Colossians: The Incomparable Christ

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Talk intro:
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I have good news. I received a letter this week from a good friend and I’d like to read it to you. Now I would like you to listen closely and I’d encourage you to write down some things that connect with you.

(Read the Letter to the Colossians as if it were written to us.)

As you were listening to this wonderful letter did anything seem to stand out to you?

For the next few weeks we’re going to be going through the Letter to the Colossians and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us a portrait of the incomparable Christ.

This week I’m going to summarize the Letter to the Colossians so that we can see the reason that Paul wrote this letter.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; had not been written down yet so everything that the church in Colosse knew about Jesus had come to them by word of mouth. What that means is that they knew the story of Jesus but they still didn’t quite understand who He was and what it meant to follow Him.

So the first thing we notice about the book of Colossians is that it is divided into two major parts. The first part which is chapter 1 – 3:11 tells us who Jesus is and the chapter 3:12-4 tells us what it means to follow Him.

Now if we break it down even farther we’ll see that what Paul wants them, and us, to know about Jesus is that:

Jesus is preeminent or above everything else. 1:9-18

Jesus is the reconciler of all things. 1:19-23

Jesus is the revealed mystery of God. 1:24-29

Jesus is superior to philosophy. 2:1-10

Jesus is superior legalism. 2:11-23
Jesus is superior to cultural norms. 3:1-11

Then in the 2nd half of Colossians Paul’s focus is the changes that happen in us when we follow Jesus. What we see is that…

Following Jesus changes our character. 3:12-17. We’re not talking about behavior modification here. It is a total transformation of the very essence of who we are.

Following Jesus changes our relationships. 3:18-4:1

Following Jesus changes our priorities. 4:2-18

That’s a quick summary of what we’re going to discover together over the next few weeks.

I’d like to spend the rest of our time this morning looking at Paul’s introduction in this letter found in verses 1-2

Like our letters, or emails, today we usually start them off with a preamble or greeting and Paul’s letter to the Colossians is no different. Now it might be tempting to think of these opening verses as simply some kind words that Paul started out with before he jumped into the good stuff but I would challenge us to look a little deeper.

In these first few verses there is valuable information for us.

The first thing we see is that Paul isn’t writing this letter on his own authority. He is quick to point out that his authority is in Christ. Paul isn’t an apostle because he made a career choice or because someone decided it was a good ministry for him. Paul is writing this letter, and serving as an apostle, because God called him to do it.

Likewise in verse 2 we see another important calling, to be saints, or a holy and separated people in Christ. Just as Paul was called to be an apostle of Jesus by the will of God, we are made saints in Christ. The key thing to remember is that this term isn’t just a nice way to greet people it was an important fact for them to know.

By calling them ‘saints’ Paul is saying that these Gentiles, once considered unholy, and unacceptable by the law are now accepted and holy in Christ. They aren’t outcasts anymore they are now the people of God and co-equal with the Jewish believers.

The law had kept them out as separated them from God, but in Christ they are now the beloved people of God. Paul goes so far as to call them his ‘brethren’ which was not something a Jewish rabbi would ever say about a Gentile.
For Paul to say this meant that something had radically changed inside of him and in the Spiritual realm of God’s kingdom. Gentiles and Jews weren’t simply neighbors on a planet hung in space, they were brothers born of the Spirit of the living God through Jesus Christ.

What had changed? Jesus Christ had come into the world and because of His death and resurrection the grace and peace of God was extended to all people, not just a chosen few.

That grace and peace is extended to us too. Because of Jesus Christ we are now part of the kingdom of God. We are saints and brothers because we are one with Him. Being one with Him means that we are reconciled and accepted by God. We are the beloved and blessed people of God because He chose to reveal Himself to us through His only Son, Jesus.