Infinite Eternal Unchangable
Here we are embarking on a discussion of one of the most beautiful and succinct passages on Who our Lord is! Colossians 1:15-23. The One who said “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father,” and the One who was called “Beloved Son” is the image of the invisible God. From our catechism we learn to meditate on the idea that “God is a spirit” and He cannot be seen. For thousands of years He had been waiting for the moment in His plan that we know to be “the fulness of times.” The time when God the Son would become incarnate, take on flesh, becoming Fully God and Fully Man–two natures in one Person.
“No one has seen God at any time; the Only Begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” John 1:18
Our text for the week, Colossians 1:13-23
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
Early Church Creeds and Hymns
I am thankful to my former professor and mentor, Dr. Gary Habermas, for all that he has taught and written on this topic. The historical evidence for creeds and hymns that the apostles include in their letters is well attested, and worth studying.
Here in our passage, verses 15-17 are recognized as a creed dating back to Jerusalem in the 30s, predating Paul’s conversion, which he encountered and clung to. This portion is something the early church members memorized. In my own life, memorizing 1:11-18 has been invigorating. When we memorize, it is to keep His words with us, to ponder them, pray through them; and throughout your life the Spirit makes them more dear, as He opens up deeper understanding. Or, as we prayed last week, to grow in knowledge with all Spiritual wisdom and understanding! The Holy Spirit is the One enlightening and growing each of us. Consider then, that the early church members memorized and recited Who Jesus Christ Is on a regular basis, as we go through these ideas briefly.
He is the image of God, of our Triune God, showing us what God is like. The character qualities seen in Jesus Christ are true of God, He revealed the oneness, and the attributes, and the very heart. In Jesus Christ we come to understand the Love of God, not just the love of one person of the Triune Godhead. In Him we see gentleness, compassion, patience, and all the other qualities–coming to understand that this is Who God has always been and always will be.
Firstborn
As firstborn of all creation, we recognize that He is the source, the origin. He is begotten, we are created. He is the firstborn, and “from Him, through Him, to Him are all things.” For “by Him all things were created.” He is the Word, and in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, by speaking. He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast. He “did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18)! And as the masterpiece of His creation, man and woman in His image. As you seek to build your home library, consider adding Rejoicing In Christ by Michael Reeves; you will enjoy his section on Jesus as Firstborn.
Furthermore, all creation, “both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Not just ‘invisible’ to the naked eye, like atoms and quarks and sound waves and bone marrow, and the earth’s core…but also all things in realms we cannot see or access. Angels, demons, powers…all created by God. None is His equal.
Consider for a moment 2 Kings 6. Elisha and his servant were surrounded by the army of a country at war with Israel. Elisha’s servant was scared–we all would have been if in his situation. He panicked, but Elisha prayed “LORD, open his eyes that he may see.” And what did the servant then see? The armies and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha, sent by the LORD, to fight the real battle–the battle taking place in realms we cannot see or access without the LORD doing a miraculous thing.
Likewise in Daniel 10:10-14, when the angel comes to answer Daniel’s prayer, he explains his lateness by telling of the battle he was in. In the invisible realm. Jude 8-10 discusses unbelievers who sneak in and pretend to be part of our church, and who ‘revile angelic majesties.’ We must not fear these unseen, invisible realms created by God, nor must we fall into the equally deplorable sins of worshipping them, or reviling them. We worship and fear God alone! It is these unseen powers and authorities that Christ defeated on the cross–which we discuss more late in 2:15.
Cosmic…
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Remember, we are reading Colossians looking for truths that we need to preach to our souls? This one is timeless for that very purpose. When all around us seems to be in chaos, or crumbling–when we can’t help but focus on the disintegrating effects of sin, we can remember that He holds all things together. He holds me. His people. The universe. All things. Creation will not be destroyed until He comes to judge, and usher in the New Heavens and New Earth! Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us He does this by the Word of His Power. It is not a wearisome task for Him–He created by His Word, and holds all things together by His Word. Consider the cosmic greatness of His power, and also the personal nature of Him directing this power to care for you, for me.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. He ushers in the beginning of His new creation, in His new body. He came and took on flesh. He died and was buried. He was raised in a glorified body–the firstfruits of the new! His sacrifice cleansed us, ensuring that we too would have undefiled inheritance, a perfected flesh in our eternal home. (See Hebrews 9:23; 10:19ff; Acts 13:33-39). He took on flesh–all of it, and became fully man; and only in this way was He able to heal us wholly. So as the firstfruits, our Mediator is now living in glorified flesh, which we too will live in when He raises us (see 2 Corinthians 5, 1 Corinthians 15).
In Christ the Eternal and Earthly meet, the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily. Fullness, He never put off any portion of His deity. He did not lay His glory aside, as many mistakenly sing and teach. He put on flesh and we could not see His glory, but a glimpse was given in the Transfiguration! What was Peter’s response? And years later, as he writes 1 Peter, what are his further thoughts? (a delightful excursion to journal through)
Jesus was Fully God and Fully Man. His deity was unchanged, and is eternally unchangeable. The two natures in One Person which do not mingle or become confused.
Cosmic, and yet Personal
He reconciled all things. All of creation was effected by the fall of man. Rebellion, disintegration, disharmony, disease, death. Jesus Christ restores relationships to God, and does what is necessary to bring His creation back into harmony with Him; He mends and binds up, and gives us hope–True Hope of what our eternal life will be like.
He reconciled all things, even you and me. He brings peace between man and God, between man and man, between man and creation–yet remember, He made the beginning, He is making all things new, we are still here, exiled in a fallen world awaiting our true home in which everything will be glorified and perfected! (Maranatha!)
2 Natures Considered Further
God cannot die, He is by nature eternal and unchangeable.
Christ Jesus, as fully God and fully Man can experience death in the flesh, as one of us would. And so Jesus Christ took on this burden, willingly. He gave Himself, as it was foreknown before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1). Yet, there was no break in the Trinity. While still being the One who holds all things together by the Word of His Power (see Hebrew 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:17 above) He accomplished our redemption by dying on the cross in our place. He tasted death for all His people (Hebrews 2:9); yet death could not hold Him! He conquered death and “God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” (see Acts 2:24-36)
If and Endurance
“If” you will continue sounds “ify” to some, yet what Paul is teaching here is the fact that if you have faith then you will continue. To be in Union with Christ is an eternal relation, you are in Christ and will remain in Christ. You will not be moved or shaken. This town is in a valley that experienced earthquakes, they knew what it was like to have a shaken life, physically. Paul is reassuring them that spiritually they endure through trying times. We all have need of endurance, and the LORD gives us what we need (see Hebrews 10, Romans 8).
“Firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel…” How were these church members established? Epaphrus proclaimed the gospel, and taught the fulness of it, he shared the doctrines as fully and richly as Paul taught the Ephesians. Remember, Epaphrus encountered the gospel in Ephesus, and brought it to the Lycus Valley. When in Ephesus, Paul would teach for hours each afternoon, while most people were enjoying a siesta. Can you imagine a church that met daily, and sat for hours listening to Paul teach, perhaps discussing, singing, asking questions and finding the joy of the all encompassing Truth? When Epaphrus brought these teachings to Colossae do you suppose he gave once a week 15 minute sermons? No beloved. These believers were firmly established, steadfast, clinging to hope in the midst of a society with so many contrary philosophies and worldviews. Paul is using this “if” statement to remind them to abide in the truth, to not wane in their affection for sitting as disciples at Jesus’ feet.
The word of the cross brings us hope and power to endure (1 Corinthians 1:18). Lamentations 3:39-40 reminds us that when we forget we are sinners, when we are slothful in considering repentance, we experience spiritual lethargy. A proper view of sin and of the cross brings us fresh springs of life! If? Yes, beloved, you can endure, you can remain firmly established and steadfast–while also continually praying for one another:
9asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all perseverance and patience;
photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash