Colossians
The Lord of All and Our All
February 26, 2023
Chris Seidman, Lead Minister, The Branch
Colossians 1:15-20 (NIV)
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he the is beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus Is …
- All of God.
(vs. 15) The Son is the image of the invisible God …
(vs. 19) God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him …
Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being …
- Over all things.
(vs. 15) … the firstborn over all creation.
Matthew 28:18 (NIV)
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV)
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
- The reconciliation of all things.
(vs. 18) And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Colossians 1:19-20 (NIV)
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Romans 8:19-23 (NIV)
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed … that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time … as we wait eagerly for our adoption … the redemption of our bodies.
Colossians 1:21 (NIV)
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
Colossians 1:22 (NIV)
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation …
Colossians 1:22-23 (NIV)
… without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from your hope held out in the gospel.
What does it mean for us to live as though the Lord of all is the Lord of our all?
Dallas Willard
Our commitment to Jesus can stand on no other foundation than a recognition that He is the one who knows the truth about our lives and our universe. It’s not possible to trust Jesus, or anyone else, in matters where we do not believe Him to be competent. We cannot pray for His help and rely on His collaboration in dealing with real-life matters we suspect might defeat His knowledge or abilities.
The biblical vision of Jesus was of one who made all of created reality and kept it working, literally “holding it all together” (Colossians 1:17). And today we think people are smart who make lightbulbs and computer chips and rockets out of “stuff” already provided!
He made the “stuff!” Small wonder, then, that the first Christians thought He held within Himself “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)
Jesus knew how to transform the molecular structure of water to make it wine. That knowledge also allowed Him to take a few pieces of bread and some little fish and feed thousands of people. He knew how to transform the tissues of the human body from sickness to health and from death to life.
He knew how to suspend gravity, interrupt weather patterns, and eliminate unfruitful trees without a saw or an ax. He only needed a word. Surely He must be amused at what Nobel prizes are awarded for today.
In the ethical domain He brought an understanding of life that has influenced world thought more than any other. And one of the greatest testimonies to His intelligence is surely that He knew how to enter physical death, actually to die, and then live on beyond death. He seized death by the throat and defeated it. Forget cryonics!
All these things show Jesus’ cognitive and practical mastery of every phase of reality: physical, moral, and spiritual. He is Master only because He is Maestro. “Jesus is Lord” can mean little in practice for anyone who has to hesitate before saying, “Jesus is smart.” He is not just nice. He is brilliant. He always has the best information on everything and certainly also on the things that matter most in human life.
What does it mean for us to live as though the Lord of all is the Lord of our all?