The Vastness of Christ
INTRODUCTION: The Spirit of God tells us in 2 Cor. 4:6, that a saved person is one who has “seen” by faith the true identity of Christ as the glory of God (he or she has seen ‘glory of God in the face of Christ’). This ‘burst of glory’ made sensible to faith is the beginning of life in Christ.
That first saving “look” is only the beginning of the race set before us. We must run that race with endurance while at the same time fixing our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:1-3ff). The body of our message today will be displaying Christ to the eye of faith that we might learn to fix our sight on Him.
I’ve titled this lesson, “The Vastness of Christ.” It’s taken from the ‘Christ hymn’ of Colossians 1:15-23. By referring to Christ as ‘vast’ I am alluding to His preeminence, supremacy, and majesty. As the object of our faith, Christ is not merely a magnificent category; He is the Upholder of all reality. All reality: temporal and eternal, visible and invisible is unified in Him. The Son of God, eternal Creator, condescended to become a man—to enter our existence that He might be both Creator AND Redeemer (Heb 1:1-4). As such, He is Lord of spiritual and physical reality. Lord of heaven and of earth; Lord of angels and Lord of human history. Lord of the church and Lord of all knowledge.
By fixing our eyes on Christ, we behold Him as unifier and goal of all reality (He is the only ‘cure” for a fragmented worldview). In a compartmentalized worldview; we find ourselves obsessed) with particulars (which leave our lives fragmented and overly concerned with temporal things).
Our great need as believers is to have our thoughts, affections, and life direction aligned with God’s great purpose that Christ should have first place in everything. In order to take hold of this spiritual reality, we must regularly ‘part the heavens’ by Scripture meditation to behold our great Sovereign; the Lord Jesus Christ. We must feed lour faith on Christ’s preeminence and supremacy— it’s how we fix our eyes on Jesus. (Frequently meditation on the Word is spiritual discipline.)
With the world in its present state it takes a vigorous faith to ‘see’ Jesus enthroned above all authority and power. In 200 years we have gone from a Christian nation to a nominal Christian nation; to a post-Christian nation to what is rapidly becoming an anti-Christian nation—therefore, more than ever, we need to see Christ as He really is—Logos, as Cosmic King of the universe, ruling now from glory—for our courage in the face of growing hostility to Christianity turns upon our sight of who Christ really is. (EX/ Satan seeks to drove a wedge between the church and her Lord. EX. The fox shakes the squirrel until the head no longer communicates with the body.)
The present religious and philosophical landscape in our culture makes the Western world ripe for apostasy (a massive departure from the historic Christian faith). The religious/philosophical “soil” of our culture is perfectly prepared for the germination of an explosive growth of defection from the Christian worldview. Adding to this sobering news is the voice of many conservative theologians who are not given to rash statements. A number of them are saying things such as, “The West is hurling toward a spiritual holocaust. Our nation is moving at warp speed toward perversion. A perfect storm is forming that will produce spiritual carnage.”
I feel for today’s students who are taught philosophic naturalism (namely) the idea that scientific objectivity begins with the assumption that matter is uncreated and ultimate.) And with this materialistic view of the universe comes the assumption that uncreated primeval matter sat there pulsating—filled with self determination to show what it could do and be if given a chance. As if matter wanted to become highly organized star systems, to express itself in the formation of whales; coral reefs; water falls; wildflowers; mangoes; antelopes; and people.
The secularists have said: “We will tell you what reality is –what the universe is—you Christians will yield the floor to us—because science is the only reliable way to explain the universe. You keep your beliefs to yourselves (private, inward) out of the public arena; out of government and education.”
The net effect, in the minds of most was to replace biblical creation with the Darwinian worldview (the worldview of Carl Sagan). God as personal, transcendent, involved with creation was eclipsed and demoted.¹ God’s direct involvement in the lives of His creatures was increasingly ruled out. God was no longer linked to all details of reality. God had been marginalized. The side of God that dealt with creation was far less personal than the side of God that dealt with salvation. As a consequence, the Jesus of salvation became very other-worldly, private and even sentimental.
As a case in point, “believing students on university campuses are able to offer Jesus as ‘friend’ but have no clue how to proclaim Him as Lord of the cosmos.”² This prevalent split in thinking welcomes Jesus as ‘helper’ but cannot conceive of Him, or proclaim Him, as majestic Lord of the universe. This is the dilemma our Christian students face today on the secular university campus.
Our college pastor recently told me, “I am surrounded by students who are living a postmodern lifestyle—for them the word “Jesus” is torn from the infallible Word of God and being redefined as a religious buzz word to describe their spiritual journey.” Today’s domesticated Jesus of progressive Christianity is not preeminent, but helpful. He is not cosmic Lord, but inspirational friend. He is not majestic Lord, but mascot. Thus, He is not a source of reverence, awe and authority. This ‘different Jesus’ is a divided Christ whose offices are separated (He is Priest but not King; Protector but not authoritative Prophet—the result is a divided reality. Only when Christ is exalted in His preeminence; majesty; and supremacy do we have biblical spirituality. Our current spiritual climate of error is powerfully addressed by Paul’s epistle to the Colossians.
I. Understanding the Colossian error of Paul’s day gives us insight into contemporary counterfeit spiritualities
A. The false teachers troubling the Colossian churches had introduced doctrines that were
actually an attack upon the preeminence and sufficiency of Christ. Like our own culture, the Colossians were attracted to a divided view of reality in which the spiritual was divorced from the everyday details of life. They were in desperate need of instruction regarding the Person and work of Christ.
Primitive Gnosticism was harassing the churches in that region of Asia Minor. Paul exposed the error of his opponents by thundering “Christ completely fills the entire gap between holy God and sinful man! He is all and all. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him. The believer is complete in Him!” Mysticism; legalism; Gnosticism; asceticism; and experimentalism all die when Christ is exalted as Lord of the cosmos.
In the epistle to the Colossians, Paul is driving a stake through the heart of Gnostic spirituality by declaring Christ to be the image of God—Creator of all physical and immaterial existence. The invisible God of the universe has taken the form of a man (a scandalous thought to the Greeks and Romans). Not only has Christ created all things; but all things are created for Him. In Christ, the Lord of the cosmos, the concept of a divided reality dies. In Christ, creation and redemption are united in one reality because He is the one Lord of both creation and redemption.
B. The uniqueness of Christ’s all-sufficiency was a central issue for Paul (1:14). When Christ’s
supremacy is preached; it tosses man-made religion into the rubbish heaps where it belongs. But the moment Christ’s centrality and supremacy are out of view; the human heart goes about trying to build its own bridge to God (but it won’t bear the weight of his soul). As creatures made in God’s image—only Christ the perfect image of God can bring the sinner safely into the presence of God. Only when we proclaim Christ in His centrality and preeminence will sinners understand that salvation has been taken out of man’s hands and placed into God’s own hands.
II. Christ’s Supremacy and Creation
A. Christ is the “eikon” (Grk.) of God – meaning not only likeness; but includes the ideas of
representation and manifestation. This echoes Christ’s words in John 14:9, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
Verse 15 – As the “image of God” Christ is the great and final revelation; or literal manifestation of God. He is the projection of God onto the canvas of our humanity and the embodiment of the divine in the world of men. “First-born” suggests supremacy, not temporality. Israel was designated as God’s firstborn (Ex 4:22) – even though many nations existed prior to Israel. She was chosen to be supreme over the nations —“I will make him My first-born the highest of the kings of the earth” (Ps 89:27). Christ is the Heir and Ruler over all and the heir of all—He has the right of rule the human family—and to possess and own all that exists—for He made it. (See also Heb 1:6 – Christ as the prototokos.)
Verse 16 – This verse unfolds the meaning of Christ’s role in creation. “All things created in Him” means that creation not only finds its origin in Christ; but it is centered in Christ. Christ is the embodiment of reality (whether of creation; or the redemption of mankind). Christ was the location from whom all came into being and in whom all creation is contained.
B. All laws and purposes which guide creation and govern the universe reside in Him.
Christ’s creative work is all-encompassing, for it includes all created things “in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.” He is not in all things (pantheism); but all things are in Him. His majesty and might and transcendence uphold the universe; all things find their source, sustenance, purpose, destiny, and order in Him. All things are created for Him – they abide forever to that end.
Christ is preeminent above all creation; above every creature. He is the point of reference of all things and all creatures. The Son is the goal of the existence of all things. Whether heaven or earth—even angels have no power or source of being apart from Christ. Paul boldly affirmed that everything – physical and spiritual (visible and invisible) is part of the creation that is in Christ – contained in Him and by Him (Thus nothing in creation is worthy of worship—Christ having created angels, makes angel worship illegitimate and heretical – 2:18).
The vastness of Christ—in order to be in awe of Christ’s vastness and immensity; His majesty and supremacy, you must know these truths Paul is expounding—you must know Christ’s relation to all creation. The Christ Hymn parallels the Logos passage in John’s prologue—“In the beginning was the Word (logic and rationality)—and all things came into being by Him.” He who is the Word knew all things and then spoke them in to existence. The
Logic and Rationality of the universe became a man. The majesty of Jesus exposes the pathetic smallness of pagan spirituality. For the very spirits created by Christ owe the very ground of their being to Christ, the Father’s Agent of created reality.
C. The supremacy of Christ is both arenas of reality (heavenly/invisible and earthly/visible—
stands in direct contrast to every false teaching (all glory belongs to Christ alone). The phrase “all things created for Him” means every aspect of creation exists for Him. Everything has its being for His sake. (He shall realize every purpose of His heart for His Son is the Ruler f creation and the goal of creation).
Verse 17 – He is before all things; there never was a time when He did not exist. All things are held together in Him. All is unified by Him. All coheres by Him; stands together by Him, stand in relation to Him. All things are defined in relation to Him. The Creator of all things maintains all things—the unity in nature; the order of all things; the flow of history—is all traced to Christ—Creator, Sustainer, Upholder. (Paul is ‘unpacking’ the significance of the vastness of Christ.)
The reason the world is cosmos and not a chaos is because of Him. This world is a system with a plan because of Him. From the smallest living cell to the blue whale the monarch butterfly—each creature occupies its appointed ecological niche due to God’s guiding hand in Christ. Christ is the cause of creation and He upholds creation—being the very bond that holds creation together (His power is exerted in doing so – Heb 1:3).
What an encouragement for Christians since, “He is not their Cause only, in an initial of Creator; He is also forever their Bond, their Order, their Law, their life; the ultimate secret which makes the whole universe, seen and unseen, a cosmos, not a chaos.” (Almighty God behind the veil of flesh).
III. Christ’s Supremacy and Redemption
A. Christ is first-- He is preeminent in all things material and spiritual.
Verse 18 -- All religious philosophies that depart from the Gospel are ultimately hostile to Christ’s preeminence. How we need to constantly consider the dignity of the Person who took our iniquities and infirmities upon Himself.
Because of the dignity & Vastness of His Person: Christ is Firstborn; Point of reference; Agent of creation; Goal of creation; Forerunner; Governor; Head of the Body; the Beginning of the creation of God; Firstborn from the dead; first in the realm of the visible and the invisible—He has the right to the title preeminent. His divine sovereignty is over all things. He is the “beginning” the origin of creation; and also by His death on the cross He established a new beginning – the beginning of redemption for mankind. His death and resurrection signaled the dawning of an age in which individuals would enjoy a closer more personal relationship to Him than ever before.
As first-born from the dead; He possesses authority and dominion over yet another aspect of this world (we must be raised immortal after we die). As the “first-born over all creation” (v. 15), He is supreme over the created world; and as “first-born from the dead,” He is supreme over death. Having conquered death by His resurrection, He now holds “keys of death” (Rev 1:18).
B. Paul pointed out the Father’s purpose in all of this—that “Christ would have first place in
everything” (v. 18). In the church, in creation, in salvation, and even in death and resurrection, Christ holds the title and privileges of the Firstborn. He is preeminent over all. “Through Him and for Him” –He is the end or goal of the creation—the universe and all the angels exist for Jesus Christ.³ God’s purpose is that Christ have first place in all things: first place in creation (as maker, owner, upholder, goal of the universe); first place in the realm of spirits for by Him and for Him they exist; first place in the realm of the redeemed for He is the firstborn from the dead—the first human to be raised from the dead to eternal glory.
Verse 19 – “For” (explanatory conjunction)—God the Father’s design is that He should reveal Himself in Christ. He would reveal Himself in Christ by executing all of His purposes by Him. In Christ reside the fullness of saving grace and power (the totality of divine attributes and might). This is by divine design—every aspect of Christ’s suitability to be our perfect Savior has been thought through by the Godhead. Bonar Quote: Every act and suffering of that glorious Person confronts the case of every sinner. If I see Him who is the atonement to be God-man, then I see an offering so vast, and so extensive in its applications, that every crevice of the conscience must be reached.
All the fullness of salvation dwells in Christ because He is God. “For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” The Father was pleased to have all redemptive power dwell in Christ who is the Agent for and goal for reconciliation (v. 20).
Verse 20 – To reconcile (apokatallacia)—means to exchange hostility for friendship. The prefix conveys (or stresses) the idea of complete reconciliation. God’s reconciling of man to Himself is necessary because of the enmity of sinners toward God in their natural mind (Rom 5:8-11; 8:5-7). Man’s corruption is an effrontery to God: the fact and existence of corruption requires reconciliation before relations can be restored. Our response to God’s authority, ownership and rule was “enemyship” (enmity). “Having made peace,” the participle is inserted to indicate the reconciliation is not a cosmic miracle in which the universe is changed outside of man. BUT that reconciliation is primarily concerned with relationships that re restored.
IV. Christ’s Supremacy and Judgment
A. In what sense does Christ reconcile all things to Himself? All things reconciled by His blood
cannot mean universal salvation. The reconciliation in this verse points to the consummation of history at the Great White Throne judgment—at the end of the millennium when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father (Phil 2:10; Rom 14:11).
Verse 20b -- At present, heaven and earth are not now united. Kingdoms are in conflict; sin brought the universe into a state of corruption; decay; deterioration. Sin destroyed the initial harmony and equilibrium of unspoiled creation (see Romans 8; the ‘groaning’ creation). What is staggering to our intellects is that God should reconcile the cosmos through the murder of the Son of man on a wooden cross beams of wood from the cedar tree He Himself had created.
Through the blood of His cross the sin principle is conquered—the curse is borne; the law satisfied; demons are disarmed; peace is made and restored. The sheer scope of His cross-work is because of His infinite dignity of His Person—the One who died for His people is Maker, Upholder, Owner, Ruler, Heir, and Goal of the universe.
The Vastness of Christ’s Person is seen in His cosmic Kingship. His cross affects not only mankind; but the entire cosmos. A distinction needs to be made between reconciliation and salvation. The scope of Christ’s redemptive work is cosmic. It reaches to the physical creation and to the innumerable hosts of fallen angels. Christ has gained their ultimate surrender. He has disarmed and conquered them by the cross—He de-fanged the demons and made a public display of them (Col 2:15).
B. What He accomplished at the cross; He will bring to completion at the end of the age when
He formally and militantly takes back the title deed to the earth. Through Christ all intelligent beings—both obedient and disobedient, and both human and angelic will acknowledge the sovereignty of God manifest in the Lordship of Christ who is over all. All the redeemed and unredeemed will acknowledge His sovereignty; AND in that sense there will be reconciliation. But this does NOT mean the unredeemed will be given salvation. (Christ’s vicarious death on the cross paid the price necessary to make possible this peace). God will put all things under His authority and rule, through the administrative reign of Jesus Christ—THEN when Christ is inaugurated as the cosmic Potentate the earth will have its day of reckoning and redemption, and will be transformed in to new heavens and earth (2 Pet 3:10; Rev 21:1).
C. All creation is unstoppably moving toward this goal. Someday the world will fully recognize
the preeminence and sovereignty of Christ (1 Cor 15:25; Phil 2:10-11; Rev 19:16). And the very public revelation of His preeminence in judgment and restoration will consummate the ages—everything will be summed up in Him (every created thing; every act, every virtue and every transgression will be evaluated by means of the relation it bears to Christ (Eph 1:10). Every knee will bow to Christ. He will pronounce the eternal destiny of every rational creature. Every enemy will be judge and made His footstool (1Cor 15:23-28).
We can see how this must have hit Paul’s readers. Present spiritual warfare in this life takes place between the believer and satanic powers (Eph 6:10-18). But Christ at the right hand of the Father possesses authority over the angelic realm, though at the present time that realm has not come under final judgment. In spite of their present limited power; the angelic realm will be subject to God’s work of reconciliation in judgment. Christ will be exalted and every knee will bow (Phil 2:10).
We marvel that God’s eternal plan should be to bring a portion of humanity into His eternal dwelling forever. The new humanity is fitted by Christ for a heavenly existence by conforming us to His image and likeness. The Redeemer repairs the ruin we inherited in Adam and furthered by our own sin. He restores us to the perfect image of God. He recalibrates polluted rebels back to a restored image of God. He realizes the dream or mystery of God— namely that God should make an eternal temple for His Spirit out of people instead of stones. And that God should choose a bride for His Son so that Christ would be the firstborn of many brethren and His bride should be flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone.
Never do divinity and humanity come closer than in the Person of Christ—the God-man. In order to reconcile God to man, he is both God and man—the perfect Mediator. Two natures in one Person speak of the coming goal of all history—namely that in Christ there should be a new humanity that will be as close to God as a creature could possibly be; as much like God as a creature could possibly be—in order to please God absolutely; enjoy God sublimely; worship God perfectly. To the degree that these realities thrill our souls we will make God’s purpose our purpose—wanting our lives to show that Christ has first place in all things. We are to fix our eyes on Him; meditating on Him by faith in His Word; following Him; running the race with endurance.
D. In the “Christ hymn” of 1:15-20 we see Christ’s supremacy at every turn. These six verses
testify to Christ’s absolute authority—not shared with any angel; person; or demon. Christ’s authority in every sphere is UNSHARED! Christ’s lordship is over persons; over angels; over the entire creation (thus His lordship is also consummative—it brings history to its terminus).
E. The vastness of His Person gives us insight into the marvelous dimensions of His work—we
gaze in awe at His supremacy to learn more of the sufficiency of His redemptive work. His glory is creation’s goal. The vastness of His Person dignifies the all-sufficiency and efficacy of His work. Because of the immensity of His Person; the souls of believers are supported by an immeasurable continent of rock. (Yet in His humiliation He condescended to go very low.) The intended goal of reconciliation is reached BECAUSE Christ’s incarnation allowed Him to die a real death in our place. Without committing sin, the Lord of Glory had to identify with His bride (the church) while she lay in her sinful condition. In order to raise His spiritually dead bride to glory, the Lord of glory was born of a woman; born under the law. He was made flesh. He obeyed to the point of being a servant; a slave to God.
His obedience took Him to that lonely cruel hill where crucifixions were carried out— that unclean place outside the city walls. He was obedient unto death—expiring on the most shameful instrument and implement. Of all—the bloody cross. He bore the curse of sin under which His precious bride had perished. Think of it, the Lord of glory became a human corpse in a stone tomb in order to resurrect His dead bride, the church. And in order to raise her spotless and blameless and bring her to eternal bliss and glory.
The sufficiency of Christ refutes the doctrinal heresies plaguing Colossae. Christ is all-sufficient:
- All the fullness of deity dwells in Christ
- Believers are complete in Christ
- Christ is the authority over all creation including angels
Paul’s affirmation that the believer is complete in Christ (2:10-14) is significant in light of the Colossian error that identification with Christ is not sufficient for the Christian life. The Colossians had no need to bow and scrape before spirit forces; for Christ reverses the trajectory of the pagan myth of gnosis and the veneration of angels. No, God entered humanity and became accessible to us in Christ.⁴ God in all His divine power is resident in Jesus.
CONCLUSION: Only when we grasp His preeminence and the Father’s determination to give Him first place in everything will we find the cure for our fragmented lives. Feeding our minds and hearts on His majesty is the key to living under His eye, living for His approval, and living with a clear view of His coming Kingdom. You can’t understand the cross until you know the One who died upon it (is Lord of glory). He who is transcendent to creation condescended to become one of us—the Great Insider—to live vicariously the life of a creature in order to bring us to God.
The unbelieving world is blind to Christ’s identity as King of the cosmos; God is made know by the revelation of Jesus Christ to the sinner. But God in His sovereign mercy penetrates this thick darkness of heart. He is making friends out of enemies. He is conquering sinners by His love. He is blasting into their bondage, ignorance and pollution—to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Cor 4:4-6).
Apart from the Spirit’s penetrating light—no sinner can say’ Jesus is Lord’. No sinner really understands that the One who hung on the cross on that darkened day in Judea is the Holy Creator of the universe—who left His throne and the worship of angels to taste death and wrath for guilty rebels—that Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter’s son is Jehovah of the Old Testament. It is salvation by revelation. It is God’s glory reflected in the Savior’s passion. It is God’s Spirit showing the sinner that the cruel implement of execution is a work of substitution. It is God in our nature—His divinity hidden—His glory obscured—drinking the cup of wrath meant for us. It is Jesus draining the cup—it is dying love that can conquer the most stubborn transgressor.
When by the Spirit the quickened sinner comes to understand his own desperate condition—his ruin—his ill desert—and the wrath of Almighty God whom he has offended—the spirit at that time brings several insights together—for the Gospel reveals the Character of God; the character of the sinner; and only then the perfect suitability of the Savior. Now to see Him in His majesty—as supreme—as Lord of all requires the gift of saving faith. To see by faith the Risen Lord is the result of a gift of faith bestowed by God’s grace. The last view the world had of Christ was a hideous scene of abject weakness; victimization, shame and ignominy. Christ’s supremacy was completely hidden in His atoning death. When Christ arose—He subsequently appeared only to believers. The next public view will be blinding glory.
Because Christ is central and preeminent—His work on behalf of sinners is all sufficient. If His sufficiency had not been attacked so soon after His ascension; many of the N.T, epistles would not have been written. But praise God they were written. Let this be a lesson to us—in every age of church history there is a tendency to lose sight of the majesty of Christ. We’ve seen that the value of His work flows from the vastness of His Person. But what are we to do with what we have heard? We must fix our eyes on Jesus; striving to see Him better and better each day (as He is revealed in Scripture)—until we are staggered at His majesty and supremacy—until we are lost in wonder and awe at Who God is toward us in Christ.
When by faith in the Word you see Christ as He really is in His vastness; you will see yourself as you really are. You will see sin as it is; this world as it is; your supposed religious righteousness and works for what they are. And if you are saved; you will have Christ as your highest desire; you’ll see the vastness of His agenda in your life to bring you to glory. You’ll see the vastness of His agenda in the world and in the cosmos—that God’s plan is to fill the earth with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea (Is 11:9).
Endnotes:
1 Ken Myers, “The Problem of Contextualization in a Decadent Culture” (Southern Baptist Seminary, Gheens Lecture Series). 2 Peter Jones, “Framing the Issues; Finding our Voices” (Escondido, CA: Christian Witness to a Pagan Planet, think-tank, 2007).
3 Ted Hamilton, “The Protokos Paradigm” (Pastor New Life Presbyterian Church, Escondido, CA) 2007 4 Ibid.