Title: A Verse by Verse Study of Colossians.

Lesson 10 – The Preeminence Of Jesus Christ.  (Part Two)   

Text: Col. 1:13 – 20 

A. Introduction.

     1. We said last week will break this part down into 4 sections, with all of them showing the preeminence of Jesus Christ. Last week we covered Jesus Christ as Saviour. 

          a. Jesus Christ is Saviour. V.V. 13 – 15 

          b. Jesus Christ is the creator. V.V. 16 - 17

          c. Jesus Christ is head of the Church. V. 18

          d. Jesus Christ is the Beloved of the Father. V.V. 19 – 20

          e. All four points is to prove the preeminence of Jesus Christ over all creation.

     2. Last week we saw that Jesus Christ has.

          a. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,” V. 13a The      word delivered means “to rescue one from danger”

          b. “and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” V. 13b The word “translated” deportation as though transfusing one from one country to another.

          c. “In whom we have redemption through his blood,” V. 14a The word “redemption” means to pay a ransom in full to release a prisoner.

          d. “the forgiveness of sins:” He has pardoned our sins. The word “forgiveness” means to pardon a debt. Not to cancel but to pardon.

B. This week we want to look at Christ the Creator. V. V. 15 – 17

     1. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: V. 15

          a. We need to look at two words here: 1. Image and 2. Firstborn.  Lets look at firstborn first

               1. The word firstborn appears to say He was the firstborn of all creatures; however that would destroy V. 16. How could He be the first created if He was created Himself and at the same time be the creator of all things?

               2. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words -  His relationship to the Father, expressing His priority to, and preeminence over, creation, not in the sense of being the "first" to be born.

                3. Jesus Christ is not a created being He is the Eternal God. We cannot think of “eternal life” and an Eternal God in exactly the same way. Eternal life begins at salvation and will never end but did have a beginning however The Eternal God had no beginning nor ending. John 1:1 sums this up “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

          b. The word image;

               1. John Gill defined it this way “that, as he is the Son of God; in which sense he is the natural, essential, and eternal image of his Father, an eternal one, perfect and complete.” Another writer said it means “He is the exact representation and revelation” The writer of Hebrews said it this way in Hebrews 1:3a “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,”

               2. Jesus said it this way, John 14:9 “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

               3. By Jesus Christ being born we see the father. The Father is invisible to us so John described it to us this way, John 1:18 “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” By seeing the Son we have seen the Father because they are one in the same. To us that is His very nature.

      2. V. 16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

          a. Since Jesus Christ created all things He Himself was not created.

          b. Again we get back to the creation of evil, God created all things including Satan however Satan fell and evil came into existence. God is not evil and is not the creator of evil, just as God is not the creator of evil deeds.

           c. However the Lord does use evil to accomplish His blessed will just as He used Pharaoh. 

     3. V. 17 “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

           a. The word “consist” means "by Him all things stand together" or He is the glue that holds all things together.

           b. He holds the earth in the air, He keeps the sun away from the earth, He keeps the stars from falling, and ETC.

           c. John Gill put it this way: “he upholds all things by the word of his power; the heavens have their stability and continuance from him; the pillars of the earth are bore up by him, otherwise that and the inhabitants of it would be dissolved; the angels in heaven are confirmed in their estate by him, and have their standing and security in him; the elect of God are in his hands, and therefore shall never perish; yea, all mankind live and move, and have their being in him; the whole frame of nature would burst asunder and break in pieces, was it not held together by him; every created being has its support from him, and its consistence in him; and all the affairs of Providence relating to all creatures are governed, directed, and managed by him, in conjunction with the Father and the blessed Spirit.”