Who is He and What Did He Do?

A THEOLOGY OF JESUS
2 Part Series
Chip Ingram | [email protected]

Part 2 | Who is He and What Did He Do?                                         Colossians 1:3-23

“You Shall Not Take ‘THE NAME’ of the Lord in Vain”                             Exodus 20:7

• We are all tempted to create a “Jesus” that “works for us.”

A Great Church That’s Greatly Confused                                         Colossians 1:3-12

• They have great faith, deep love for one another, they were growing and bearing spiritual fruit/character, and powerfully impacting their world. 3-8

• Paul’s prayer reveals his concerns as they are bombarded with “many voices” seeking to “remake, redefine, and reframe” who Jesus is and how they are to live out their new faith.          9-11

• Chapter 2 outlines the sources of their confusion; persuasive argument (v. 4), empty deception, pagan philosophies, and religious traditions (v. 8), Jewish laws and keeping rules to earn God’s favor (v. 16), and higher mystical knowledge (new age) spirituality combined with angel worship (v. 18).

• Summary | The Colossians are bombarded by “multiple messages and messengers” seeking to shift their focus from “Jesus Alone” to “Jesus + Something or Someone” to undermine their faith and promote their own agenda.

The Apostle Paul’s 2-Fold Solution                                                 Colossians 1:13-23

#1 He Reminds Them of What Jesus Did                                                       vs. 13-14

13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

#2 He Clarifies Who Jesus Is                                                                          vs. 15-20

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and

invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,

20 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.

21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Questions to Ponder & Act On

1. How have you (even unconsciously) “remade or redefined” Jesus to fit your life and agenda?

2. Who is Jesus according to Colossians 1:15-20? (See also John 1:1-5, 14-18)

3. What role or position does Jesus occupy in the Church? The universe? Eternity? In your life today?

4. According to vs. 21-25 of Chapter 1, why is Jesus alone worthy of your singular allegiance and full devotion? Read Matthew 7:24-29 to discover how Jesus measures our devotion to Him.