Those are good words. When you don't understand, when you don't see his plan,
when you can't see his hand, trust God's heart. I'd like for you to open your
Bible with me please to the book of Colossians as this evening we undertake
the beginning of our Christmas study for this year into one of the titles of the
Lord Jesus Christ. There are of course many titles ascribed to him. Each of them
is worth studying and understanding. There are many benefits to that kind of
study. One benefit is that of greater stability. Sometimes the titles of the
Lord Jesus Christ, like the one we're going to look at tonight, are jumped upon
by people who twist and pervert the scripture to mean something other than
that which it says. We'll talk about that in a few minutes. So it's important for
us to understand exactly what the titles mean because that then prevents us from
misunderstanding and gives us greater stability in our faith. Furthermore, it
gives us greater devotion to him because the titles help us to appreciate who
Jesus is and what he's done on our behalf. Further, an understanding of the
titles of our Lord Jesus Christ gives us greater usefulness because as we
understand those titles and their meaning, we mature in our faith and that
maturation makes us more useful in the hands of God. The title we're going to
look at this Christmas season is the one that is found in verse 15 of Colossians
1 where we read these words, and he is the image of the invisible God, the first
born of all creation. It is this title, first born, that has attracted my
interest and study in preparation for these series. Not that it's of any
particular interest to you except perhaps the sound of it. The Greek word
is prototikos, and if you listen closely there you see the word proto as part of
that word. Literally the word means the first proto, the first to be born. The
firstborn in the Hebrew family was the oldest son who by virtue of being the
firstborn son received certain prerogatives above all of the rest of
the children. For example, he received special verbal blessings from his father
and he received a double portion of the family inheritance so that if there were
six children instead of the inheritance being divided six ways, it was divided
seven ways and the oldest son received a double portion from the rest. Greek
students and professor Robert Gromacu teaches at Cedarville College has
written these words to help us understand this meaning. He says in its
basic meaning firstborn meant the first one born in the family. In Near Eastern
culture the eldest son by right of being born first received the birthright
which entitled him to a double inheritance and family leadership upon
the death of the father. The idea of supremacy soon overshadowed the concept
of temporal priority. In writing further about this Harry Ironside, who was a
great Bible teacher of another generation and for many years the pastor
of the Moody Church in Chicago wrote this, the firstborn is the heir and the
preeminent one. It is important to remember that in Scripture the firstborn
is not necessarily the one born first and that is true isn't it? The one who
received the blessings of the firstborn was not always the one born first and
there are some notable examples of that in the Old Testament. In some cases the
privilege of being the firstborn was given up in the case of Esau for a
little bit of soup. He goes on to write many instances might be cited where the
one born first was set aside was set to one side and the right of the firstborn
given to another. One only needs to mention the cases of Ishmael and Isaac,
Esau and Jacob, Reuben and Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim to which many more
might be added. The first man is set aside and the second man is
acknowledged as the firstborn and so, and I think this is an important point, Adam
and all his race are set aside as unfit to retain authority over the world in
order that Christ the second man, the Lord from heaven, might be acknowledged
as the firstborn. Jesus is the last Adam as he is called in 1st Corinthians 15
but he holds the place of the firstborn and that is why the title is ascribed to
him here. It is this title of preeminence and sovereignty that is given to him in
Colossians 1 and in several other contexts of the New Testament. Here the
focus is upon his creative work as the firstborn. Notice that the Apostle calls
him the firstborn of all creation. Now the connection of firstborn with creation
has given rise to some false definitions of what this word means. A teacher in the
fourth century by the name of Arius claimed that firstborn meant that Jesus
was the first of all of the created things of God, that he was the firstborn
in that sense, that of all of the creation he was the first thing created
and there were many who followed after him. However, the church and gathering in
a great council concluded together that in fact Arius was a heretic and a false
teacher. Now we might think that that teaching was buried back in the fourth
century but in fact it was resurrected about a hundred years ago or a little
more by the Jehovah's Witnesses who likewise still today claim that Jesus is
the firstborn in the sense that he is the first of all of the created things of
God and that is a lie. That is not the meaning of firstborn. What does it mean
when it says that he is the firstborn of all creation? Well you will notice if you
look at the text here beginning in verse 15 which we'll read in just a moment
there are five statements made about Jesus Christ as the firstborn of all
creation. It says and he is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of all
creation. For by him all things were created both in the heavens and on earth
visible and invisible where the thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
all things have been created by him and for him and he is before all things and
in him all things hold together. Now we'll go into verse 18 next week the
Lord willing but notice the first statement made about Jesus Christ is the
firstborn of all creation. It says by him verse 16 all things were created.
Actually the preposition in the New American Standard translated by is in E
in as we would bring it into the English it really means this all things were
created with reference to Jesus Christ in his domain as it were in his sphere
of activity all things were created with reference to Christ. We might illustrate
it this way when a building is being constructed the most important brick or
stone or block to be put into that building is the first one because that
first one becomes the cornerstone of the building because of the way that it is
laid it becomes the source of all of the angles and all of the lines of the rest
of the building. It is the preeminent block as it were in the building and
that is the sense here when it says in him or with reference to Christ as the
cornerstone everything else was created. The Gnostics who were some false
teachers that were prevalent in the church in the day when Paul wrote this
letter taught that creation came about as a result of a series of angelic beings
because God in their understanding could never create something material
because they believed in dualism spiritual was good and that which is
material was always evil they said therefore the spiritual God could not
create the material which is evil and so they created this system of emanations
from God these spirit beings that were innumerable between God the highest form
of spirit and the material world and they said that God created through all
of these many multitudes and myriads of angels that were between him and
creation however the Apostle Paul says not at all not at all for it was with
reference to Jesus Christ that everything was created not many
beings between God and creation but one person in whom all things were created
one commentator by the name of Lightfoot says that all laws and purposes guiding
and governing creation reside in the person of Jesus Christ do you want to
talk about the law of gravity or any of the other laws of physics they all
reside in the person of Jesus Christ now that being the case is it any wonder
that he could control the wind and the waves for the laws that govern the winds
or the waves all reside in him and it is but a small thing for him to bring in
other laws that would supersede the natural laws so that he could control
the wind and waves it is nothing for him to reverse and to heal disease or for
that matter even to raise the dead you see because all of the laws that govern
and guide creation find their focus and their residents in him it says that
everything was created with reference to Christ in every region he talks about
heaven and earth in every realm the visible and the invisible and he talks
here about thrones and dominions rulers or authorities these are words that
refer to angelic creatures he says every region every realm every rank of the
angelic beings all of them are a part of those things that were created with
reference to Jesus Christ in him all things were created now notice with me a
second of the statements that help us understand what it means when it speaks
of Jesus Christ as the firstborn of all creation it says all things have been
created by him at the end of verse 16 all things have been created by him
again the preposition is very important here it is the word that means through
dia through he is the instrument through whom the creation took place he is the
agent of creation it is true of course that God the Father God the Son and God
the Holy Spirit each had a part in creation we see that suggested even in
the first verse of the Bible where it says in the beginning God Elohim
created the heavens and the earth the word Elohim that name for God has a
plural ending in the Hebrew meaning not only that it's a majestic name but also
suggesting a plurality in this oneness of God Elohim and as the scripture
unfolds it tells us that God the Father is the source of all creation God the
Son is the agent by whom creation came to be and the Holy Spirit is the one who
preserves it all things have been created by him turn over with me to John
chapter 1 and verse 3 this was a text that we looked at more thoroughly last
Christmas season but notice that John says essentially the same thing that
Paul has asserted in verse 3 John 1 3 all things came into being by him through
him nothing came into being he says except that it came by him by Jesus
Christ one more writer of the New Testament the writer of Hebrews the first
chapter again Hebrews 1 and verse 2 but let's get the context verse 1 says God
who after he spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions
and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in his son whom he
appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the world notice again
through whom he made the world the world not only in the sense of of its material
existence but in the sense of its historic ages all of it came into being
by him now let's go back again to Colossians we see here Paul unfolding to
us the majesty of Jesus Christ as the firstborn of all creation the next
statement is found right at the end of verse 16 all things have been created
for him now please understand the prepositions are not unimportant some of
you high schoolers and maybe some of you in junior high are going through the
parts of speech and you labor trying to understand what a subject is and what a
verb is and a direct object and an indirect object and all the other parts
of speech one of the parts of speech at least back in the old days probably
still is it's called a preposition prepositions are important they are
small little words but even these words are important and it says here that all
things have been created for him the the picture in this preposition is a
movement it's toward him all things have been created unto him or in that
direction of him it says that Jesus Christ is not only the agent of creation
but he is the goal or the purpose of creation it all points to him and it
only finds meaning when he is at the center of creation the glory for
creation is his it does not belong to the angels of the Gnostics and their
false teaching the glory that we see around this is not because of mother
nature whether she's in a good mood or a bad mood it makes no difference it's not
mother nature what we see around us is not the result of evolution's natural
process one of my favorite programs on Sunday evening is nature on channel 2 I
enjoy watching just to see the unusual things about nature that they find how
many of you watch that on Sunday evenings quite a few of you but of course
the underlying philosophy of the whole program is that evolution has produced
this I think was last Sunday night they were talking about geese wasn't it and
how geese find their direction at least the part of it that I saw was about that
and the unusual ability that has been placed into these creatures to be able
to fly at night by use of the stars and through clouds still going in the right
direction because of the magnetism of the earth I just wonder how many of those
poor creatures got lost before evolution got that through to their little brains
it is marvelous what God has done in creation all things have been created
for him it's not evolution that's done it it's not the angels of Gnosticism
it's not Mother Nature it's Jesus Christ and in fact the very tense of this verb
it says here all things have been created for him and the idea is not only
have they been created but today they are still ongoing for him completion is
a creation rather is a completed act but the results of it permanently stand as a
testimony to the Creator Jesus Christ but there is another thought that is
intertwined here with this particular preposition it means that the creation
has an encounter one day with Jesus Christ that it must give an account to
Jesus Christ as the judge commentator William Hendrickson writes all creatures
without any exception whatever must contribute glory to Christ and serve
his purposes and one day those of us who are morally responsible will stand
before Jesus Christ to give account of ourselves because we are a part of
creation and we are created for him and we are moving in that direction there is
no way for us to avoid it there's no way for us to turn around the direction of
all of creation it's moving to his throne and one day all creation will give an
account to him now there's a fourth statement that is made by the Apostle in
verse 17 it says that he himself Christ is before all things notice it doesn't
really say he was before all things that would be true in itself but it goes
beyond that it says he is before all things this is not only a statement
about his pre-existence before there was anything created but because of the
tense of the verb present tense he is it is a statement that he eternally pre
existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit as God the Son before time and
space came into being before there was any matter he is not just was he is
that's the real point too of John 8 verse 58 and it's my favorite verse when
the Jehovah's Witnesses come knocking on the door I've told you before my little
process with them I asked them if they believe that Jesus Christ is a good man
that he would ever lie to us and of course they say as they would teach no
he was a good man a perfect man I say can we believe everything that he would
say was ill of course we can and I said well remember that he said before
Abraham was I am not just I was before Abraham but I am they say well so what
and I said would you understand that I am is the very name Jehovah that you
claim to be witnessing for Jesus was claiming there to be Jehovah God come in
the flesh oh no no that couldn't be he's the first of all created things then I
point them to that other verse in the context that says Jesus said if you
believe not that I am you will die in your sins that's not one of their
favorite verses Jesus claimed to be the eternal Jehovah the I am that I am that
revealed himself to Moses in the Old Testament and just as Paul says here he
is before all things Jesus himself said before Abraham was I am and of course
the Jews understood exactly what he was claiming because at that point they
picked up rocks to stone him for blasphemy so if the Jehovah's Witnesses
have a hard time understanding what Jesus meant the Jews of that day had no
misunderstanding of his claim this whole idea of his eternal pre-existence is an
attribute of deity alone he is God then there is one final statement that is
made in our text tonight regarding Jesus Christ as the firstborn of all creation
and it says in him all things hold together in him all things cohere he is
that glue if you please that holds the creation together he is its sustenance
and he is the preserver of all that he made he is the one who holds the
atom together with its parts it is his power and should he at any moment decide
to release it everything that is made would go to pieces he is the one in whom
it holds together Hebrews 1 3 says upholding all things by the word of his
power upholding all things the word there is to carry it means that he
carries everything forward on its appointed course not only does he hold
the material universe together but all of history and all of its ages as they
unfold are carried forward by the power of Jesus Christ all things hold together
in him now having said these things about Jesus Christ the firstborn what
what kind of application can we make of this in our lives let me just point out
two or three things before we go in our way first of all nothing in creation is
of itself evil except of course that which became evil after its creation by
rebellion but nothing in all of creation is evil in and of itself it can be used
for evil but it's not evil in and of itself the Gnostics of course taught
that everything is evil including our bodies and to them the whole idea of a
resurrection body was unthinkable the whole idea is to get rid of the body
it's evil well the whole idea in the Christian resurrection is that the body
will come together a new body but it'll be a body a material body supernatural
but material real tangible nothing is evil in all of creation and God uses it
all to advance his good and holy purposes even that which has become evil
God employs even Satan and his whole realm ultimately to bring about his
purposes Satan is in rebellion there is a limited sense in which he has his way
and he charts his course for the world but ultimately even all of his activity
will bring about the purpose of God
secondly I see as a result of this teaching that despite sins presence and
its corruption creation is to be enjoyed employed rather for God's glory and
gratefully enjoyed by his people turn over to 1st Timothy chapter 6 for just a
moment 1st Timothy chapter 6 comes after Thessalonians doesn't it yes here it is
sometimes these books change places in my Bible 1st Timothy chapter 6 in verse
17 it says instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceded
or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God who richly
supplies us with all things to enjoy God intends for us to employ creation for
his glory and to enjoy it ourselves that's why he's given it to us and so
there are some who may not eat certain foods for health reasons that's fine and
there may be good reason for that but there's not a spiritual reason for it
if you choose not to eat ham let it not be because of what Leviticus or one of
the Old Testament book says let it be for some other more mundane reason God
has given us all things richly to enjoy we can truly sing this is my father's
world yes Satan now is the usurper yes he has his way in some limited sense in
the world but this is our father's world and it all points to him and brings
glory to him and he has given us the privilege of enjoying it finally I want
to say this evening that the dignity and the majesty of Jesus Christ is unique
the dignity the majesty of Jesus Christ as the firstborn of God are unique being
eternally God the Son he is also by his incarnation the only begotten Son of God
we are at this season of the year remembering his incarnation that the
reason for the season is the celebration of the truth that this one who is the
firstborn of all creation is also come into the world to be our Savior this one
who is supreme and preeminent in his glory stepped from his throne in heaven
and stooped to our place on the earth that he might save us and raise us to
one day share the throne of his glory with him what a wonderful Savior we have
in Jesus Christ who is the firstborn of all creation would you bow with me
please in prayer father we thank you for Jesus for who he is and what he's done
and for your revealing him to us in the names and titles that are ascribed to him
I bless you that he is the firstborn of all creation that he has the place of
supremacy that his rank is a preeminent one and tonight we worship you Lord Jesus
and we bring our hearts to quiet yieldedness to to your purpose and your
will in our being in existence fulfill your purpose in us we pray and use us
for your glory amen