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"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 is the 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." (Colossians 1:15-20)

The contrast of royal burials couldn’t be starker!

“I will also make him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” (Ps. 89:27)

Echoes of OT prophetic descriptions about the centre of attention in the new churches—JESUS

1. THE FIRSTBORN (bekor) of all creation (1:15-17)
--for the Jews
A title, rank, “the wisdom of God”

- THE IMAGE of the invisible God
Jesus the Christ is the physical disclosure of the invisible God

To the Gentiles makers of images/idols exchanging the glory of God for corruptible likenesses (Rom. 1:28)—He is the image of the real God—“you are the Christ (Messiah) the Son of the living God!” Matt. 16:16 God visible

- THE CREATOR of everything —nothing poses any real threat to you

Creation is the handiwork of Jesus the Christ and is entirely subject to Him

“in Him, by Him, for Him”—God has no other agent, not wisdom or law—you can only get right with God through Christ.

- ETERNAL before all things

- THE SUSTAINER keeping creation together—if...he can hold you and your world together, sustain you

2. THE FIRSTBORN (prototokos) from among the dead (1:18-20)

In NT singular form always references Jesus Christ and his supremacy or priority of rank (O’Brien; Rom. 8:29; I Cor. 15:20; Acts 26:23: Rev. 1:5)

From out of His creation Jesus the Christ is presently building a New Creation

- THE HEAD of the church

—only through connection to the Head is eternal life and present growth even possible—the disconnected whither and die—any of us may walk out and the rest of us will live; if Christ leaves or you are disconnected from Him, you cannot spiritually survive.

- SUPREME—over the cosmos; the only reality that is entirely sufficient—there is no alternative hope regardless of how hopeless your situation seems at the moment. “where would we go Lord? You have the words of life.”

Only someone divinely supreme can forgive sins; only someone human can die—fully God, fully man—the mystery of the indwelling Spirit—“the same theme in a very minor key.” (C.S. Lewis)

- THE FULLNESS OF GOD dwells in Him —in Christ the full essence of God is able to be seen.

The purpose of creation including fallenness was to put the fullness of God on display—

- THE RECONCILER of all things, willingly or forcefully—before creation

The Church is His sacrificial work through the blood of His cross.

All the religious trinkets, bells and whistles, and sideshows are patently unnecessary and distracting—Christ alone is God’s plan of reconciling a creation alienated from its Creator.

There is no way to interpret life or meaning or purpose if you bypass Christ. God, in Christ, places His glory on display through reconciling/redeeming a fallen creation so that his creation can worship, enjoy, and glorify him forever—there is no other meaning to life.

Have YOU received peace with God through the forgiveness of your sins by trusting in Jesus Christ as YOUR Lord and Saviour?

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