Who is Jesus? (Colossians 1:16-18)

We know that it is not possible to describe people fully with one word. An individual may be a son, a husband, a father, a lawyer, a football supporter, an athlete and other things. Those who only know him as a football supporter would be surprised to discover that he was a lawyer unless someone had informed them. Yet if they did not know all his roles they would not have a valid understanding of who he is.

When people think about Jesus, they may have a similar problem. Some know that he was a great teacher, others know that he made disciples and sent them into the world with a message of God’s love, others know that he is risen from the dead. Those details cannot be discovered by people unless someone tells them who he is. Thankfully, we have been told who he is, and the place where the information is found is in the Bible.

There are many descriptions of Jesus in the Bible. In some places, maybe one or two things are said about him while in other places several things are described. This set of verses is among the latter and its way of describing Jesus has led some scholars to speculate that here we may have an early creed that Paul wrote for Christians to use when thinking about Jesus and how great he is.

On a previous occasion, we thought about what Paul says in verses 15-17 about Jesus and the details in those verses state that he is divine, that he is the Creator and Upholder of all things. Obviously, such details reveal that Jesus is very great as God. If that was all that Paul had said, the description would still contain a lot to think about. But Paul has a lot more to say about Jesus, and what he says in the next three verses focus on what it means for Jesus to be man as well as God.

The apostle mentions four details in this regard. As we think about them, we should keep saying to ourselves, ‘This detail helps me understand the greatness of Jesus,’ and our hearts should be full or worship.

Jesus and his people

When Paul mentions the church here he is not referring to a building. Instead the church is a group of people. We know that he uses the word in different ways. Sometimes he uses it to refer to a small group of people in one place. At other times, he has a much larger group in mind, and that is the case here.

The word ‘church’ means ‘those who are called out to meet together’. It could be used of a variety of gatherings in a Greek-speaking place. For example, a local leader could call the citizens to a meeting. When Paul speaks of the church, he is describing those whom Jesus has called from their previous way of life to belong to him. The church here comprises all of God’s people wherever they are, in heaven and on earth.

Paul mentions two other details in this regard about Jesus that reveal his greatness. One is that there is a union between him and everyone in the church. This union is illustrated by Paul’s use of a head and a body to describe the relationship between Jesus and his people. The Bible describes this union in different ways. I suspect the point that Paul is making here is that this union is unbreakable since both a head and a body must be together.

The second detail is that since Jesus is called the head it means that he is in charge of the church at all times. This was the case when Paul wrote these words and it is true today. Although the number of his people is now far more than was the case in the first century, Jesus remains the only head of his kingdom.

Jesus and his position

As far as the position of Jesus is concerned, Paul mentions three details. Jesus is the beginning, he is the firstborn from the dead, and he has the preeminence in everything. I think Paul is referring to the consequences for Jesus of his resurrection from the dead. What happened when he was resurrected?

An important detail to note is that Paul distinguishes the resurrection of Jesus from other resurrections when he says that Jesus was the firstborn from the dead. The apostle cannot be referring to an order of time because in that sense Jesus was not the first to experience resurrection. Instead, the term ‘firstborn’ refers to royal position. Jesus, when he arose, did so as the One who would rule all things.

We can now see why his resurrection can be described as the beginning because it was the onset of a new kind of kingdom that is unique and will always be so. It is a kingdom that is not based on the usual features that mark earthly kingdoms such as political ideals, defence arrangements and such matters. Instead, his kingdom, while worldwide, is concerned about spiritual matters connected to the gospel.

The point that Paul stresses is that Jesus has the pre-eminence. He is is the One who is highly exalted and as Paul mentions elsewhere Jesus has been given the supreme name. All authority in heaven and on earth is his. He is in charge of providence, which is a reminder to us of his greatness.

Jesus and his person

What does it mean for Jesus to be both divine and human? Paul refers to that in his statement that ‘in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.’ The word ‘fullness’ seems to have been a popular one in Colosse because it is used several times in the letter. Here Paul means by it that everything in God was found in Jesus. In other words, when the Son of God became a man he did not cease to be fully God with all divine attributes in operation. We find this hard to work out if we try to understand it merely with our own reason. Yet when we accept it as a matter of divine revelation it becomes very comforting.

The next question to ask here is why does all divine fullness dwell in Jesus. The answer we are given is that it pleased the Father that this would be so. The Saviour we need must be divine as well as human. He had to be able to engage in certain divine activities such as the ability to pronounce mercy or the ability to be continually present with his people.  In Jesus, there is fullness of grace for all who trust in him.

Jesus the peacemaker

Paul goes on to say that the Father’s purpose through Jesus is to bring about universal reconciliation. This does not mean that every person will be saved. But it does mean that the breach that sin had caused had affected what occurs on earth and what occurs in heaven. We can see many consequences of sin every day as we observe the disharmony that marks earthly life. Sin has also caused a breach between heaven and earth in that God was now against us and determined to punish us. How could this disastrous situation be sorted out

The initiative for the provision of peace arose in the heart and mind of God. Indeed, the Bible tells us that when man rebelled against God at the beginning, Adam and Eve were informed of God’s amazing plan to bring about peace. They were told that a divine champion would come to the rescue and deal with the hostility that had commenced.

The basis of peace is the work that Jesus finished on the cross, the place of the curse for him and yet the place of peace for sinners. There he paid the penalty for sin when he endured the punishment that sinners deserved. The penalty could only be paid by the death Jesus died when he suffered on the cross. He bore the penalty lovingly, even although it involved him enduring the wrath of God.

The declaration of peace with God is made through the gospel. In the gospel, there is the offer of peace to sinners and there is the promise of peace to those who respond to the gospel offer with repentance and faith. When they do so, they are brought near to God, become members of his family, and enjoy the blessings of peace.

The prospect of peace is one of cosmic scale. When his people will have been delivered from the consequences of sin, there will be an eternal kingdom in which the Prince of peace will reign with his people in a new heavens and new earth. The peace that will be enjoyed will be internal as well as external, and it will be permanent.

Response

How do we respond today to Paul’s description of our great Saviour? Obviously, our response should be one of gratitude to him because he engaged in his great work on our behalf. A second response we can summarise with the word ‘gaze’ – we should contemplate with delight the amazing activities that he accomplished. Third, our response should be marked by gladness because we have been reconciled to God. Fourth, we will give all the glory of our salvation to Jesus, the great Saviour.