If you would open up your Bibles to Colossians chapter 1, we're going to be looking at verses 15 through 20 this morning.
And as you're turning there, I just want to let you know what my family and I watched last night on TV.
The 1964 claymation classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
You know it.
Rudolph, with his nose so bright, remember he was a misfit from the start.
Yukon Cornelius, do you remember Yukon Cornelius?
That greatest prospector of the north.
And he's very quirky.
And then there was that elf named Hermie.
He didn't like building toys.
He wanted to be a dentist.
Well, the story goes that these misfits are trying to find their place in life.
And eventually, Rudolph, Yukon, and Hermie, they come across a body of water to a land of misfit toys.
Odd toys that no child would ever want.
Living in exile on the island of misfit toys.
The greatest desire of these toys is to be loved by a child.
And eventually, Rudolph and his gang, with the help of Santa Claus, of course, they take action.
And they reconcile these misfit toys to the children who would love them unconditionally.
Now, I think we can all identify with being a misfit.
We've all got our unique quirks, don't we?
And we all desire to be loved despite our quirks and oddities.
So we're all misfits in one sense.
But we're not misfit toys, are we?
Now, God in his word takes our misfitness.
And he takes it one step further than this 1964 claymation special.
Yes, God acknowledges our quirks.
But God in his word says we have a deep, dark, deadly disobedience problem called sin.
Sin is rebellion against God.
It's a prideful unwillingness to obey him, to live for him.
And so, in light of that, humanity is one big island of misfit sinners living in rebellion to the God who created us.
It's also known as the world.
Our sin has separated us from the God who created us.
Sin ruptured our relationship with the one true God.
And because of our sin, hostility entered our experience.
God is hostile towards our sin.
And not only was sin affecting our relationship with God, sin ruptured our experience of ourselves.
Have you ever heard someone say, I hate myself?
And it's not just within ourselves, it's relationships with other people.
Sin ruptures relationships.
Do you know why the holidays are often hard for people being with their family?
Because sin has ruptured relationships.
And of course, sin has ruptured our relationship with the rest of creation.
Adam and Eve, in the garden, they work the land with ease and peace.
But after they sinned, it was toil and hostility, sweat and threat.
As sinners, our disobedience to God has resulted in a comprehensive hostility in all of our relationships.
It's got a cosmic reach.
But the very God who we sinned against, out of an unconditional love for us,
God's plan to reconcile sinners back to himself took a decisive step 2,000 years ago.
I don't know how much the baby Jesus weighed when he was born.
Six pounds?
Seven pounds?
Maybe eight pounds?
But when that seven pound baby was born to a virgin in a town six miles outside of Jerusalem,
it was a turning point in history.
When that baby was born, God's plan took a decisive turn.
What child is this?
What child is this born unto us?
If you're looking at Colossians 1, verses 15 through 20,
Paul says this is who this child is.
Let me read it for us.
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation,
for by him all things were created in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities,
all things were created through him and for him.
And he's before all things.
And in him all things hold together.
What child is this?
And he is the head of the body, the church.
He's the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything he might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
making peace by the blood of his cross.
Verses 15 through 20 are known as a hymn that exalts Christ.
And Paul has placed it here at the beginning of Ephesians,
Colossians, to help this Colossian Christians
understand rightly who this Christ is
so that they can discern false teaching.
There are two moves, two main parts to this hymn
in verses 15 through 20.
The first is Christ is the creator of all.
We see that in verses 15 through 17.
And the second part is Christ is the reconciler of all.
And then we see that in verses 18 through 20.
Another way you can say it is this.
Christ is Lord of all.
He's the creator of all.
He's the reconciler of all.
He's preeminent over all.
He's Lord of all.
Now, this morning I want to ask you a question.
Do you know who this child is born in the manger,
born in this stable,
this dark-haired baby boy,
born in some stable for animals in Bethlehem?
Do you not realize who he is?
He's the creator of all, your creator.
He's the reconciler of all.
He made a way for you to be at peace with God.
What child is this?
He's Lord of all.
Is he your Lord?
Let's look at this first part.
He's the creator of all, verses 15 through 17.
Now, I'm going to point you to two titles
and a handful of prepositions.
Okay, you ready?
Let's look at it.
He is the image of the invisible God.
That's the first title.
He is the image of the invisible God.
When you read that, that word image,
it actually is a translation of a Greek word.
And I'm going to teach it to you this morning.
It's the Greek word icon.
Can you say that?
Say icon.
One, two, three.
Icon.
And it is referring back to the Son.
In Colossians 1, 13, and 14, we read,
God has delivered us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
This beloved Son, he is the icon of the invisible God.
Now, back in the day when I was working on my computer,
you know, maybe 10 years ago,
we didn't call them apps.
What we saw on the computer screen, we called icons,
and they were visible representatives
of the programs running on your computer.
So if you wanted to open it,
you clicked on the icon and you got to your program.
So it's possible to think here
that Jesus is the visible representation of God.
He's the icon of the invisible God.
And that's true.
But it goes beyond that.
Jesus is not just a visible representation of God.
He is fully God in the flesh.
Just take a look at verse 19.
We read,
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.
Now look at chapter 2, verse 9.
We read this.
For in him, Christ,
the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.
The image of the invisible God,
the icon of God,
is God himself in the flesh.
And so how is this being used?
Well, icon is a title.
And it's got a lot of similarities
with what the passage we were looking at last week.
John chapter 1,
talking about the Word.
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
That was a title.
Word.
So when Paul talks about Jesus
as the image of the invisible God,
the icon of God,
he is saying that Jesus
is the physical embodiment
of all the fullness of God.
He is the invisible God made visible.
It would be akin to what John says
in John 1.18,
where the Word is described as
making known the Father
who has never been seen.
So Jesus is the ultimate image of God.
When you become a Christian,
when you put your faith in Jesus,
when you turn from sin
and turn to Christ,
God calls you
to become more and more like Jesus.
to be more and more
formed into His image.
If you look at just chapter 3, verse 10,
you read this.
And put on the new self,
which is being renewed in the knowledge
after the image of its creator,
the creator being Jesus.
Jesus.
This first title
kind of unpacks the relationship
Jesus has to God the Father.
He's the second person of the Trinity.
Jesus is the visible manifestation
of the invisible God,
fully divine,
fully human.
Now let's look at the second title.
He is the firstborn of all creation.
See that?
He's the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
In verses 15 through 16,
there's a repeated word.
It's the word creation or created.
He's the firstborn of all creation.
For by Him all things were created.
And then at the end of 16,
all things were created through Him
and for Him.
Paul is focusing on the relationship
between the second person of the Trinity
made incarnate
to the rest of creation.
And he moves from talking about
Jesus as the icon of the invisible God
to the firstborn of all creation.
And we've got to be clear
on what Paul means by firstborn.
Because it's possible
that when you read
the firstborn of all creation,
you can conclude
that Jesus,
the second person,
is the first to be created
in all of creation.
But that would be a mistake.
And that's not a mistake
that's just made today
by Jehovah's Witnesses,
for example.
It's a mistake that was made
back in the fourth century
by a guy named Arius
who taught this.
This is a quote.
He said of Jesus,
there was a time
when the Son was not.
So Arius denied the Trinity
on the basis that Jesus,
the Son,
was a created being.
And so what he taught
became known as the
Arian heresy,
which just simply means
false teaching.
And the Council of Nicaea,
it's a church council
in 325,
they denounced it.
And out of that council
came what's called
the Nicene Creed.
And the Nicene Creed
is just a restatement
of biblical truth
for the good of God's people.
And this is,
let me just read you
a little part
of the Nicene Creed.
It says,
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and invisible,
and in one Lord,
Jesus Christ,
the only begotten
Son of God,
begotten of the Father
before all worlds,
God of God,
light of light,
very God of very God,
begotten,
not made,
being of one substance
with the Father
by whom all things
were made,
who, Jesus,
for us,
men of our salvation,
came down from heaven
and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit
of the Virgin Mary
and was made man
and was crucified
also for us
under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered
and was buried
and on the third day
he rose again
according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits on the right hand
of the Father
and he shall come again
and with glory
to judge the quick
and the dead
whose kingdom
shall have no end.
When Paul speaks
of Jesus
as the firstborn
of all creation,
he's not saying
that Jesus,
the Son of God,
was the first
to be created
of all creation.
No,
what Paul is doing
is he's giving
him a title.
He is the firstborn
of creation.
If you would open up
your Bible to Psalm 89,
flip back to Psalm 89
and we're going to look
at verse 27.
Paul is using this title,
firstborn,
in the same way
that God uses it
in Psalm 89, 27
when he speaks
of the Messiah.
speaking of the Messiah,
God says this,
and I will make him
the firstborn,
the highest
of the kings
of the earth.
When God says
he's making the Messiah
the firstborn,
he's not talking
about creating him,
he's talking about
installing him.
in the office,
with the title
of firstborn.
So Paul is using
this title,
firstborn,
the same way
that God uses it
in Psalm 89, 27.
So as the icon
of the invisible God,
he's not the first
to be created,
but rather is given
the title,
the firstborn
of all creation.
He's not a created being.
He's the uncreated one
who creates all.
In verses 16 through 17,
Paul shows us
how the eternal son
exercises his supremacy
over all creation.
You see that title,
firstborn?
It means to be supreme over.
Supreme over all creation.
And here's where I want
to show you some prepositions.
You ready?
For by him
all things
were created.
For by him
all things
were created.
Now,
you might see that word
by
and you start thinking,
oh yeah,
it's by Jesus,
the agent
of creation
that all things
were made.
But,
in all honesty,
that word by
is better translated
in.
Like,
Jesus
is the sphere
in which
all things
were created.
And what he's getting
at is this.
Jesus is the
founder
and author
of all things
that were created.
He thought it all up.
every created thing
in heaven and earth.
He thought it up.
He thought up
black holes.
He thought up
supernovas.
He thought up
cells
and mitochondria.
All created things
seen and unseen
come from him.
He's the source
of it all.
All things
were created
in him.
And it includes
angelic beings.
In verse 16,
we read,
he created,
all things
were created
by him
in heaven
and earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones
or dominions
or rulers
or authorities.
Paul's talking
right there
about angels.
Different kinds
of angels.
And you might
be thinking,
well,
why is he talking
about angels
right there?
Well,
that's part
of the false
teaching that
was happening
to this church
way back in the
first century.
There were false
teachers teaching
these people
that not only
do they need
Jesus,
they need angels
as well
to help them
in their pursuit
of God.
And what
Paul is saying
is,
no,
Jesus is the
creator of them
all.
All created
things seen
and unseen,
including spiritual
beings that
have been created
by God the
Son.
All things
created in
him.
And then we
read,
all things were
created through
him.
He is not
only the source,
but the means
of creation.
He did the
creating.
All things
are created
by him.
Not only
is he like the
architect that
thought up the
plan,
he's the
contractor who
put it into
practice,
put it into
play.
He did it.
And not only
were all things
created through
him,
all things were
created for
him.
You see that?
all things
were created
through him
and for
him.
Creation
exists for
the glory
of his
name.
In him,
by him,
for him.
Those are the
prepositions I
want you to
see.
And they all
point to him
being the
Lord of all
creation.
But then Paul
throws in a
couple other
things.
Look at
verse 17,
and he is
before all
things.
That word
before can
mean before
like as in
preeminent
importance,
or it can
mean before
just in terms
of time.
I came here
before my
wife came
here.
Every time
that Paul
uses that
word before
in the New
Testament,
it has a
temporal sense,
which means
this.
He's talking
about time.
So do you
know what he's
saying here?
He's saying
that Jesus
is before all
things.
He's talking
about the
preexistence of
the second
person of the
Trinity.
that the
second person
of the
Trinity has
always existed.
He is
before all
things.
And not
only is he
before all
things, he
holds all
things together.
It's getting
at the present
role of the
second person of
the Trinity,
Jesus, in
holding the
whole universe
together.
If you flip
over to
Hebrews
chapter 1,
the author
of Hebrews
says this
in a
beautiful
way.
And
long ago,
at many times,
and in many
ways,
chapter 1,
verse 1,
God spoke
to our
fathers by
the prophets,
but in
these last
days he
has spoken
to us
by his
son,
whom he
appointed the
heir of all
things,
through whom
also he
created the
world.
Verse 3,
he's the
radiance of
the glory of
God and the
exact imprint
of his
nature,
and he
upholds the
universe by
the word of
his power.
Do you want
to think of
something amazing?
When Jesus
was one
year old
as a boy,
he, as
the God in
the flesh,
was upholding
the universe
with the word
of his power.
Does that
blow your
mind?
It blows
my mind.
He holds
all things
together,
and he
doesn't sweat
about it.
It's all
powerful.
What child
is this?
Who is this
seven-pounder
in the
manger?
He's the
Lord of all
creation.
He created
it all.
In him,
by him,
for him.
He's before
all things,
hold all
things together.
But,
let me just
ask this
question aloud.
What,
why would
he come?
Why would
he become
a man?
What's the
deal?
Why would
the second
person of
the Trinity
who created
everything
take on
human flesh?
Well,
something went
terribly wrong
with his
creation.
When Adam
and Eve
sinned against
God,
there were
cosmic
repercussions
of a
comprehensive
nature.
Rupture.
Rupture
in
relationship
to God.
Rupture
in your
relationship
with yourself.
Rupture
in our
relationships
with others.
Rupture
in our
relationship
to creation.
All that
the second
person of
the Trinity
had created
in beauty
and peace,
sin
distorted
and made
dangerous.
So the
second person
of the
Trinity
became a
man.
He took
on human
flesh
to reclaim
that
which is
rightfully
his
because he
created it
all.
even more
amazing is
how he
claims it.
His
claiming of
all creation
is a
work of
reconciliation
that is by
the blood
of his
cross.
So when we
sing joy to
the world,
the Lord
has come,
our creator
has come
to redeem
us as
far as
the curse
is found.
Whether
that's
God's
hostility
towards
our
sin,
he came
to make
his blessings
flow.
In a
relationship
with others,
he came
to make
his blessings
flow as
far as
the curse
is found.
Distortions
of cancer
on the
microcellular
level,
he came
to reclaim
it.
The
cosmic
collisions
of galaxies
that you
can witness
through the
Hubble
space
telescope,
he came
to make
peace
on a
cosmic
level.
What
child is
this?
He is the
creator and
sustainer of
all things
who came
to reconcile,
to make
peace
with the
things that
sin has
ruptured.
And so
we've
looked at
he is
the
creator
of all,
verses
17 through
15 through
17.
Now let's
look at
he is the
reconciler of
all,
verses
18 through
20.
Again,
this time
we have
three titles
in a bunch
of prepositions.
You ready?
Title
number
one.
And he
is the
head of
the
church,
the body,
the church.
It's a
title.
When the
Bible talks
about the
church,
we're
talking about
God's
people,
God's
new covenant
people,
the people
that Jesus
has individually
bought with
his blood.
Those
individual
people comprise
his body,
the church.
And so
what we see
happening in
verse 18
is Paul
making a
pivot.
He is
pivoting from
creation of
all things
to the
reconciliation
of all
things,
the new
creation of
all things
in Christ.
He moves
from being
Christ,
from showing
us Christ
as Lord
of all
in creation
to now
showing us
Christ as
the Lord
of all
redemption,
the reconciler
of all.
So,
I think
here's
what's
going on.
At the
end of
verse 17
we see
that the
second person
of the
Trinity
is holding
all things
together.
And then
Paul turns
in verse
18 to
Jesus is
the head
in whom
the body
is held
together.
The body
of Christ,
the church,
is one of
Paul's favorite
ways to talk
about God's
people in the
New Testament.
individual,
interdependent
members.
What I love
about the
nine people
that became
members this
morning,
as elders
we sat
down and
we listened
to each
of their
testimonies
and we
got a sense
of their
burdens
and giftings
and it's
such a delight
to think
about how
God is
going to
use these
nine for
the building
up of
this local
body under
the head
of Jesus.
Jesus.
But here's
what you
need to
know about
these people
coming to
Jesus,
becoming a
Christian.
In 2 Corinthians
5, Paul
talks about it
as a new
creation.
When somebody
puts their
trust in
Jesus, the
old has
gone and the
new has
come.
There are
new creations
in Jesus.
And so
his body
is a
group of
Christians,
new creations
in him
that he's
brought about.
And Jesus
is the
head.
And when
we talk
about the
head being
Jesus, we're
talking about
authority and
source of
life.
The body,
his body,
is under
and dependent
upon the
head of
Jesus.
And so
Paul has
pivoted from
talking about
Christ's
preexistent
work of
creation to
Christ's
incarnational
work of
making all
things new.
Salvation.
So that's
the first
title.
He's the
head of
the body.
Now the
second title
is in
verse 18.
He is
the beginning.
The
beginning of
what?
Now if
Paul had
placed this
title up in
verses 15
through 17,
we'd be
thinking, oh
yeah, he's
the beginning,
he's the
creator of
all, all
things were
made by
him, and
that would
be true
because it
is true.
But Paul
didn't place
that there.
Paul placed
this title,
he's the
beginning, after
he's the
head of the
church.
Paul doesn't
have the old
creation of
heaven or
earth in
mind.
He's got the
new creation
of all things
in heaven and
earth.
Christ is the
beginning of
the new
creation.
He is
salvation.
And the
next title
makes that
point even
further.
Look at
verse 18.
He is the
beginning, the
firstborn from
the dead.
Now we've
already encountered
that word
firstborn,
haven't we?
And verse 15,
he's the
firstborn of
all creation.
And what
Paul meant
by that
title is that
Christ is
supreme over
all creation.
All things
were created
in him, by
him, and
for him.
So what does
Paul mean
now?
Firstborn from
the dead?
Well, it's a
title.
And that
phrase, from
the dead, is
the reference
to which Christ
is supreme
over.
He reigns
over from
the dead,
whatever that
means.
You know
what that
means?
He's
referencing
resurrection.
being made
alive from
the dead.
Jesus is the
firstborn of
the resurrection
and understood
as a title.
He is
supreme over
all things
being made
new, being
brought to
life from
the dead.
Supreme over
the new
creation from
the deadly
effects of
sin.
Do you
remember in
John chapter
11, the
whole situation
with Lazarus?
Jesus shows
up late to
Bethany and
Martha has an
issue with
him.
He's like,
where were
you?
And he's
like, well,
I'm here.
And she's
like, well,
if you were
here, you
could have
kept him
from dying.
And Jesus
says, well,
he'll be
raised in the
last day.
And she
said, well,
you can pray
to God now
and he'll be
raised.
And Jesus
says to her,
I am the
resurrection and
the life.
I am the
firstborn from
the dead.
I reign over
it.
And do you
remember what
he did in
order to
demonstrate his
authority over
death?
Lazarus come
forth.
He came
forth.
And if that
weren't enough,
Jesus said,
not only would
he die, but
he would be
raised.
And he was
raised from
the dead.
In his own
resurrection,
just verifies
his title as
being supreme
over death.
The firstborn
from the dead.
In verse 18,
there's a word
that.
He's the
beginning, the
firstborn from
the dead, that
in everything he
might be
preeminent.
His own
resurrection from
the dead declares
him supreme over
the dead.
to show that
in every way,
whether in
creation or in
redemption, he
is Lord of all,
preeminent over
everything.
That's who this
baby is.
He's the Lord of
everything.
That he might be
preeminent,
matchless.
Remember that
Christ is supreme
over all creation
because all things
were created in
him, by him, and
for him.
Remember those
prepositions?
Those prepositions
show up again.
They show up in
Jesus' firstborn
from the deadness.
In him.
Look at verse 19.
For in him all
the fullness of
God was pleased to
dwell.
Paul is circling
back to Jesus'
relationship to
God.
He's the second
person of the
Trinity.
Fully God.
Fully man.
Again, chapter 2,
verse 9, we read
this.
For in him, Jesus,
the whole fullness
of deity dwells
bodily.
So let me ask you
a question.
When did all the
fullness of God
come to dwell
bodily?
In Jesus.
Merry Christmas.
It's a reference
to the incarnation
of the second
person of the
Trinity.
But it's in the
context of
salvation.
Christmas is about
the incarnation of
Jesus.
And the incarnation
of Jesus is all
about our
reconciliation to
God.
Him making peace
by the blood of
his cross.
Christ is supreme
over salvation.
Because salvation
is in him.
He's the perfect
go-between.
God and man.
Because he's fully
God and fully
man.
That's why he came.
To make peace.
To reconcile all
of his creation.
salvation is in no one
else.
That's why he came.
No other name under
heaven has been given
among men
by which we must
be saved.
There's only one.
Salvation is in no one
else.
It's in him.
Because in him
is the fullness of God
pleasing to dwell.
So we've seen that this
reconciliation is in him
and it's also through him.
When we talk about
reconciliation, we're
talking about the
reuniting of people.
We're talking about the
reuniting of two people
or two people groups who
have experienced
disruption.
Do you remember the
island of misfit toys?
The exiled unwanted toys?
Reconciliation took place
when Rudolph reunited
these toys with the
help of Santa to the
boys and girls who would
love them forever.
Aw.
Here we're reading this.
For in him all the
fullness of God was
pleased to dwell.
And that word pleased
carries into the next
verb.
And was pleased to dwell
and pleased through him
to reconcile to himself
all things.
Here Paul is saying that
it pleased God to
reconcile all things
through Jesus.
Jesus is the
source of reconciliation
reconciliation and he is
the means of
reconciliation.
He's the one that
brings peace between
sinners and a holy
God.
Now how did that
happen?
If you look at the end
of verse 20, we're
told making peace by the
blood of his cross.
The reconciliation God
brought about came at an
extremely high price to
God incarnate.
He shed his blood on a
cross in order to make
peace between God and
sinners.
To bring shalom, peace
to his creation.
Specifically to men and
women, boys and girls.
It's through him.
And through him alone.
The separation and
hostility that exists between
God and sinners can only
be removed by the blood of
his cross.
It's the only way.
The blood of his cross.
Just to be crystal clear,
the blood that Paul is
talking about is the
blood of the baby boy that
was born six miles outside
of Jerusalem 2,000 years
ago.
That's the blood.
blood.
It's the blood of the
God man.
God incarnate shed his
blood on his cross.
The cross is a reference
to his death.
That's where he died.
He was crucified as a
common criminal in order
to reconcile common
sinners like you and me to
an uncommon God.
It's all part of God's
loving plan from the
foundation of the world.
not only would the second
person of the Trinity
become a man, but the
second person of the
Trinity, after becoming a
man, would brutally die on
a Roman cross.
And he did it voluntarily.
He did it for you and for
me.
He died in our place.
It was my sin that
disrupted my relationship
with God.
It's your sin that
ruptured your relationship
with God.
And because of that, God
justly condemns you and me
because of our sin to an
eternal death.
But Jesus, born in a stable,
so that through his death on
the cross, he could reconcile
you and me to God.
He made peace by the blood of
his cross.
God's wrath poured out on
Jesus so that we can
experience peace.
No more hostility between God
and sinners, those who
believe.
He's the perfect mediator.
Only his death could pay for
all your sin and everyone
else who would one day
believe in him.
And that's all you need to
do to respond.
Jesus became a man and
died on a cross in order to
bring everlasting peace to
those who believe.
And that's how you respond.
You can't earn it.
You receive it.
You receive it as a gift.
The birth of Jesus was the
first Christmas.
But the greatest Christmas
gift that God is offering
today is the salvation that
Jesus has made available through
the blood of his cross.
He makes it available to
everyone.
Our reconciliation is in him and
through him and it is to him.
We read that in verse 19.
For in him all the fullness,
excuse me, 20, in him all the
fullness of God who is pleased
to dwell and through him to
reconcile to himself all
things.
The himself is most likely a
reference to God the Father
because whenever the New
Testament talks about
reconciliation, we're being
reconciled to the Father.
But here's what I want you to
notice.
It's the scope.
It's the scope of his
reconciling work.
Verse 20, and through him to
reconcile to himself all
things.
All things.
Christ's death is his reclaiming
of all that he created that was
brutalized by the effects of sin.
At the cross, Jesus is saying,
it's all mine.
I'm reclaiming it.
It's all mine.
It's the decisive turning point
in history in which Jesus comes
and reclaims his own and not
just sinners, but all of
creation.
So the salvation that Jesus
accomplished through his death on
the cross has a cosmic reach
for as the curse is found.
So he will eventually recreate the
heavens and the earth with the
result of a full and lasting peace.
No more hostility for as the curse is
found.
Joy to the word.
So this work of peace which began at
the incarnation and was accomplished at
the cross, it will culminate when Jesus
comes back the second time.
His second advent.
When he returns and makes all things right.
When he comes to judge the world.
Every knee will bow.
Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
He comes back as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
You see, when he comes back, he will bring peace.
He will pacify all who oppose him.
When he returns in righteous authority and judgment,
all who were unwilling to bow to him on earth
will bow to him then.
He will establish a comprehensive and lasting peace
for the entire cosmos.
This morning we've seen that Christ is the creator of all
and the reconciler of all.
In short, you could say he's Lord of all.
What child is this?
What child is this in the manger and the stable?
He's the creator.
He's the peacemaker.
So this Christmas, worship him for who he is
in all of his fullness.
Your creator came as a man to make peace with you
by the blood of his cross.
And you know what?
That's worth telling others about.
Go tell it on the mountain.
Let's pray.
God, thank you so much for Colossians 1, 15 through 20.
God, thank you that your word gives us
a high and glorious view of our Savior and Lord.
God, would you press into our hearts
a worshipful delight in Christ,
our creator and reconciler.
And it's in his name we pray.
Amen.