from the power of sin with the blood He lovingly shed on the cross. So instead of being overly critical of the church, I wonder what it would look like if we started seeing the church like Jesus did.
Jesus, the head of the church, is also the firstborn from the dead. The resurrection we as members of His church will enjoy finds its foundation in His resurrection from the grave. Our union with Him means that His victory over death becomes our victory as well. So even though the church at times may look weak, and it may not seem impressive from a human standpoint, it remains the bride of Christ and it will never die.
And since Jesus is the head of the church, let's make sure that everything we do as a church brings Him glory. When messages are preached from the pulpit, let's proclaim His glory and His power to save. When the church gathers to sing and pray, let's give praise to His name and never keep secret the fact that our hope is in Him.
Can I share with you a conversation I frequently have with those who lead music for our church worship services? From time to time, as they're preparing for our worship services, they will ask me ahead of time what I'll be preaching about so they can pick songs that fit with the the subject. I appreciate the heart of that question, so I hope they don't get too annoyed with my answer because I almost always say, "If you keep picking songs about Jesus, they will always fit with what I'm preaching about that Sunday."
III. Jesus is working in you to present you as holy and blameless
““And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,” ”
This past week, I had a conversation with a friend who told me that she plans to work toward restoring a friendship that was previously damaged. I loved hearing that because it's such a powerful application of the truth Paul proclaimed in these verses.
The Colossians, just like Christians of every era of history, were once alienated from God. Our minds were hostile to God and our lives demonstrated that hostility because we embraced evil deeds that this world tries to tell us are good. This world told me, and I believed that greed, arrogance, and selfishness were good things. But now, through the sacrificial death of Jesus, I have been brought near to Him and I no longer believe the false things I used to believe. I am no longer alienated from God. I'm reconciled to Him through Jesus.
Now, according to this Scripture, Jesus is doing a new work within me and within all who trust in Him. He is working in us to present us as holy and blameless before the Father. By the grace of God, through faith in Jesus, we have been united to Him. The righteousness of Christ has been given to all who believe. Our sins have been forgiven and our stains have been wiped away. We have been cleansed of unrighteousness and rebellion.
What kind of difference would it make if you started seeing yourself the way Jesus sees you? Do you think you'd keep re-hashing the mistakes of your past? Do you think you'd keep minimizing your value? Do you think you'd keep putting yourself down? Do you think you'd keep putting others down as well?
When we begin to appreciate what Jesus is doing for us, and we begin seeing ourselves and others through that lens, it's like a whole new way of living is opened up to us.
IV. Don't stray from the hope of the gospel
““if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.” ”
I love the way this portion of Scripture concludes. Paul challenges the church to remain strong in faith, and not shift from the hope we have in the gospel.
When I think of shifting from that hope, I picture a car swerving all over the road because the driver is sleepy, distracted, or under the influence of something unhealthy.
I'm not interested in swerving. I don't want to become sleepy in faith or distracted from what's truly important. I don't want to give the evil one, or the shallow philosophies of this world influence over the way I think.
When we know who Jesus really is, we come to realize that our trust in Him is not wasted faith. It results in a permanent union with our Creator and Sustainer, the Head of the church, who presents us as holy and blameless before the Father. Did you know Jesus wants to do this for you? If so, are you taking Him up on His offer?
© John Stange, 2022
