Sermon from 11th June 2006
The Supremacy of Christ
Our Vicar, Cameron Barker, continues our study of Paul's letter to the Colossians - our key reading being Colossians 1: 15-23
This is one of those occasions when we simply have to – so please do join in!
The only way to begin is with a brief visualisation exercise. So, make yourself comfortable, and feel free to close your eyes if it helps … Now picture in your mind the biggest shopping centre you’ve ever been in! Now make it 2x the size – or even 3x. Try & imagine the Mall of America, near Minneapolis - which is big enough to have a whole fun-fair inside it! And, before you start thinking about whether this is your idea of a dream or a nightmare, imagine that you are the size of an ant in that space! How vast does that make it? And how small & insignificant does that make you in the great scheme of things? What does that feel like ... ?
Hold onto those thoughts as you open your eyes, and as we begin to look into Paul’s words to Christians in ancient Colosse. You see today’s passage is on that sort of scale. It really is time for Paul to get down to the serious business that his readers needed to hear. In the first 2 sermons in this series we’ve seen how Paul adapted the formalities of 1st-C letter-writing for his own spiritual purposes. He had introduced himself, & identified his readers. He’d thanked God for them; & he’d told them what he’d been praying for them – which was in itself amazing. But even that prayer pales in comparison to what we’ve heard today – which is one of the greatest passages about Jesus in the entire New Testament.
It may (or may not) have been an existing poem or hymn that Paul borrowed - but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the content and what it tells us about who Jesus is. And its jaw-dropping nature begins with the very first words: “Christ is the visible likeness / He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God”. In other words, we might not be able to see God – but we can know exactly what he’s like. When we look at Jesus we can see who God is! The fullness of God himself – everything he is – was and is to be found in Jesus. Jesus is not some 2nd-rate imitation, or own-brand version; he’s the real deal! Jesus is the image, the exact likeness, of the God who made the entire world.
And that’s the subject Paul immediately moved onto next - the relationship between Christ and creation. Jesus is the 1st-born in the sense of having priority over everyone and everything that’s ever been born or made! It’s not that he himself is a created being. In fact, everything in heaven & on earth – everything we can see and everything we can’t see – was made through him. And, more than that, they weren’t just made through Christ: they were made for him! ‘Christ existed / He (Christ) is before all things & in / union with / him all things / have their proper place / hold together.
Paul may have been writing to combat false teaching that the Colossians were being subjected to. But, rather than taking that as his main focus, Paul concentrated on who Christ is. He emphasised the positive, re-stating the truth the Colossians had already been taught – that this was & is who Jesus is. Jesus wasn’t – and isn’t – just 1 spiritual guide among many that we can learn from. He is God; he existed before the world began; it was through him that the world was made; and he’s the one who holds creation together now. Jesus is, quite literally, the only reason that we are alive. It’s hard to be more positive than that; & it’s hard not to be in awe of the one of whom all that is true.
But there’s so much more to who Jesus is! From creation Paul moved swiftly on to God’s re-creation – the church. Christ is the head of that too. He’s the beginning of it, and the source of the church’s life. By his own resurrection he is the first-born from among the dead. That gives him first place – i.e. supremacy, authority – over all things in the church just as he has them over everything in all creation! And note too how God’s plan is surprisingly much bigger than we often realise. Jesus’ death & resurrection wasn’t just designed to bring the church into existence. It was, & is, God’s plan to reconcile, to bring back to himself, every- thing in the whole universe – things in heaven & on earth!
The scale of it is truly staggering. When we put ourselves into this scenario it is like being an ant in the hugest-ever building! The reality of both who Christ is and also what he has done by his life and death literally dwarfs us. Who are we? We live more than 2 000 years after Jesus’ birth as a human being; & who knows how long after the world was made through him. Our life-span isn’t even equivalent to the blink of an eye in eternity. Even our greatest achievements can’t put a dent in the course of human history – let alone that of the universe! And then compare that to who Jesus is, and to what he has achieved by his life & death – supremacy over both creation & re-creation.
It is – or it should be! – enough to make us feel very lost in the vastness of it all. But, fortunately, every good mall has boards up for us to go and look for the ‘You are here’ sign. Having set Christ in the widest possible perspective that he deserves, Paul then provided such a board for us.
Yes, we are meant to be humbled by contemplating who Jesus is. But we are then also meant to see where we fit into God’s plan. And we do: each 1 of us! We might only be a tiny part of the universe – but we are a part. So we are each part of what God wanted to reconcile to himself. When Jesus died on the cross he had you in mind just as much as he had the reconciliation of the rest of universe.
It’s an amazing thought; & it’s one that requires a response. So have you responded to God’s offer of reconciliation with himself? Paul wrote to a group of people who had already done so – but even then he didn’t mince his words. He pointed out that the Colossians had once been far away / alienated from God. They had been his enemies because of the way they had thought and acted. But, by accepting that the death of this Jesus had been for them, they had been reconciled to God, & become his friends. Now they - & whoever else makes the same decision they had – can be holy in God’s sight. We can stand before God himself, & be acceptable to him – because this same Jesus, who’s supreme over all creation, died for us!
As the modern Message version of the Bible puts it: ‘You don’t walk away from a gift like that!’ This is God’s gift to the whole of his creation: it’s the offer of reconciliation to himself through the death of his eternal son. Of course we don’t have to accept his offer. But if we don’t then we are choosing to remain alienated from God. How much better to become God’s friend, though, and be reconciled to him. How much better to accept that this Jesus, who is God, for & through whom the world was made, died for us. And if you’ve not yet done so, why don’t you do that today?
Today we’ve already welcomed some1 into the company of those who have accepted God’s offer and become his friends. Through Thanksgiving / Baptism Eloise's / Beatrice’s family have committed themselves to bringing her up in the Christian faith that’s based on these truths. What they know – as anyone who’s made this commitment does – is that this is not a 1-off experience. Paul also reminded the Colossians of that – that the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it. They must continue in their faith, holding firm to the eternal hope that is integral to Christian faith. They – & we – have been given a sure foundation in what God has done thru’ Jesus’ death. Now they - & we - must live it!
By now regulars here may be wondering which mission-shaped value this passage particularly points us to. The obvious 1 is the discipleship value, of course. Any church that wants to be mission-shaped must encourage people to encounter Jesus for who he is. Christians need to know that Christ is the one for and through whom the world was made. We need to know that he is the Son of God, who was born as a human being. We need to know that he died & rose again so we & all creation can be reconciled to God. We need to know that he is the head of the church and the source of our life. And we need to live out those truths and the hope that they bring, no matter what.
Another important part of the mission-shaped discipleship value is being active in calling others to faith in Jesus. And that’s the very subject Paul that returned to at the end of this wonderful passage about who Christ is. He’d begun on the greatest scale imaginable – creation itself. He’d set out Jesus’ role in that – and then also in bringing about God’s re-creation through his own death and resurrection. Then he’d narrowed the focus down, to help his readers realise God’s care for them. And then, finally, he told the Colossians how the gospel that had come to them was the same gospel that was preached throughout the world.
That was Paul’s job as an apostle – to preach this good news about Jesus to as many people around the world as he could. He did an amazing job of it, & set an inspiring e.g. for us. It’s also the duty & the joy of all Christians to tell others about the amazing offer that God makes to all people everywhere. We’re to tell every1 about who Christ is – that he’s the one for and through whom the world was made. We’re to tell them that he is the Son of God, who was born as a human being. We’re to tell them that he died & rose again so we & all creation can be reconciled to God. Then we’re to invite them to respond to God’s offer to end our enmity toward him & accept his friendship.
Of course it’s a big – & scary – job. But put it in the sort of perspective that Paul did in this passage. Just think of who Christ is – the exact likeness of God, the author of creation. Think of all that he gave up to become human. Remember how he died on the cross so you could become God’s friend. Consider how through his resurrection Jesus made it possible for you to live eternally. Hold onto that hope no matter what. Go on living as a disciple of Jesus. & go on telling others who don’t know about this amazing offer that God makes in and through his son. It’s good news. We may all be insignificant; but we are each part of the creation that God wants to reconcile to himself through Jesus. So let’s live it & share it as humble, grateful people.
Our Vicar, Cameron Barker, continues our study of Paul's letter to the Colossians - our key reading being Colossians 1: 15-23
This is one of those occasions when we simply have to – so please do join in!
The only way to begin is with a brief visualisation exercise. So, make yourself comfortable, and feel free to close your eyes if it helps … Now picture in your mind the biggest shopping centre you’ve ever been in! Now make it 2x the size – or even 3x. Try & imagine the Mall of America, near Minneapolis - which is big enough to have a whole fun-fair inside it! And, before you start thinking about whether this is your idea of a dream or a nightmare, imagine that you are the size of an ant in that space! How vast does that make it? And how small & insignificant does that make you in the great scheme of things? What does that feel like ... ?
Hold onto those thoughts as you open your eyes, and as we begin to look into Paul’s words to Christians in ancient Colosse. You see today’s passage is on that sort of scale. It really is time for Paul to get down to the serious business that his readers needed to hear. In the first 2 sermons in this series we’ve seen how Paul adapted the formalities of 1st-C letter-writing for his own spiritual purposes. He had introduced himself, & identified his readers. He’d thanked God for them; & he’d told them what he’d been praying for them – which was in itself amazing. But even that prayer pales in comparison to what we’ve heard today – which is one of the greatest passages about Jesus in the entire New Testament.
It may (or may not) have been an existing poem or hymn that Paul borrowed - but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the content and what it tells us about who Jesus is. And its jaw-dropping nature begins with the very first words: “Christ is the visible likeness / He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God”. In other words, we might not be able to see God – but we can know exactly what he’s like. When we look at Jesus we can see who God is! The fullness of God himself – everything he is – was and is to be found in Jesus. Jesus is not some 2nd-rate imitation, or own-brand version; he’s the real deal! Jesus is the image, the exact likeness, of the God who made the entire world.
And that’s the subject Paul immediately moved onto next - the relationship between Christ and creation. Jesus is the 1st-born in the sense of having priority over everyone and everything that’s ever been born or made! It’s not that he himself is a created being. In fact, everything in heaven & on earth – everything we can see and everything we can’t see – was made through him. And, more than that, they weren’t just made through Christ: they were made for him! ‘Christ existed / He (Christ) is before all things & in / union with / him all things / have their proper place / hold together.
Paul may have been writing to combat false teaching that the Colossians were being subjected to. But, rather than taking that as his main focus, Paul concentrated on who Christ is. He emphasised the positive, re-stating the truth the Colossians had already been taught – that this was & is who Jesus is. Jesus wasn’t – and isn’t – just 1 spiritual guide among many that we can learn from. He is God; he existed before the world began; it was through him that the world was made; and he’s the one who holds creation together now. Jesus is, quite literally, the only reason that we are alive. It’s hard to be more positive than that; & it’s hard not to be in awe of the one of whom all that is true.
But there’s so much more to who Jesus is! From creation Paul moved swiftly on to God’s re-creation – the church. Christ is the head of that too. He’s the beginning of it, and the source of the church’s life. By his own resurrection he is the first-born from among the dead. That gives him first place – i.e. supremacy, authority – over all things in the church just as he has them over everything in all creation! And note too how God’s plan is surprisingly much bigger than we often realise. Jesus’ death & resurrection wasn’t just designed to bring the church into existence. It was, & is, God’s plan to reconcile, to bring back to himself, every- thing in the whole universe – things in heaven & on earth!
The scale of it is truly staggering. When we put ourselves into this scenario it is like being an ant in the hugest-ever building! The reality of both who Christ is and also what he has done by his life and death literally dwarfs us. Who are we? We live more than 2 000 years after Jesus’ birth as a human being; & who knows how long after the world was made through him. Our life-span isn’t even equivalent to the blink of an eye in eternity. Even our greatest achievements can’t put a dent in the course of human history – let alone that of the universe! And then compare that to who Jesus is, and to what he has achieved by his life & death – supremacy over both creation & re-creation.
It is – or it should be! – enough to make us feel very lost in the vastness of it all. But, fortunately, every good mall has boards up for us to go and look for the ‘You are here’ sign. Having set Christ in the widest possible perspective that he deserves, Paul then provided such a board for us.
Yes, we are meant to be humbled by contemplating who Jesus is. But we are then also meant to see where we fit into God’s plan. And we do: each 1 of us! We might only be a tiny part of the universe – but we are a part. So we are each part of what God wanted to reconcile to himself. When Jesus died on the cross he had you in mind just as much as he had the reconciliation of the rest of universe.
It’s an amazing thought; & it’s one that requires a response. So have you responded to God’s offer of reconciliation with himself? Paul wrote to a group of people who had already done so – but even then he didn’t mince his words. He pointed out that the Colossians had once been far away / alienated from God. They had been his enemies because of the way they had thought and acted. But, by accepting that the death of this Jesus had been for them, they had been reconciled to God, & become his friends. Now they - & whoever else makes the same decision they had – can be holy in God’s sight. We can stand before God himself, & be acceptable to him – because this same Jesus, who’s supreme over all creation, died for us!
As the modern Message version of the Bible puts it: ‘You don’t walk away from a gift like that!’ This is God’s gift to the whole of his creation: it’s the offer of reconciliation to himself through the death of his eternal son. Of course we don’t have to accept his offer. But if we don’t then we are choosing to remain alienated from God. How much better to become God’s friend, though, and be reconciled to him. How much better to accept that this Jesus, who is God, for & through whom the world was made, died for us. And if you’ve not yet done so, why don’t you do that today?
Today we’ve already welcomed some1 into the company of those who have accepted God’s offer and become his friends. Through Thanksgiving / Baptism Eloise's / Beatrice’s family have committed themselves to bringing her up in the Christian faith that’s based on these truths. What they know – as anyone who’s made this commitment does – is that this is not a 1-off experience. Paul also reminded the Colossians of that – that the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it. They must continue in their faith, holding firm to the eternal hope that is integral to Christian faith. They – & we – have been given a sure foundation in what God has done thru’ Jesus’ death. Now they - & we - must live it!
By now regulars here may be wondering which mission-shaped value this passage particularly points us to. The obvious 1 is the discipleship value, of course. Any church that wants to be mission-shaped must encourage people to encounter Jesus for who he is. Christians need to know that Christ is the one for and through whom the world was made. We need to know that he is the Son of God, who was born as a human being. We need to know that he died & rose again so we & all creation can be reconciled to God. We need to know that he is the head of the church and the source of our life. And we need to live out those truths and the hope that they bring, no matter what.
Another important part of the mission-shaped discipleship value is being active in calling others to faith in Jesus. And that’s the very subject Paul that returned to at the end of this wonderful passage about who Christ is. He’d begun on the greatest scale imaginable – creation itself. He’d set out Jesus’ role in that – and then also in bringing about God’s re-creation through his own death and resurrection. Then he’d narrowed the focus down, to help his readers realise God’s care for them. And then, finally, he told the Colossians how the gospel that had come to them was the same gospel that was preached throughout the world.
That was Paul’s job as an apostle – to preach this good news about Jesus to as many people around the world as he could. He did an amazing job of it, & set an inspiring e.g. for us. It’s also the duty & the joy of all Christians to tell others about the amazing offer that God makes to all people everywhere. We’re to tell every1 about who Christ is – that he’s the one for and through whom the world was made. We’re to tell them that he is the Son of God, who was born as a human being. We’re to tell them that he died & rose again so we & all creation can be reconciled to God. Then we’re to invite them to respond to God’s offer to end our enmity toward him & accept his friendship.
Of course it’s a big – & scary – job. But put it in the sort of perspective that Paul did in this passage. Just think of who Christ is – the exact likeness of God, the author of creation. Think of all that he gave up to become human. Remember how he died on the cross so you could become God’s friend. Consider how through his resurrection Jesus made it possible for you to live eternally. Hold onto that hope no matter what. Go on living as a disciple of Jesus. & go on telling others who don’t know about this amazing offer that God makes in and through his son. It’s good news. We may all be insignificant; but we are each part of the creation that God wants to reconcile to himself through Jesus. So let’s live it & share it as humble, grateful people.
posted by Parish Administrator at 1:01 pm
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