Jesus, There's Something About that Name

Introduction

When we come to Paul’s letter to Colossae, we need to understand a bit of the background to this letter. There had arisen within the church at Colossae a multifaceted belief which diminished the importance of Jesus. In 2:8, this belief stressed things spiritually other than Christ. As a result certain external rules were being expected to be kept as a sign of their spiritual maturity (2:16, 21). The worship of angels was taking place (2:18), and speculations about the spiritual beings in the world (2:8, 20) had reduced Jesus’s importance. This heresy is what Paul is attacking in this letter. He wants to restore Jesus to his rightful position within the minds of his readers.

You know what the word supreme means right? We use the word in a variety of ways. We use the word to describe the highest in command—the supreme commander. We use the word to identify the highest court in our land—the supreme court. And we use the word to describe pizza—a supreme pizza. That’s the pizza that has everything on it. This is just one of many words that Paul uses to describe Jesus in our text this morning. Paul stacks up words and phrases all designed to do one thing—to reveal the supremacy of Jesus. To show that Jesus is above all; that he is everything; that he is all. And for us who read this so many centuries later, the truth of this text has not changed. It is a wonderful text illustrating how important Jesus is to us. Let’s praise him.

Description

This is one of those texts that as we dissect it, it loses its impact. It is a text which Paul intended to be read as a whole rather than in its parts. And while we will look at its part, the whole is much more powerful. Paul doesn’t go into great detail to explain the words he uses. It is much more important for his readers to be overwhelmed with the importance of Jesus and his position among the universe and among them. Paul has just written that it was God who through Jesus has brought the Colossians into God’s kingdom. They have experience the forgiveness of sins because of God’s work through Jesus. It is this concept of what God has done through Jesus which sparks this heaping up of concepts about Jesus.

Let’s look briefly at the words Paul uses to describe Jesus. Image of the invisible God—if you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. The invisible became visible in Christ. Firstborn over all creation—in this text this does not mean born first; it means preeminent over creation. It means that he is completely above creation. In him all things were created—this explains his preeminence. He existed before the creative finger of God began and God created in Christ, that is, God created with the full knowledge and existence of Christ. All things created through him—Jesus was expressly involved in creation. All things created for him—things were created with the intent of finding their purpose in Christ. Before all things—eternal. In him all things hold together—he sustains all things. Head of the body, the church—the body cannot exist without the head. He is the source of life for the church. Firstborn from the dead—he is the leader. He has conquered death and is thus the beginning of life. Fullness of God—God became flesh. This is the idea of deity in the flesh. Reconciler—all things including people are reconciled through Christ. Because of sin the world was out of order and Christ provided the correction. This idea of peace is not a peaceful feeling but it is the way to describe that our relationship with God is right because of Jesus’s death.

All of these things add up to display the supremacy of Christ. To a group who were struggling to understand the significance of Christ when some were teaching them to keep certain days, and to observe certain rituals, and to place their trust in the unseen spiritual forces, Paul’s words are to enliven them to accept the all encompassing rule of Jesus in their lives and in their congregation.

Jesus Is Supreme

Stacking these words and phrases, Paul has shown us the superiority of Jesus. Nothing is above him. In Colossae there was the belief that Jesus was just one of many spiritual beings who assisted in our spiritual walk. Paul states without any hesitation that such a view is not possible. Since everything was created in, through, and for him, then Jesus is above all things. What does this mean for us? What is the application for us?

When we sit beside the bed of a loved one who is gasping for his last breath, Jesus is supreme. When we don’t understand why the consequences of my sin hurt so much, Jesus is supreme. When we have those moments that our heart cries out to know that God is close to us, Jesus is supreme. When we long for the day that we can see God face to face, Jesus is supreme. When we are uncertain about the future, Jesus is supreme.

Like Colossae, some believe that there are other spiritual elements who can make things right for us. Some consult horoscopes or Ouija boards or superstitions. Jesus is supreme. Like Colossae, some believe that a life of ritualistic fervor avoiding evil while depending on the good they do will save them. Jesus is supreme. Like Colossae, some believe that knowledge is the key to salvation. Jesus is supreme.

Look at verses 21-23. Here is Paul’s application. There was a time that we were alienated from God and enemies of God. Our behavior betrayed our allegiance. But then Jesus came into the world. God in the flesh. And he physically went to the cross and died. To the Colossians this would have been important. Some in Colossae believed that Jesus didn’t really come in the flesh. But Paul confirms this truth—the person who died on the cross was no less than Jesus himself in physical form. The result of his death is our forgiveness of sin. Our sin meant he had to die. Our sin, but his solution. Our sin, but his body. Our sin, but he took our place so that we could be holy and free from the accusation of God. Now we must continue in our faith and not allowing anything to move us from the hope that we have. That hope is that we will one day see our Father face to face. Jesus is truly supreme. There is no one else to turn to. Will you turn to him this morning? Whatever it may be that you find appealing, Jesus either created it or conquered it. He alone is worthy of your devotion and allegiance.

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