Colossians 1:13-20 is one of the most powerful Scriptures about Christ. Just consider what this text says about Him. It begins with God the Father in verse thirteen, and then quickly moves us to consider the Son…
Christ, the Redeemer.
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. – Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV)
Regardless of your theological understanding or your understanding of God and religion, we all share a common problem. We all see a common problem. We all see the brokenness. We all see things that are not the way they should be. We see sin and hurt, and regardless of our vigorous attempts to rid ourselves of this problem, we all notice that the problem seems to flow from inside of ourselves. We see a problem, and it is not happening to humanity, rather it is happening in and through humanity.
Humanity has attempted many things to fix this problem. From sacrifices to penance. From enlightenment to benevolence. However, after all of our attempts, the problem still remains… Because the problem is us.
In other words, our problem is not fixed through our sacrifices, rather we need redemption. The remedy is not penance, rather we need redemption. We don’t need to clear our minds enough to reach enlightenment, rather we need to be redeemed. We don’t need to be good enough as people, but again, we need to be redeemed.
Every religion tells us what we need to do to get to God, while Christianity tells us what God did to get to us. Because the problem is in us, the solution must come from outside of us. In other words, we don’t save ourselves from our brokenness and sin, we are saved from our brokenness and sin by God Himself.
Redemption is the deliverance from evil by payment of a price. (CITATION) Jesus Christ offered himself as payment for our redemption. God came down to us, and paid the great price to reconcile us to Himself. Jesus Christ paid that price. Christ is our redeemer.
Christ, God visible.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. – Colossians 1:15 (ESV)
Genesis recounts the way all of this began. God created all things from nothing, and declared it to be good. The created the heavens and the earth, plants and the animals. Then, God created man, and it was good.
Adam was the first man, and he was free of sin and brokenness. He was literally able to walk side by side, face to face with God himself in the paradise garden that God had created.
However, this was wrecked by sin. As the man chose sin over God’s plan, the close face-to-face relationship with God and man was severed. The man was removed from the presence of God and from the garden of God, and from that moment forward mankind has been unable to stand in the holiness of the presence of our God. Generation after generation have come and have gone, and none have been able to experience the face to face relationship that was experienced in that garden.
Then Christ came, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1) Through Christ, we now have the image of our God that we cannot see. Jesus says this in John 14:6-7 (ESV), “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Through Christ, we see and know God. He is the image of the invisible God.
Christ, the agent and aim of 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. – Colossians 1:16 (ESV)
The act of creation is often attributed to the Father alone. But, what was the role of Christ in creation? There are three phrases here that are important to understand; by him, through him, and for him.
The phrase “by Him” and “through him” reveal Christ as the agent of creation. The Trinity was active in creation, and “by Him” reveals that the Father works by the Son. It was by His power that all things were created out of nothing. Jesus Christ is the agent of creation.
The phrase “for Him” reveal Christ as the aim of creation. You have most likely heard the phrase, “you are not the point!” Whether it be a self-absorbed co-worker or an entitled friend, this phrase is a not-so-subtle way of reminding someone that they are not the center of the universe. As much as we might not appreciate the person who says this to us, it is true.
“For Him” is a phrase that reminds us that all of creation was spoken into existence for Jesus Christ. The aim of all creation is to glorify the Son. You are not the point, because He is. Jesus Christ is the agent and aim of creation.
Christ, the sustainer.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. – Colossians 1:17 (ESV)
There is a common belief known as Deism. Deism believes in the existence of a “God”, specifically of a creator, yet this “God” does not intervene in the universe that he created. Deists see God like a brilliant clock maker who designed a clock, wound it up, and now has stepped back to observe the clock function without His intervention.
The problem with Deism is that it runs in conflict to what the Scriptures tell us about our God and our world. Colossians tells us that the world was created by, through, and for Christ. However, it does not end there, because we also see that the created world is now held together by Christ himself. In other words, our God has not created the clock and left it to run on its own. Instead, God is both the creator and sustainer of all things.
As we look at a world that we don’t understand and as we experience things in life that we cannot explain, it is incredible to understand that Christ is holding all things together. He has not left us. He has not abandoned us. He is near. He is close. Christ is our sustainer.
Christ, the head.
And he is the head of the body, the church. – Colossians 1:18a (ESV)
The people of God, the church, has had many leaders throughout history. There have been many who have led the church with grace, love, courage, and truth. Many who have led sacrificially and with humility. Many who have done an incredible amount of good for both the church and the world. On the other hand, there have also been many who have led poorly. Many who have taken advantage of the church, hurt the church, and used the church for personal gain. Many who have done an incredible amount of harm to both the church, and to the church’s gospel witness in the world.
Through all leadership in the church, through both the good and the poor leadership, the church is ultimately under the leadership of one, and only one. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. Christ is the leader of his people, and He has not left or abandoned his bride.
The community of faith is led by Jesus Christ. Pastors and church leaders are but under-shepherds, under the authority of the chief shepherd, Jesus Christ.
For any person who has been hurt by the church, for any person who is tempted to give up, for any person who is tempted to say, “I love Jesus, just not the church,” we must understand that we cannot share in the blessing of Christ, the head, while rejecting the church, His body. In other words, as we submit to the headship of Christ, we simultaneously join in the body of believers who collectively call him Lord. Christ is the head.
Christ, the preeminent.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. – Colossians 1:18b (ESV)
Jesus Christ came, lived a human life, experienced life just as we do, and even died a human death. He was like us… Hebrews 4:14 (ESV) says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus Christ was like us, and yet he wasn’t.
Preeminent is defined as something surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way. In other words, preeminent is something that is like all of the others, and yet at the same time is distinguished from all of the others.
Consider again Hebrews 4:14, and allow me to add some commentary…
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are (in other words, Jesus was “like us”) yet without sin.” (In other words, Jesus Christ surpassed us and was distinguished from us).
This is an incredible truth! Our Savior is like us and can sympathizes with us through all of life’s trials. Yet, our Savior is preeminent over us, which gives Him the right to be our perfect mediator with the Father.
What an incredible Savior! Jesus Christ is preeminent.
Christ, the reconciler.
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. – Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV)
Are you a peace-maker? Does conflict drive you crazy, and cause you to look for a peaceful solution? Our drive for reconciliation is perhaps one of the aspects of our being created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26-27) Our God is a God of reconciliation!
In fact, one of the most powerful aspects of the gospel message is the profound truth that God did not have to save us. He could have left us in our sin, and He would have been right and just to do so. He could have looked on us, and let us remain alienated from Him by our sin. But He did not…
Romans 5:8 (ESV) says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were still sinners, while we were still happy in our alienation, while we were still caught up in our rebellion, God sent His Son as the means of reconciliation. Jesus Christ is the means of eternal reconciliation between God and man, both in this life and in the life to come. Jesus Christ is the reconciler.