Topical Sermon Series

(Christology)

Preliminary:
There was a poem that is worth hearing not just for the church – the people of God, but also to all the people that has breath,
must lend their ears and meditate each and every line the poem of an unknown author has to say:

[The Incomparable Christ], “More than nineteen hundred years ago there was a man born contrary to the laws of life. This man
lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He received no formal education and never possessed wealth or wide-spread
influence. He never traveled extensively. He only once crossed the boundary of the country in which He lived. But this man’s life
has changed the course of history. In infancy He startled a king; in childhood he puzzled doctors; in man hood He ruled the course
of nature, walked upon the waves, and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge
for His services. He never wrote a book. Yet His life has inspired more books than any other man. He never wrote a song. Yet He
has furnished the theme for more songs than all songwriters combined. He never founded a college. But all the schools put
together cannot boast of having as many students. He never marshaled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun. Yet no
leader ever had more rebels surrender to Him without a shot fired. He never practiced psychiatry. Yet He has healed more broken
hearts than all the doctors far and near. Once each week the wheels of commerce cease their turning, and multitudes gather to
pay homage and respect to Him. Though time has spread nineteen hundred years between the people of this generation and His
birth, He still lives. His enemies could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him. This man stands forth upon the highest
pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by His people, and feared by devils, as the risen
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

The apostle Paul declares the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is not just the Christ, the fulness of God we see in
Him. What makes the Lord Jesus Christ unique among other gods? Why is this important? What is its relevance to the church,
and is it necessary to be heard by unbelievers? The letter to Colossians stresses the all-uniqueness, the all-supremacy, and the
all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ more than any of Apostle Paul’s letters.

We will be discussing the following points:

I. The Uniqueness of Christ
II. The Supremacy of Christ
III. The Sufficiency of Christ

Message:
“The Incomparable Christ”
(Colossians 1:15-20)

I. The Uniqueness of Christ

The special self-revelation of God is at the foundation of Christianity. God revealed Himself in the person and work of Jesus
Christ. He revealed His perfect will in Christ.
 The place of knowledge in the Christian life is extremely important. However in the Colossian church there were
teachers who had made their own brand of spiritual knowledge the goal of the Christian life. They claimed a higher
superior knowledge reserved for a select few of super-Christians (Super Saiyans of Christianity). They considered
themselves the elite. They claimed a higher knowledge, a super spiritual experience that exceeded everyone else.
 The apostle Paul responded to this nonsense. The heretics called themselves Christians because they included Christ in
their name and scheme much like cults do in our day. You can use the name of Jesus Christ and still be a cult. These
false teachers assumed that the person and work of Jesus Christ was not adequate for a complete salvation. They
were teaching that Christ is only one among many spiritual authorities. They claimed Christ was a lord, but not the one
true Lord God. They said Jesus was only one among many lords. They denied the true gospel by denying the all-
 supremacy, and all-sufficiency of Christ. Paul’s message is powerful: "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13).

Believers in Christ Jesus have received "forgiveness of sin." What a great sense of peace to know that every sin, all my sins are
forever forgiven. There is no greater sense of peace than that. All of our sins are forgiven forever - under the cleansing blood of
Jesus Christ. This is true of those who have put their trust in Christ. The central feature of redemption is the forgiveness of all our
sins, to free us from the bondage thereof.

This is why the apostle Paul stresses who Jesus is. Such deliverance and forgiveness make the world ask, who is this Jesus? How
can one man accomplish such a feat? Who is Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul turns his attention to that subject and gives us a
fuller knowledge of Christ so we can reject false teachings. The doctrine of Christ was the basic truth threatened by the Gnostic
teachers at Colossae and also of our time today. The atheists, cults, and even LGBTs has already made a panel of their own to
twist some portions of the Bible to deceive many and deviate from knowing the truth of Christ. Therefore, it is good for us to
focus our attention of this all important question, “Who is Jesus Christ?”
 According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is unique. What makes Him unique from the other gods of this world? v. 15 “He is
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”.
 The word Paul uses for "image" is a unique word that occurs only six times in the Greek New Testament. The word
expresses two different ideas. One is "likeness" and the other is "manifestation." i.e., not made into the likeness of
God, rather He is the likeness and manifestation of the One True God.
 What Paul is trying to teach the Colossians is that God, who is invisible, is made visible by Jesus. ‘The Son is the
radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he
had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.. (Heb 1:3), i.e. everything we
see in Jesus we learn about God.
 Looking at the love of Jesus (on the cross) we see the love of God; looking at the justice of Jesus (on the cross) we see
the justice of God; looking at the power of Jesus we seek the power of God. Or, as we read in Romans 5:1, “Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 On this verse alone, Jesus Christ, in His uniqueness, cannot be compared to the god of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
This is Christian apologetics starting from the argument of Paul against different religious worldviews and opinions
(Isaiah 1:18; 1Peter 3:15). This deals with the arguments of the existence of God, the Creator-Deity, Deity of Christ.
 Islam – Allah, where a believer of it can have a higher form of life at the afterlife but a separated community apart from
Allah. Islamic belief, humble submission to his will, ordinances, and commandments will be rewarded with numerous
number of “virgins,” an adulterous religion. There is no word ‘love’ in Qu’ran.
 Buddhism seek to reach a state of nirvana, following a path of Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, in a quest for
enlightenment, extinguish hunger and desire. There is no personal belief in a personal god. They believe that nothing is
fixed or permanent, and that everything is subject to change – change is always possible (no assurance, a continuous
pursuit and quest for a reincarnated life over and over again, experiencing suffering throughout many lives.
 Hinduism mostly have a personal god or goddess of choice, Shiva, Krishna or Lakshmi (Lachmi). They are the 3 most
important Hindu god forms (avatar/forms of Brahman). And aside from the 3 gods, they have 33 million gods. Their end
goal: Kama – pleasure (Kamasutra); Artha – wealth and power; Dharma – duty, a circumstantial duty, e.g. murder for the
greater good.

Jesus Christ is unique because He is a Personal God. He revealed Himself, lived with His creation, with communicable attributes
or emotions identified and known to man. He is God, at the same time a Redeemer, a Judge and also a Friend. And only in Christ
religion, Christianity has the only concept of redemption, a personal redemption, and permanent destination together with God.

II. The Supremacy of Christ

Let us be very clear, that Christ is the firstborn of all creation it would be impossible for the Creator to be created. When the
apostle Paul says that Christ is the "firstborn of all creation" he does not mean that Christ was a creature like all the rest of
creation. Christ is prior in time and superior in rank to all of creation. He is eternal and never had a beginning. He is prior in time
and superior in rank to all of creation. He stands apart and above all creation.

 V.15 clearly says, He is: "the firstborn over all creation," the word Paul used which is translated, "firstborn," is the word,"
(prototokos) which refers to status. The firstborn son in the family had special status. The firstborn was given jurisdiction
in the family. And so Jesus, the Son of God, exercised his jurisdiction with the status of a firstborn.

 In Colossians 1:16-18, notice how Paul stresses, [16]” For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. [17]
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] 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 pre-eminence/supremacy.”

 This doctrine is an anti-thesis to the modern cults of our time (tackles on Polemics – deals with pseudo-Christian
religion): Iglesia ni Cristo (Manalo) view Jesus as a mere man, Jehovah’s Witnesses views Jesus as never equal to
Jehovah, a demi-god, Unification Church views God having male and female aspects and Jesus as perfected man that
can be called God but is not God Himself (Moonies), Seventh Day Adventist with their strong assertions of the dietary
laws and the Saturday sabbath, Mormonism view Jesus as an elder brother.. the son of Adam and Eve, etc. What is cult
then? A cult is an organized or not organized religion that which claims to be rooted in historical Christianity but has
deviated from or abandoned the finished/completed work of Christ or compromised/misrepresented His person.

 The universe was created by means of Christ and for Him. He is the owner. All things have been created in Him, by Him,
and for Him. He planned it and produced it for His own good pleasure.
 Christ is the architect or originator and designer of creation. Everything originated with Him. He is the agent of creation.
He is the builder.
 Christ sustains the universe. Paul leaves no room for any Gnostic angelic agents (pertaining to angels) in creation. "By
Him" or "in Him all things were created" teaches that Christ is the "sphere" within which the work of creation takes
place. (Lightfoot notes), “that all the laws and purposes which guide the creation and government of the universe reside
in Christ.”
 "All things" meaning the universe as a collective whole came into being "in Him," "through Him," and "unto Him."
Everything is centered in Christ. Creation occurred within the sphere of Christ’s person and power. The act of creation
rested in Christ. God made the whole universe through Him. Christ is the means of creation. He is the sphere, the
intermediate mediating agent and the purpose of its existence.
 "All things" includes everything with no exceptions. Whatever is "in heaven" or "on earth," "visible" or "invisible" is
included. "All things" were created points to a particular time when creation took place, and the resulting action of that
creation is that it stands created. The whole universe owes its being to Christ.

Therefore, if all things were created not only by him but also for him –In order that in all things he might have the pre-eminence/
supremacy, then Jesus deserves our worship. And just as Thomas knelt before Jesus when he was the risen Lord and said to him,
‘My Lord and my God’ so we worship him through the power of the Holy Spirit as Creator and Sustainer of all things.

III. The Sufficiency of Christ

As the Creator, Christ is the Lord of creation, and as the resurrected Christ He is Lord over His new Creation. Again the emphasis
in the original language suggests the preeminence of Christ. "He Himself, He and He alone" will have first place in everything! He
alone is the supreme head over all things, the Head of His church. What a great God and Savior we worship. There is no other
comparison.
  "For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile all things to
Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in
heaven" (Colossians 1:19-20). Here is the ultimate reason we bow and worship Him. God has decreed the supremacy of
Christ over His church and the universe.
 John Calvin said, "It was so arranged in the providence of God." It was the will of God that Christ reign as sovereign
because in Him dwells all the fullness of God and it is through Him that God has reconciled all things to Himself through
His precious blood.
 God in all His fullness is all that God is. It is that which makes Him God, and "it was the Father’s good pleasure for all"
that "fullness to dwell in Him." Don’t miss the word "dwell." This is a permanent residence as opposed to a temporary
journey. The fullness of deity permanently abides in Christ. It is a lasting abode. The fullness of deity is eternally resident
in the Son. The divine fullness is eternally resident in Jesus Christ. The Father was pleased through Jesus Christ to
reconcile all things to Himself. Only the One in whom all the fullness of God dwells could accomplish reconciliation to a
holy God.
 "Reconciliation" is a unique word for the apostle Paul. He alone uses it in relation to God’s work in Jesus Christ on behalf
of sinful men. It is never God being reconciled to man, but always it is sinful man who is reconciled with God. It is man
who needs to be reconciled to God. Man chose to disobey God and separate from His ways. However, God is the One
who chose to take the initiative to reconcile sinful man through the sacrifice of Christ.
 Jesus Christ is God’s agent in reconciling sinful man to Himself. None other could ever accomplish such a work, that is
why He is ‘incomparable.’ He is God’s agent of reconciliation, holy and righteous. He is sinless and pure.

 The concept of ’Propitiation’ takes effect = An atoning sacrifice that satisfies the just wrath of God against human sin. By
the shedding of the blood and what He did at the cross, Christ atoning sacrifice through His blood, is sufficient to
cleanse the guilty sinner from all unrighteousness, from all his sins, proclaimed righteous before God.

Summary:
Our beliefs about who Jesus is, has a direct effect on how we go about living the Christian life. e.g. If we do not recognize that
Jesus’ atoning death for our sin was a sufficient sacrifice to save us, man I his whole lifetime will be trying to save himself from
sin, but will never attain it. As one author (Dick Lucas) said: ’If no objective work was done by Christ’s death the gospel is not
"good news"; - it is simply an appeal!" So, Paul was eager to make it clear to the Church at Colossae, that Jesus is unique,
supreme, and sufficient among any other gods of man’s polluted imagination. He is not to be compared to any other gods.
 This doctrine of Christology is an anti-thesis to materialism, hedonism, atheism, agnosticism, Darwinism (Unggoy-nism -
evolution), pluralism and relativism. This is a challenge for us to be masters of Christology! We must be able to
communicate why we believe the Jesus of the Bible, unique, supreme, and sufficient.

 Christ by his sacrifice has made it possible for us to be reconciled to God. He is UNIQUE, SUPREME and his sacrifice for
our sins is SUFFICIENT for us to be reconciled to God. To those that are still not in Christ (those that have not committed
their lives in Christ), what are you waiting for - “Be reconciled with God, Sleeper!”

 And for those that are already in Christ, this is another challenge for us: “The total Philippine population is equivalent to
1.4% of the total world population. The current population of the Philippines is 108,375,664 as of September 04, 2019.
Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing – 5.1% belong to Islam religion (4 million plus), 2% belong to
unspecified indigenous practices and beliefs, 6% belong to various nationalized Christian cults, 2% belong to the 100
Protestant denominations, and the 86% belong to the Roman Catholic population. Therefore, the Reformed Baptists is
somewhere in the 2% of the 100 Protestant denominations..”
Knowing that we have a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the only ticket for a sinner to have eternal life; the query to us as the
church, we, the sanctified people of God, if God graced us with so much blessings and mercies in Christ, why is it to some of us or
we, don’t share the uniqueness, the supremacy, and the sufficiency of Christ to this large percentage that are bound to hell lest
believe the gospel? When was our last apologetic or polemic engagement to evidence that we were once blind and now we see
through the redemptive work of Christ? The Christian faith is the only faith of redemption, there is no other. Let us proclaim the
redemption that can only be found in the Incomparable Christ! (Analysis AFP: Islamic Suicide Bombers, why do they do it?)

[Exclusivity – Islam, Christianity] Sad, that it seems that we are not feeling the urgency as the Apostle Paul sees the urgency of
preaching the gospel? We can’t keep on drawing the statement, “God is Sovereign” as a pathetic excuse for laziness among the
people of God. As the Apostle Paul’s expression, “Wake up, sleeper!” - we are at war - spiritual war! Soldiers of Christ, Christian
soldiers, I appeal to you, let us engage the enemy by preaching the gospel, denying ourselves – worthy to be called ‘disciples of
Christ.’ Let us have a heart like Paul – a big heart for to proclaim the Incomparable Christ, for the cause of reformation!

randypmarchadesch/solideogloria2019