What Should the Lord’s Majesty Mean to You?
Colossians 1:15-2:7
I. v15-17 - How Majestic is the Lord Jesus?
A. v15a - He is the revealer of God.
1. Image (εἰκών) = “icon” - an exact representation of the real thing.
2. ILL: Copy machine - the copy of the original.
B. v15b - He is the firstborn of creation.
1. Doesn’t mean He was created - but in the Old Testament sense: He is Lord & heir of creation; it all belongs to Him as the firstborn son.
2. v16 - Creation was in Him, through Him & for Him.
a. This includes the visible - everything you can see.
b. This includes the invisible - there is the metaphysical, the world of the spirits, another dimension!
c. Everything that was created was created for Him!
3. v17 - Our Lord Jesus is the sustainer of everything - He keeps the universe together & functioning.
4. v18 - He is the head of His church; the church’s primary loyalty. He is to be first in our lives!
II. v18-20 - Why Should Lord Jesus Be First?
A. v19 - Because of who He is - God in flesh!
1. All God wants you to know about Him was embodied in Lord Jesus.
2. The angel speaking to Mary said The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God - Lk 1:35.
3. John the Baptist’s testimony was, I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” - Jn 1:34.
4. Demons proclaimed it! Matt 8:29 - “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
5. Thomas confirmed it in the upper room in Jn 20:28 - My Lord and my God!
B. v20 - Because of what He did for you; He provided redemption.
1. Lord Jesus was resurrected to pave the way for you & to prepare a place for you. Jn 14:1-4 - Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
2. v18 - Firstborn (πρωτότοκος) = the chief person within the realm of the dead as well as the living.
3. v20 - The blood of the cross reconciled everything to God - made everything right by making peace.
4. So - Lord Jesus is our ultimate authority by right of creation & by right of redemption!
III. v21-2:7 - How Should You Respond to the Lord’s Majesty?
A. v21-23 - Continue in your faith. Remain true to the Lord even when you can’t understand why.
1. v21 - In your pre-Christian life you were alienated from God because of your sin.
a. Sin separates you from God.
b. Although God loves everyone - He can’t tolerate sin. Sin is rebellion again Him.
2. v22 - What does redemption do for you?
a. Reconcile (ἀποκαταλλάσσω) = to bring back to complete friendship, reunite.
b. The Lord reconciled you back to God when He died on the cross.
c. As a result, you are holy & without blemish in God’s sight.
d. ILL: An acceptable animal sacrifice.
B. v24 - Endure suffering when it is for the Lord & His church.
1. Paul was willing to suffer for the church because the Lord suffered for the church.
2. Is life tougher for you because you won’t compromise your Christian principles?
C. v25-29 - Don’t be lead away by speculative teachings - stick to what the Bible plainly says!
1. There was a false teaching that you needed to believe the “mystery” in addition to the simple gospel.
2. ILL: The Basic Gnostic Idea. (You had to have this special “knowledge”).
3. v27 - Paul says, “So you want to know what this secret mystery is? It’s Christ in you!”
4. It’s the simple gospel that’s been preached to you all along!
5. v27b-28 - This “mystery” (the simple gospel) is what gives you:
a. Hope (for eternal life).
b. Wisdom (to live an abundant life here).
c. Growth towards maturity (“perfection”).
D. 2:1-7 - Continue living in Christ.
1. What’s the difference between receiving Christ & living in Christ?
a. v6 - Living in Christ is not a static state, it’s a continuing process.
b. v2a - It’s the process of encouraging & uniting with fellow believers in love, not just a private thing between you & God.
c. v2b-4 - It’s a matter of developing a mature understanding of what the gospel is (the “mystery”).
2. v6-7 - The result of your maturing faith will be a strong overflowing gratitude to the Lord Jesus!
The Lord Jesus is God. He is supreme. Since He has made you His child - you are royalty. You are king’s kids; princes & princesses of God’s household. So live in Him!
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