Colossians 1:15-23--The Preeminence of Christ

The Preeminence of Christ​
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 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. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 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, 23 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.

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For those of us in our Gospel Foundations curriculum, you should find these verses familiar, as we recently studied them as part of our first lesson on Creation.  Some key points here is that Jesus is not "made in the image of God" like Adam was, He is THE image of the invisible God--Jesus is everything that God, especially the things that we cannot see.  Jesus put all of God's invisible attributes into action for us so that we could see them at work through the way He lived and died and rose again and now how He intercedes for us and is coming again as Husband of the Church, Judge, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Jesus is the Creator of all things and the one for whom all things were created.  We see in John 1 that Jesus is the Word--the very Word of God that spoke the world into existence out of nothing.  He is preeminent over all creation and He himself is uncreated--He is like nothing else in creation.  He is before all things, so even though He was born in Bethlehem, He is as eternal as the Father, and He is the one in whom all things consist and hold together.

He is the Head of the Body (the Church)--which I mentioned before by calling Him our Husband.  We will be married with Him once we are united with Him in heaven and will live with Him forever in the New Jerusalem (heaven on earth).  He is also the firstborn of the living from among the dead--a promise to us that like Him we will receive a new body in His likeness that is fit for heaven, for this body that is fit for earth is not fit for heaven since it has been corrupted by sin.  Again we see that this was done so that in all things Christ may have authority and be preeminent.

But why would God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit set out on such a plan that included the death of God the Son on a cross from before the beginning of time?  Paul answers that one too--so that He might reconcile until Himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven.  That is everything that lasts after the coming judgement will belong to Him because He has purchased its redemption and made way for its reconciliation through His own blood.  Even though we failed God and deserved hellfire and damnation for our rebellion and sins that we willingly commit against Him, God interceded on our behalf to make a way--the one and only Way--to Him through the body and blood of Jesus that through His death we might have life and that through God's wrath being poured out on His own Son that we might receive grace and mercy and that by becoming sin for us, we might become the righteousness of Christ.  Now we are co-heirs with Jesus as we are going to be made like Him and receive everything that a son of God would receive from the one we can call "Abba, Father" (Daddy).

We have been brought near and are presented without blemish and with no need for shame or reproach) remember how after sin Adam and Eve realized they were naked and were ashamed and tried to cover themselves, but before that they were naked and not ashamed?  Shame will no longer exist for us in heaven because we will simply be exactly what God has created us to be.  This is the destiny for all those who persevere in their faith, but that too really is something that He does, and not that we do, for He is the one that keeps us to the end.  Remember in John where Jesus talks about Himself being the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep and that He will not lose any of the sheep that have been given to Him.

There is one true gospel that we must cling to and not waver from.  It is the foundation that is our solid rock that our lives are built on because it is the gospel of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us, in us and through us.  He is the one who has made us new, called us to be holy and set apart, and sealed us with the Holy Spirit (like the ring that is given as both a promise and down payment as an engagement ring to show that we belong to Him and He belongs to us), and He is coming again for us and will put all of His enemies in subjection to Himself and judge them for what they have done to Him (and part of what they have done to Him is what they have done to us as the Church).  It is this good news that like Paul we go forth to tell--this is the only message that can save people and give them hope in the kinds of times that Paul lived in and that we now live in.  We are citizens of a kingdom that is not of this world and are made for a purpose that this world doe not understand unless they too come to salvation by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is because He loved us that He did things for us and sent His apostles to the whole world to tell us, and it is because we have His love flowing in and through us that we go into all the world to proclaim the gospel to all people groups so that all creation might be reconciled to Christ.